The Complete Claude Cookbook
A 100-command field guide for making Claude more useful in real work.
What this lesson gives you
A practical command library you can return to whenever you want Claude to be more specific, useful, and consistent.
Best for
Anyone who already uses Claude and wants stronger results without learning a new tool.
Inside this lesson
- Build a setup Claude can use repeatedly.
- Keep high-leverage commands in one place.
- Use modifiers to control depth, format, and tone.
The full lesson
THE COMPLETE CLAUDE Cookbook
100 Tricks & Triggers That Make Claude Cook
The AGI Guide · @the.agi.guide
the most trusted place on the internet to learn AI
Mise en Place Setup commands that wire Claude to you
Appetizers Single-line triggers. Paste and go
The Grill Modifiers that make Claude go harder
The Mains Installable skills — the real weapons
Secret Sauce Cheat codes. The stuff nobody talks about
Set Claude up once. Change everything forever.
Strips every response down to its bare essentials — no filler, no fluff, no padding.
You need a quick answer between meetings.
When your boss asks for an update and you need Claude to cut straight to the point.
/brief [paste your topic or question here]
Rewrites any output so it sounds like a real human wrote it, eliminating all robotic AI phrases and patterns.
Before sending a cold email.
Any time Claude-written copy needs to pass as yours.
/ghost [paste the text you want humanized]
Explains any concept as if you're five years old — no jargon, no assumptions, pure clarity.
Trying to understand a complex contract clause.
Breaking down technical documentation you've never seen before.
/eli5 [paste the concept or text you want explained]
Takes anything complicated and rebuilds it for a beginner — assumes zero prior knowledge.
Explaining your product to someone new to the industry.
Understanding a topic you're learning from scratch.
/simplify [paste the complex topic or text]
Condenses any document, topic, or conversation into its most essential points.
You've been handed a 40-page report and need the key points in 2 minutes.
Catching up on a long email thread.
/summary [paste the text or topic you want summarized]
Forces Claude to show, not tell — gives you real-world concrete examples instead of abstract explanations.
You understand the theory but need to see it in practice.
Explaining an abstract concept to a client or team member.
/examples [paste the concept or idea you want illustrated]
Turns any raw information into clean, structured notes with hierarchy and clarity.
After a long meeting or lecture you need to reference later.
Organizing scattered research into something usable.
/notes [paste the raw information or topic]
Gives you a complete, structured explanation of any topic from the ground up.
Picking up a new skill you know nothing about.
Getting oriented in a new industry or subject area fast.
/learn [topic you want to understand]
Builds you a structured, prioritized daily action plan based on your goals and tasks.
Monday morning and you have 20 things on your plate.
Any day when you feel scattered and need a clear sequence.
/plan [paste your tasks, goals, or context for the day]
Creates a full weekly plan organized around your priorities and available time.
Sunday night prep — mapping out the week before it starts.
When a big project needs to be broken into daily milestones.
/weekly [paste your goals, projects, and constraints for the week]
Runs a structured weekly review — what worked, what didn't, what to carry forward.
End of week reflection before you reset.
Before a performance conversation or planning session.
/review [paste notes from your week or just describe what happened]
Strips your list down to what actually moves the needle and removes everything that's just noise.
When you're busy but not productive.
Before a deep work session when you need to protect your time.
/focus [paste your current task list or describe your situation]
Takes everything you have to do and ranks it by impact — tells you exactly what to do first.
When your to-do list is a wall of equal-weight tasks.
Before a limited work window where you can only do a few things.
/prioritize [paste your full task list]
Designs a realistic habit-building system around your specific goals and lifestyle.
Starting a new routine — fitness, productivity, learning.
When you've tried to build a habit and it's never stuck.
/habits [describe the habit you want to build and your current schedule]
Builds a simple, customized tracking system for any goal or metric you want to measure.
You want to stay accountable to a goal but don't know what to measure.
Building a content output tracker, revenue dashboard, or health log.
/track [describe what you want to track and why]
Single-line commands. Paste and go.
Rewrites anything you give it to be 10 times more punchy, confident, and direct.
