Complete Feature Guide
Claude Code Features: Beginner to Advanced
Claude Code is a tool that lets you talk to your codebase by typing simple commands into your terminal. Instead of clicking around in an editor, you have a conversation. The terminal becomes the bridge between your instructions and your entire repository.
When you type a command inside Claude Code, it's as if you're saying: "Claude, step into my project… let's build things."
Claude Code Beginner Features
Claude Code makes everyday coding tasks accessible to anyone. Whether you're exploring a new codebase, planning a feature, writing or editing code, or checking your work, you can simply explain your goal and let it help.
These core features help you understand, plan, build, and maintain your codebase. Master these foundational workflows before diving into advanced customization.
Understand or Search Your Codebase
Claude explains your project structure, files, and functions so you can quickly get oriented in any repo. Write documentation too!
Plan What to Build
You can outline features, architecture, and edge cases in natural language, and Claude turns them into clear technical steps.
Write, Modify, and Refactor Code
Claude generates new code, updates existing files, and iterates with you until the feature works.
Fix Bugs and Decode Errors
Paste in stack traces or test failures, and Claude will explain what they mean and walk you toward a fix.
Generate Tests
Write unit tests, integration tests, or test scaffolding to ensure your code is reliable and maintainable.
Automated Code Reviews
Claude reviews your changes, catches issues, suggests improvements, and explains the 'why' behind each recommendation.
Claude Code Advanced Features
Claude Code becomes much more powerful when you start customizing it by using the advanced features. You can teach your agent new skills, tune how it works, and streamline the workflows you use all the time. There's a learning curve, but it's the kind that pays you back every day you code.
These advanced features let you customize Claude Code's behavior, automate workflows, and integrate with external tools and services.
Config files (Claude.md)
Add custom instructions and settings into the memory of Claude Code agents by modifying these configuration files.
Resources:
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Templates collection | - |
| Repo of python, hugo, and terraform files | - |
Custom slash commands
Little shortcuts you create (like /fix-tests) that trigger reusable instructions without re-typing long prompts.
Examples:
| Feature/Command | Description |
|---|---|
| /audit-and-update-packages | run 'npm audit fix' and then have Claude fix the issues |
| /build-and-fix | run 'npm run build' and then have Claude Code fix the errors |
Hooks
Automatic scripts that run at specific moments (like 'before Claude reads certain files' or 'after it edits certain files'), helping your workflow run smoothly on its own.
Examples:
| Feature/Command | Description |
|---|---|
| (pre-read files) prevent reading large files | blocks Claude Code from reading them |
| (post edit files) run type checker | pass errors back into Claude to fix issues |
| (pre-edit files) dedup queries | checks for duplicate queries in the /queries directory, checks if functionality already exists |
| (pre-edit files) tell agent to invoke relevant skills | Ensures that Claude calls relevant skills that are saved |
MCP servers
Add-on connectors that let Claude Code talk to outside tools or data (databases, APIs, cloud services) through the Model Context Protocol.
Examples:
| Feature/Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Playwright | allows the Claude Code agent to have access to your browser so it can build UI/UX design and check how features look |
| Context7 | helper that lets your agent pull up-to-date docs and examples from external libraries whenever it needs them |
Subagents
Extra mini-agents Claude can spin up for focused tasks so the main chat stays clean and organized.
Examples:
| Feature/Command | Description |
|---|---|
| strategic-plan-architect | Creates an interactive session where it proposes a strategic design based on your requirements, asks clarifying questions, and drafts a plan for you to edit |
| auth-route-tester | tests backend routes that require authentication |
Agent skills
Pre-built abilities you can hand to Claude (like 'write SQL' or 'analyze logs') so it knows how to handle certain tasks without extra prompting.
Examples:
| Feature/Command | Description |
|---|---|
| backend-dev-guidelines | expert on building routes, controllers, services, repository, using databases |
| frontend-dev-guidelines | expert on building React 19, Material UI v7, TanStack Query/Router patterns |
| database-verification | prevents column name errors and other issues with database |
Plug-ins
Installable bundles of features—commands, skills, subagents, hooks—that let you share or reuse powerful setups instantly.
Resources:
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Awesome Claude Plug-Ins | - |
| Claude Code Marketplace | - |
Parallel Git worktrees
Separate workspaces on different branches so you can run multiple Claude Code sessions side-by-side without messing up your main project.
Resources:
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| A nice blogpost explaining how to use git worktrees with Claude Code for parallel development workflow | - |