Slash commands

Slash commands let you trigger reusable prompt templates from the chat input — type / and pick. Kenaz ships a handful of built-ins; you can write your own.

Using a command

Type / in the input box. The picker opens with available commands. Pick one, fill in any arguments it asks for, hit ↵.

The command rewrites your input to a structured prompt before it reaches the model. The model sees the rewritten prompt; you see what you typed.

Built-in commands

Command	What it does
`/explain`	"Explain the following at the level of a competent engineer not in this codebase." Takes a selection or a file reference.
`/refactor`	Suggests a refactor of selected code. Always includes the project root path so the model can call `read_file` for context.
`/test`	Generates tests for the selected function/file using the project's existing test framework (auto-detected).
`/diff`	Pastes a `git diff` from the project root into context and asks for a review.
`/summarize`	Compacts the active session and starts a fresh follow-up turn. Useful before a long working session.
`/clear`	Forks the session into a fresh branch with no history. Good when context has drifted.
`/help`	Lists all available commands, including custom ones.

Built-ins evolve with releases — /help is the source of truth.

Custom commands

Settings → Slash commands → New command.

A command is:

A trigger — the slash name, e.g. /release-notes.
A description — shown in the picker.
A prompt template — the actual prompt sent to the model. Supports {{argument}} substitution and a small set of helper macros.
(Optional) Arguments — typed inputs (text, file, selection, enum).
(Optional) Default tools — tools to enable for the command's turn even if disabled in the session.

Template macros

Macro	Expands to
`{{cwd}}`	Active project root
`{{selection}}`	The text the user had selected when invoking
`{{file}}`	Path to a file the user picked from a `file` argument
`{{git.branch}}`	Current git branch in the active project
`{{git.diff}}`	Output of `git diff` in the project
`{{date}}`	Today's date in ISO format

Example: a `/release-notes` command

trigger: /release-notes
description: Draft release notes from the diff since a tag.
arguments:
  - name: tag
    type: text
    placeholder: 'e.g. v0.4.0'
prompt: |
  Draft user-facing release notes for the changes in {{git.branch}}
  since the tag {{tag}}. Tone: professional but not stiff. Group into
  sections: Features, Fixes, Deprecations. One bullet per change, in
  past tense.
  
  Diff:
  {{git.diff}}

Save it, then /release-notes v0.4.0 in any session inside that project produces the draft.

Commands are stored in $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/kaneaz-harness/slash-commands.yaml. Drop that file in a git repo your team shares and everyone gets the same commands.

A future release will add per-project commands (read from .kenaz/slash-commands.yaml in the project root) so a repo can ship its own command set.

Limits

Commands run as a single prompt — they're not multi-turn agents. If you need a workflow with multiple steps, see the workflow system (coming soon).
The expanded prompt is what the model sees, including any {{git.diff}} content. Mind the size for long diffs.

Using a command​

Built-in commands​

Custom commands​

Template macros​

Example: a /release-notes command​

Sharing commands​

Limits​