A bio or about page that sounds flat.
Any piece of writing that needs to hit harder.
/10x [paste the text you want upgraded]
Places two things side by side and gives you a structured, honest breakdown of the differences.
Deciding between two tools, strategies, or offers.
Helping a client understand why your solution beats the alternative.
/compare [Thing A] vs [Thing B]
Generates a clean, balanced list of pros and cons for any decision or idea.
Before committing to a big business or personal decision.
When you're overthinking and need the tradeoffs laid out clearly.
/proscons [describe the decision or idea]
Finds every flaw, weakness, and gap in whatever you give it — no sugarcoating.
Before publishing anything you've written.
Before pitching an idea to a room that will push back hard.
/critique [paste your content, plan, or idea]
Lists the most common mistakes people make with any topic, skill, or strategy.
Entering a new field and wanting to skip the beginner traps.
Before launching something you've never done before.
/mistakes [describe the topic, skill, or project]
Finds the best resources — books, tools, frameworks — for learning or solving any problem.
Starting to learn something and not knowing where to begin.
Building a recommended reading list for your audience.
/resources [describe the topic or problem]
Generates targeted practice questions to help you drill any skill or concept.
Preparing for a certification, exam, or interview.
Strengthening understanding of anything you've just learned.
/practice [describe the skill or topic you want to drill]
Tests your knowledge on any topic with a set of questions and immediate feedback.
After learning something new — locking it in.
Testing your team's understanding of a new process or concept.
Gives you a rapid, high-density revision of any topic — like a cheat sheet on demand.
The night before a presentation, exam, or important meeting.
Refreshing knowledge you haven't used in a while.
/revision [topic you want to quickly revise]
Doesn't just tell you what — tells you the exact reasoning and logic behind it.
When you need to understand something deeply, not just superficially.
When you're about to teach something and need to know the 'why' yourself.
/explainwhy [paste the concept, rule, or claim]
Writes a tight, compelling 30-second pitch for any product, idea, or business.
Before a sales call, investor meeting, or intro conversation.
When you need to explain what you do and make it land fast.
/pitch [describe your product, service, or idea]
Rewrites your bio so it's compelling, credible, and positioned correctly for your audience.
Updating your LinkedIn, website, or speaker profile.
Before a speaking gig, podcast, or PR opportunity.
/bio [paste your current bio or describe who you are and what you do]
Generates multiple headline options for any piece of content, product, or campaign.
When your working title is boring and you know it.
A/B testing hooks for ads, posts, or email subject lines.
/headline [describe the topic, product, or content piece]
Clarifies exactly who you serve, what you do, and why you're different from everyone else.
When your positioning feels fuzzy or too broad.
Before writing any content or building any offer.
/niche [describe your current work and audience]
Builds a detailed profile of your exact target audience — their pains, desires, and language.
Before writing a single word of copy.
When your content isn't resonating and you're not sure why.
/audience [describe your product, service, or content topic]
Reviews your LinkedIn or social profile and tells you exactly what to fix and why.
When you're about to use LinkedIn to generate leads or opportunities.
Before a job search, investor outreach, or partnership conversation.
/profile [paste your current bio, headline, and about section]
Builds a full content calendar with topics, formats, and posting cadence.
When you know you need to post but have no idea what about.
Starting a new content channel and needing a 30-day launchpad.
/contentplan [describe your niche, audience, and platform]
Defines where you sit in the market and what makes you the obvious choice.
When your brand feels generic or interchangeable.
Before writing your website homepage or core messaging.
/positioning [describe your business, audience, and main competitors]
Gives you specific, platform-matched tactics to increase engagement on your content.
When your content is getting views but no reactions or comments.
Launching a new content format and wanting it to land.
/engagement [paste the content or describe your platform and situation]
Builds a specific, strategic growth plan for your account, audience, or business.
When follower or revenue growth has plateaued.
Starting from zero and needing a clear path forward.
/growth [describe your platform, current size, and goal]
Modifier commands that make Claude go harder.
