SuperClaude: Supercharge Your Claude Code Experience (2026)

Claude Code is powerful out of the box, but SuperClaude takes it further. SuperClaude is a community-built enhancement layer for Claude Code that adds custom slash commands, specialized prompts, structured workflows, and opinionated defaults that make Claude Code significantly more productive for real-world development tasks.

This guide covers what SuperClaude is, how to install it, and how to use its features to get better results from Claude Code.

What Is SuperClaude?

SuperClaude is a collection of CLAUDE.md configuration files, custom commands, and prompt templates that sit on top of Claude Code. It does not modify Claude Code itself -- it configures Claude Code's behavior through the same configuration mechanisms that Anthropic provides.

Think of it as a "dotfiles" package for Claude Code. Just as experienced developers customize their shell with .zshrc and their editor with settings files, SuperClaude customizes Claude Code for optimal performance.

What It Provides

Feature	Description
Custom slash commands	`/build`, `/debug`, `/refactor`, `/test`, `/review`, and more
Structured CLAUDE.md	Project-aware system prompts that improve code quality
Persona modes	Switch between "architect," "debugger," "reviewer" personalities
Output formatting	Consistent, well-structured responses
Safety rules	Prevents common destructive actions
Code standards	Enforces best practices per language/framework

Installation

SuperClaude installs through a simple script that places configuration files in your home directory.

Quick Install

# Clone the SuperClaude repository
git clone https://github.com/nicobailey/superclaude.git ~/.superclaude

# Run the installer
cd ~/.superclaude
./install.sh

The installer creates or updates your ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md file with SuperClaude's system prompt and copies custom command definitions.

Manual Install

If you prefer manual installation:

# 1. Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/nicobailey/superclaude.git ~/.superclaude

# 2. Symlink the CLAUDE.md file
ln -sf ~/.superclaude/CLAUDE.md ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md

# 3. Copy custom commands
cp -r ~/.superclaude/commands/ ~/.claude/commands/

Verify Installation

# Launch Claude Code
claude

# Type /help to see custom commands
/help

You should see SuperClaude's custom commands in addition to Claude Code's built-in slash commands.

Core Features

Custom Slash Commands

SuperClaude's biggest feature is its library of pre-built slash commands that handle common development tasks with optimized prompts.

`/build` - Scaffold and Create

The /build command tells Claude to create new features, components, or entire modules with best practices baked in:

claude
> /build a REST API for user management with Express and TypeScript.
  Include validation, error handling, and tests.

What makes this different from a plain prompt? The /build command injects a structured system prompt that instructs Claude to:

Follow specific architectural patterns
Include error handling from the start
Write tests alongside the implementation
Add proper TypeScript types
Follow the project's existing code style

`/debug` - Systematic Debugging

The /debug command activates a methodical debugging workflow:

claude
> /debug the checkout flow is returning 500 errors for users with
  multiple items in their cart

Claude will:

Search the codebase for relevant files
Trace the execution path
Identify the likely root cause
Propose a fix with explanation
Verify the fix does not introduce regressions

`/refactor` - Code Improvement

claude
> /refactor src/services/auth.ts - reduce complexity and improve testability

The /refactor command prompts Claude to:

Identify code smells and complexity issues
Break down large functions
Improve naming and structure
Maintain backward compatibility
Explain each change

`/test` - Test Generation

claude
> /test src/utils/validators.ts - cover edge cases and error paths

Generates comprehensive tests with:

Happy path tests
Edge cases and boundary conditions
Error handling scenarios
Mock setup for external dependencies
Descriptive test names

`/review` - Code Review

claude
> /review the changes in the last 3 commits

Performs a code review covering:

Security vulnerabilities
Performance issues
Code style and consistency
Missing error handling
Test coverage gaps

Persona Modes

SuperClaude lets you switch Claude's "personality" for different tasks:

# Architect mode: high-level design and planning
claude
> /persona architect
> Design a notification system that handles email, SMS, and push notifications
  with retry logic and rate limiting.

# Debugger mode: systematic, methodical troubleshooting
claude
> /persona debugger
> Users are reporting intermittent 504 timeouts on the /api/search endpoint.

# Reviewer mode: critical, thorough code analysis
claude
> /persona reviewer
> Review the entire src/auth/ directory for security issues.

Each persona adjusts:

The level of detail in responses
The focus areas (architecture vs. implementation vs. issues)
The communication style (high-level vs. granular)
The types of questions Claude asks for clarification

Structured CLAUDE.md

SuperClaude includes a comprehensive CLAUDE.md that improves Claude Code's behavior across all interactions:

# Project Configuration (SuperClaude)

## Code Standards
- Always use TypeScript strict mode
- Prefer composition over inheritance
- Write pure functions where possible
- Every public function must have JSDoc documentation
- Error handling is mandatory, not optional

## File Organization
- Components: src/components/{feature}/{ComponentName}.tsx
- Services: src/services/{domain}.ts
- Utils: src/utils/{category}.ts
- Tests: colocated with source files as {name}.test.ts

## Safety Rules
- NEVER delete files without explicit confirmation
- NEVER modify package.json dependencies without explaining why
- NEVER commit directly to main branch
- Always check for existing tests before modifying functions
- Run type checking before considering a task complete

You can customize these rules for your specific project by editing the CLAUDE.md file.

