Two characters that change how you write .
@ — reference a file
Start typing @ in the prompt and Claude offers an autocomplete of files in the current directory tree. Pick one and the file path drops into the prompt.
Compare @src/auth/old.ts with @src/auth/new.ts and tell me what changed.Claude reads both files automatically. You didn’t have to paste paths, didn’t have to spell them, didn’t risk a typo.
Works with directories too. @src/auth/ gives Claude the whole folder as context.
! — run a shell command inline
Prefix a line with ! and Claude runs the command immediately and pastes the output into the prompt. The command runs in your ; you see what ran.
!git status
!git diff HEAD
What are these changes about? Summarise for the commit message.You didn’t have to switch . You didn’t have to copy-paste. Claude saw the actual state, not a description of it.
Useful targets for !:
!git log -5 --oneline— recent as context!npm test -- --reporter=summary— paste test output before asking “why is this failing”!ls -la— quick “what’s in here?” without the back-and-forth!cat package.json | jq .scripts— pull a specific slice of a file
When not to use !: long-running commands (!npm run dev will hang the prompt waiting for a server that never finishes). Quick one-shot output only.
These two shortcuts replace dozens of small copy-pastes per day. Once they’re muscle memory you’ll wonder how you used Claude without them.