Tells Claude to go fully detailed — no surface-level takes, no shortcuts, no summaries.
When you need to fully understand something before making a big decision.
Research mode — you want everything, not the highlights.
/deepdive [topic or question]
Puts Claude in pure analysis mode — structured, evidence-based, no fluff.
Breaking down a market, competitor, or business situation.
When you need a professional-grade analysis, not just an opinion.
/analyst [describe what you want analyzed]
Takes whatever you give it and makes it better — faster, sharper, more effective.
Any process, system, or piece of writing that's working but not great.
Before finalizing anything important — always run it through the optimizer.
/optimizer [paste the content, system, or process you want improved]
Challenges your idea by arguing the strongest case against it.
When you've been in your own head too long about something.
Before committing to a strategy — make sure it survives the counter.
/contrarian [paste your idea, plan, or belief]
Finds every risk, blind spot, and hidden danger in your plan before it bites you.
Before launching anything — product, campaign, partnership.
When your plan feels solid but your gut says something's off.
/scout [paste your plan or idea]
Steelmans the opposing argument — argues the other side as powerfully as possible.
When you're in a debate or negotiation and need to know what you're up against.
Before writing a persuasive piece — understand the resistance first.
/devil [paste your position or argument]
Finds flaws only — not balanced feedback, just everything that's wrong.
When you need brutal honesty, not encouragement.
Code reviews, content reviews, pitch rehearsals.
/critic [paste the work you want torn apart]
Strips a problem down to its most basic truths and rebuilds from scratch.
When conventional advice isn't working and you need original thinking.
The Elon Musk move — stop assuming, start reasoning from ground zero.
/firstprinciples [paste the problem or topic]
Imagines the project failed six months from now and works backwards to find out why.
Before any major launch, decision, or commitment.
When you're too excited about something and need to pressure-test it.
/premortem [describe your project or plan]
Attacks your idea from every angle a critic, competitor, or skeptic would use.
Before a board presentation, investor pitch, or public launch.
When you need to know where the holes are before someone else finds them.
/redteam [paste your plan, idea, or argument]
Builds the strongest possible version of an argument you disagree with.
Preparing for a debate, negotiation, or difficult conversation.
Understanding a competitor's position better than they do.
/steelman [describe the opposing view or argument]
Identifies the single thing most likely to blow up your entire plan.
When you have a lot of moving pieces and one failure point could cascade.
Before signing a contract or making an irreversible decision.
/tripwire [describe your plan or project]
Forces open your idea from a completely unexpected, counterintuitive angle.
When you're stuck on a problem and every obvious approach has failed.
Creative ideation — when you need something no one else has thought of.
/crowbar [describe the problem or idea you're stuck on]
Sees through the surface of your question to find what's actually going on underneath.
When you think you know the problem but something feels off.
Diagnosing a business issue, relationship dynamic, or strategic mistake.
/xray [describe your situation or question]
Pressure-tests your idea against real logic, market conditions, and common failure modes.
Before spending money, time, or energy on something unproven.
When someone told you it's a great idea and you want a second opinion.
/validate [describe your idea]
Evaluates your startup idea — market size, differentiation, risks, and viability.
Early-stage founders testing if an idea is worth pursuing.
Before building anything — know if the foundation is solid.
/startup [describe your startup idea]
Builds a go-to-market plan — who, how, when, and through what channels.
Launching a new product, service, or content channel.
Entering a new market and needing a structured approach.
/gtm [describe your product and target audience]
Generates specific revenue ideas for any skill, audience, or platform.
When you have an audience but no clear way to make money from it.
Exploring new income streams beyond your current model.
/monetize [describe your skill, platform, or audience]
Builds a detailed ideal customer profile — demographics, psychographics, pain points, triggers.
Before any marketing, sales, or content effort.
When you're targeting everyone and converting no one.
/icp [describe your product or service]
Writes a persuasive, structured sales pitch tailored to your offer and audience.
Preparing for a sales call, proposal, or demo.
Building the messaging for a landing page or outreach campaign.
/sales [describe your offer and the person you're selling to]
Writes cold outreach that doesn't sound like cold outreach.