Output Formatting

SuperClaude configures Claude to use consistent, well-structured output:

Before SuperClaude:

I'll fix the auth issue. Here's the updated code:
[code block]
This should work now because...

After SuperClaude:

## Analysis
The auth middleware is not refreshing expired tokens before validating.

## Root Cause
In `src/middleware/auth.ts:42`, the token expiry check runs AFTER the
validation, meaning expired tokens fail validation instead of being
refreshed first.

## Fix
[code block with targeted change]

## Verification
- Run: `npm test -- src/middleware/auth.test.ts`
- Expected: all 12 tests pass
- Manual test: log in, wait 15 minutes, make a request

## Impact
- No breaking changes
- Backward compatible
- Affects: auth middleware only

Configuration

Customizing Commands

Each command is a markdown file in ~/.claude/commands/. You can edit existing commands or create new ones:

# View existing commands
ls ~/.claude/commands/

# Edit the build command
code ~/.claude/commands/build.md

Command files define the system prompt injection that happens when the command is invoked:

<!-- ~/.claude/commands/deploy-check.md -->
# Deploy Readiness Check

When the user runs /deploy-check, perform the following:

1. Run all tests and report results
2. Check for TypeScript errors
3. Verify all environment variables are set
4. Check for console.log statements that should be removed
5. Verify no TODO comments remain in changed files
6. Run a build to confirm no build errors
7. Summarize findings in a deploy readiness report

Project-Level Overrides

Create a CLAUDE.md in your project root to add project-specific rules that layer on top of SuperClaude's defaults:

# Project: E-Commerce Platform

## Tech Stack
- Next.js 15 with App Router
- Prisma ORM with PostgreSQL
- Tailwind CSS
- Stripe for payments

## Domain Rules
- All prices must be stored in cents (integers)
- User emails must be lowercased before storage
- All API routes must check authentication
- Product slugs must be URL-safe

## Testing
- Use Vitest for unit tests
- Use Playwright for E2E tests
- Minimum 80% coverage for new code

Advanced Usage

Chaining Commands

Combine commands for complex workflows:

claude
> /build a comments feature for blog posts with nested replies
> /test the new comments feature - full coverage
> /review the changes I just made

Using with YOLO Mode

SuperClaude's safety rules provide an extra layer of protection in YOLO mode:

claude --dangerously-skip-permissions
> /build add rate limiting to all API routes

Even in YOLO mode, SuperClaude's CLAUDE.md rules instruct Claude to avoid destructive actions and check before modifying critical files.

Team Configuration

For teams, commit SuperClaude configurations to your repository:

my-project/
  CLAUDE.md              # Project-specific rules (committed)
  .claude/
    commands/
      deploy-check.md    # Team-specific commands (committed)
      sprint-review.md

This ensures every team member's Claude Code behaves consistently.

SuperClaude vs Plain Claude Code

Aspect	Plain Claude Code	With SuperClaude
Code structure	Variable	Consistent, opinionated
Error handling	Sometimes missed	Always included
Test generation	Basic	Comprehensive with edge cases
Output format	Unstructured	Structured with sections
Safety	Basic permissions	Extra safety rules
Custom commands	None	Library of pre-built commands
Setup time	Zero	5 minutes
Learning curve	Read the docs	Use slash commands

Frequently Asked Questions

Does SuperClaude cost anything? No. It is open source and free to use.

Does it work with all Claude models? Yes. SuperClaude configures behavior through CLAUDE.md files, which work with any model Claude Code supports.

Can I use SuperClaude with third-party models? If you are using Claude Code with Gemini or other models via custom provider configuration, SuperClaude's commands and CLAUDE.md still apply. Results may vary depending on the model's instruction-following ability.

Will it conflict with my existing CLAUDE.md? SuperClaude's installer merges with your existing configuration. You can also manually combine them.

How do I update SuperClaude?

cd ~/.superclaude
git pull
./install.sh

Can I contribute custom commands? Yes. SuperClaude is open source. Submit a pull request with your custom command.

Wrapping Up

SuperClaude is one of those tools that seems simple -- it is "just" configuration files -- but the impact on daily workflow is substantial. The custom commands save time by encoding best practices into reusable prompts, and the structured CLAUDE.md ensures consistently high-quality output from Claude Code.

If you use Claude Code regularly, installing SuperClaude is a five-minute investment that pays off immediately. Start with the default configuration, then customize it for your projects and team.

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