Commands
Commands are custom slash commands that appear in your AI IDE. Create reusable prompts with optional arguments to streamline your workflow and ensure consistent AI interactions.
Overview
Commands let you define reusable prompts that can be triggered using slash notation (e.g., /review, /security-check). When you invoke a command, its content is sent to the AI along with any arguments you provide.
Key features include:
- Slash notation — Trigger commands with
/command-namein your IDE - Arguments — Define up to 3 optional or required arguments per command
- Reusable prompts — Write once, use everywhere across your workspace
- Import/Export — Share commands as JSON files
Creating a Command
To create a new command:
- Navigate to your workspace
- Click the Commands tab
- Click New Command
- Fill in the command details:
- Name — The command name in kebab-case (e.g.,
security-review) - Description — A brief description of what the command does
- Content — The prompt text sent to the AI when the command is invoked
- Name — The command name in kebab-case (e.g.,
- Click Create
Command Arguments
Commands can have up to 3 arguments that users provide when invoking the command. Arguments make your commands more flexible and reusable.
Adding Arguments
- Open an existing command or create a new one
- Click Arguments in the command card menu
- Click Add Argument
- Configure the argument:
- Name — Argument name in kebab-case (e.g.,
file-path) - Description — Help text shown to users
- Required — Whether the argument must be provided
- Name — Argument name in kebab-case (e.g.,
- Save the argument
Argument Limits
| Limitation | Limit |
|---|---|
| Arguments per command | 3 |
| Argument name length | 30 characters |
| Argument description length | 100 characters |
Using Commands
Once created, commands appear in your IDE when connected via MCP. The exact invocation depends on your IDE:
In Cursor / Claude Code / Windsurf
Use the MCP prompt tool to invoke commands by name. The AI will receive the command content along with any arguments provided.
A command named security-review with content "Review the following code for security vulnerabilities..." would be invoked as /security-review in your IDE.
Enabling & Disabling Commands
Commands can be enabled or disabled:
- Open the command card menu (three dots)
- Click Enable or Disable
- Disabled commands appear dimmed and won't be available in your IDE
Exporting Commands
Commands can be exported as JSON files for backup or sharing:
- Open the command card menu (three dots)
- Click Export as JSON
- The command with all its arguments will be downloaded as a JSON file
The exported JSON format:
{
"name": "security-review",
"description": "Perform a security review of the code",
"content": "Review the following code for security vulnerabilities...",
"arguments": [
{
"name": "focus-area",
"description": "Specific area to focus on",
"required": false
}
]
}
Importing Commands
Import commands from JSON files:
- Click the Import button next to "New Command"
- Drag and drop a JSON file or click to browse
- The system validates the JSON structure
- Preview shows command name, description, and argument count
- Click Import Command to create it
Note: If a command with the same name exists, it will be auto-renamed (e.g., "review" → "review-2").
Community Commands
Don't want to start from scratch? Browse ready-to-use commands created by the community:
Visit github.com/instructionly/community/commands to discover command examples for code review, security audits, documentation, and more. Download JSON files and import them directly into your workspace.
Contributing Your Commands
Have commands that work well for your team? Share them with the community:
- Export your command as JSON
- Fork the community repository
- Add your command to
commands/examples/ - Submit a pull request
See the Contributing Guide for detailed instructions.
Content Limits
Commands have the following content limits:
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Name | 30 characters |
| Description | 100 characters |
| Content | 5,000 characters |
Workspace Limits
Each workspace can have up to 50 commands. If you reach this limit, you'll need to delete unused commands before creating new ones.