Reaching out to potential clients, collaborators, or investors.
Any message where you need someone who doesn't know you to respond.
/colddm [describe who you're reaching out to and what you want]
Builds or sharpens your offer — the package, the promise, and the price justification.
When people like what you do but aren't buying.
Repositioning an existing service that's underperforming.
/offer [describe what you sell and who you sell it to]
Designs a complete funnel — awareness to conversion — for your product or service.
When you have traffic but it's not turning into revenue.
Building a new acquisition system from scratch.
/funnel [describe your product, audience, and current situation]
Generates specific strategies to keep customers coming back and reduce churn.
When acquisition is working but people aren't staying.
Subscription businesses, communities, or service providers.
/retention [describe your product and current customer situation]
Scores any set of ideas or tasks by Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort — tells you what to do first.
When you have ten good ideas and need to know which one to actually build.
Prioritizing a product roadmap, content calendar, or project list.
/rice [list your ideas or tasks]
The weapons. Skills you install, not just type.
Teaches Claude to build its own reusable skill files — so you can install new capabilities permanently.
When you do the same type of task repeatedly and want Claude to master it.
Building a custom writing, research, or analysis skill for your workflow.
/skill-creator [describe the skill you want Claude to learn]
skill: grill-with-docs — RECIPE NO. 62
Upload any document and Claude will interrogate it — surfacing what matters, what's missing, what's wrong.
Due diligence on contracts, reports, or proposals.
Research synthesis when you have more documents than time.
Install: skills.sh/mattpocock/skills/grill-with-docs Then: grill this [upload your doc]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
A professional-grade copywriting skill that rewires Claude's output to match elite direct-response standards.
Writing sales pages, email sequences, or ad copy.
Any time the words need to actually convert, not just sound good.
Install: skills.sh/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/copywriting Then: write [content type]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
skill: brainstorming — RECIPE NO. 64
Activates a structured creative thinking mode — goes wide, goes deep, connects unexpected dots.
Early ideation for products, content, campaigns, or solutions.
When you're stuck and need Claude to break you out of linear thinking.
Install: skills.sh/obra/superpowers/brainstorming Then: brainstorm [topic]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
skill: writing-plans — RECIPE NO. 65
Builds detailed, milestone-based project plans for any initiative — structured for execution, not just strategy.
Complex projects that need sequencing, ownership, and deadlines.
Before starting any multi-week initiative.
Install: skills.sh/obra/superpowers/writing-plans Then: write a plan for [project]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
skill: sys-debugging — RECIPE NO. 66
Turns Claude into a methodical debugger — identifies root causes, not just symptoms.
When something is broken and you've already tried the obvious fixes.
Code issues, workflow failures, business problems that keep recurring.
Install: skills.sh/obra/superpowers/systematic-debugging Then: debug this: [problem]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
Converts any rough idea into a structured Product Requirements Document — ready for a team to execute.
When you have an idea and need to communicate it to developers or designers.
Before scoping any build — get the requirements right first.
Install: skills.sh/mattpocock/skills/to-prd Then: turn this into a PRD: [idea]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
Claude becomes your interrogator — asks you tough, probing questions to sharpen your thinking.
Before a big pitch, interview, or presentation.
Stress-testing your own ideas before you share them publicly.
Install: skills.sh/mattpocock/skills/grill-me Then: grill me on [topic or idea]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
Finds exactly what's wrong with anything — a system, a strategy, a piece of content, a business.
When performance has dropped and you don't know why.
Before a rebrand, relaunch, or strategic pivot.
Install: skills.sh/mattpocock/skills/diagnose Then: diagnose [describe the problem]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
Pulls Claude back to 30,000 feet — forces big picture thinking instead of getting lost in the details.
When you're deep in execution and losing sight of the goal.
Strategic reviews, quarterly planning, or major decision points.
Install: skills.sh/mattpocock/skills/zoom-out Then: zoom out on [situation]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
Sets Claude's quality standard to perfection — every output must be flawless before it's delivered.
Client-facing work, published content, or anything that represents your brand.
When good enough isn't good enough.
Install: skills.sh/pbakaus/impeccable/impeccable Then: /impeccable [paste your work]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
skill: ui-ux-pro-max — RECIPE NO. 72
Gives Claude professional UI/UX design intelligence — layouts, components, and user flows at an elite level.
Designing apps, websites, or product interfaces.
Getting design feedback that actually matches industry standards.
Install: skills.sh/nextlevelbuilder/ui-ux-pro-max-skill/ui-ux-pro-max Then describe your
Install this skill first, then use the command above
skill: extract-design — RECIPE NO. 73
Reverse-engineers a full design system from any reference — colors, typography, spacing, components.
Cloning a design aesthetic you love.
Building consistent brand standards from scratch.
Install: skills.sh/arvindrk/extract-design-system Then: extract design system from
Install this skill first, then use the command above
skill: write-a-skill — RECIPE NO. 74
Teaches Claude to write new skill files — so you can permanently expand what it's capable of doing.
When you've found a task Claude does well and want to standardize it.
Building a personal library of custom Claude capabilities.
Install: skills.sh/mattpocock/skills/write-a-skill Then: write a skill for [capability]
Install this skill first, then use the command above
The master skill — unlocks the full Obra superpowers library and shows Claude how to use them together.
When you want Claude operating at its absolute ceiling.
The first skill to install if you're serious about getting the most out of Claude.
Install: skills.sh/obra/superpowers/using-superpowers Then: activate superpowers
Install this skill first, then use the command above
Transforms Claude into a professional scriptwriter — structured, punchy, built for delivery.
Writing video scripts, podcast outlines, or presentation narratives.
Any content that will be spoken, not just read.
/script [describe the topic, audience, tone, and length]
Puts Claude in mentor mode — it teaches, debates, and pushes back until you actually understand.
Deep learning sessions where you want to be challenged.
When you need to understand something well enough to teach it yourself.
/teacher [paste the topic and your current level]
Runs the OODA loop — Observe, Orient, Decide, Act — on any complex problem or decision.
Fast-moving situations that need rapid, structured decision-making.
When circumstances have changed and you need to reorient quickly.
/ooda [describe your current situation and the decision you face]
Builds a time-blocked schedule that actually reflects your energy and priorities.
When your calendar is full but your priorities aren't protected.
Designing a high-performance week from scratch.
/timeblock [describe your tasks, commitments, and energy patterns]
Identifies exactly what you should hand off and gives you the brief to make it happen.
When you're the bottleneck in your own business.
Before hiring or expanding your team — know what to give away first.
/delegate [describe your current role and what's taking up your time]
Finds every task in your workflow that could be automated and tells you exactly how.
When you're doing the same thing manually more than twice a week.
Before building out your tech stack — know what's worth automating.
/automate [describe your current workflow and tools]
Builds a complete DM strategy — opening lines, follow-ups, and conversion sequences.
When you're trying to turn social media followers into clients or conversations.
Building a systematic outreach engine from scratch.
/dms [describe your offer, audience, and platform]
Strips every trace of AI-generated patterns from any piece of writing and makes it sound fully human.
Before publishing any Claude-written content publicly.
When the output is good but clearly reads as AI.
/stop-slop [paste the AI-written content]
Tells Claude to build a live, functional mini-app, tool, or interactive element directly in the chat.
Building a calculator, quiz, tracker, or form without code.
Prototyping a product idea in minutes to test if it works.
/artifacts [describe the tool or app you want built]
Activates research agent mode — Claude focuses on the last 30 days of information on any topic.
Catching up on fast-moving news, trends, or market shifts.
Research that requires recency, not just general knowledge.
/last30day [describe the topic you want researched]
Cheat codes. The stuff nobody talks about.
Tells Claude to use its maximum cognitive effort on the current task — no shortcuts, no easy answers.
The hardest problems you're facing — strategic, creative, or technical.
Any task where good enough will cost you and only excellent will do.
/ultrathink [paste your hardest question or problem]
Cranks Claude's depth and detail to the maximum — like shifting from cruise control to full throttle.
When standard responses feel shallow and you need real substance.
Before any high-stakes deliverable — pitch, proposal, or plan.
/effort high — then describe your task in full detail
Shows you exactly how much context Claude is holding and gives you tips to optimize it.
Long conversations where Claude starts losing track of earlier details.
Complex projects where you need Claude to stay sharp across many messages.
Compresses the conversation context so Claude stays focused and doesn't get overwhelmed.
When a long session is causing Claude to drift or repeat itself.
Multi-hour work sessions where maintaining clarity is critical.
/compact [describe what you want Claude to keep focused on]
Builds a complete press kit — bio, story, talking points, and media angles — ready to send to journalists or podcasters.
When you're pitching media, podcasts, or speaking opportunities.
Before a PR push or product launch where you need coverage.
/presskit [describe who you are, what you do, and the story you want to tell]
Designs a pre-launch warmup sequence that builds anticipation and primes your audience to buy.
Before any offer, product drop, or event launch.
When you want your audience leaning in before you ask them for anything.
/warmup [describe your offer, audience, and launch timeline]
Diagnoses what's off about your current brand and builds the new positioning from the ground up.
When you've outgrown your original brand identity.
When your messaging no longer reflects who you actually serve.
/rebrand [describe your current brand and what's no longer working]
Builds a complete launch plan — timeline, content, emails, and conversion events — for any product or offer.
Launching anything new and needing a structured sequenced plan.
When you want a systematic launch, not a chaotic one.
/launch [describe your product, audience, and launch window]
Positions you as the undeniable expert in your niche — builds the content, proof, and messaging stack.
When you're creating great work but nobody sees you as the go-to.
Before pitching high-value clients, speaking gigs, or partnerships.
/authority [describe your niche, experience, and target audience]
Calculates exactly what you need to sell to cover your costs — then shows you the fastest path there.
Before launching a new offer or pricing it.
When you're not sure if the business model actually works.
/breakeven [describe your costs, offer price, and business model]
Finds the exact gap in your market and builds the messaging that makes you the obvious alternative.
When you're competing in a crowded space and blending in.
Before entering a new market or repositioning against a stronger competitor.
/differentiate [describe your space, competitors, and what you actually do differently]
Takes one piece of content and expands it into a full multi-platform distribution system.
When you've created something good and want to extract maximum leverage from it.
Building a content machine from a single source piece.
/repurpose [paste the original content and list your platforms]
Builds messaging that converts people who have never heard of you — strangers to buyers.
Running paid ads or outreach to audiences with zero prior awareness.
When your warm audience converts but cold traffic doesn't.
/coldtraffic [describe your offer and the cold audience you're targeting]
Anticipates every objection your audience might have and pre-handles them in your messaging.
Before launching any offer, publishing any content, or sending any pitch.
When you know your audience has doubts and you want to neutralize them first.
/immunize [describe your offer and list the objections you're hearing]
Activates Claude's most aggressive, powerful, unfiltered output mode — maximum confidence, maximum force.
When every other mode has felt too soft for what you're dealing with.
The final boss command. Save it for when you need Claude to cook.
/godmode [describe exactly what you need done — no limits, no hedging]
Most people type a question into Claude and get a generic answer back. They never realize they're standing in a fully equipped kitchen — and using it like a microwave.
This cookbook changes that.
Inside: 100 commands, triggers, and techniques across five chapters. From first setup commands to secret-sauce skills that make Claude operate at a level most people never see.
No fluff. No theory. Just 100 ways to make Claude cook.
Five Chapters · 100 Commands · One Goal
I. Mise en Place · II. Appetizers · III. The Grill IV. The Mains · V. Secret Sauce
DM me "COOK" on Instagram for the next level guide @the.agi.guide
Want a hand applying this?
Install the AGI Edge MCP in Codex, then use this as your starting prompt:
“I am working through The Complete Claude Cookbook from The AGI Guide. Help me choose the three commands that would make the biggest difference in my work this week, explain why, and help me set them up.”
Install the MCP in Codex