🚨Claude Code VSCode Extension Does Not Detect Custom Slash Commands From .claude/commands

🚨Claude Code VSCode Extension Does Not Detect Custom Slash Commands From .claude/commands

🖥️ Environment

```txt id="n6h4vq"
Extension: Claude Code
Identifier: anthropic.claude-code
Version: 2.1.153
VSCode: Latest
OS: Windows

---

# ❌ Problem

Custom slash commands inside:

```txt id="2fftxx"
.claude/commands/

are not being detected inside the Claude Code VSCode extension.

The same commands work correctly in terminal Claude Code.

Inside VSCode chat:

```txt id="sv16xv"
/handoff

returns:

```txt id="l4z16k"
Unknown command: /handoff

---

📁 Current Project Structure

```txt id="2c5v0r"
PROJECT_ROOT/
├── .claude/
│ ├── commands/
│ │ ├── handoff.md
│ │ └── handoffpass.md
│ └── handoff.md
├── CLAUDE.md
├── frontend/
└── backend/

---

# 🛠️ Commands Created

## `.claude/commands/handoff.md`

```md id="7pxyhk"
---
description: Save current session state into handoff file
---

Analyze the entire conversation and workspace.

Create a structured session snapshot.

Include:

# Current Goal
# Completed Work
# Modified Files
# Important Decisions
# Current Issues
# Attempted Fixes
# Backend Changes
# Frontend Changes
# Commands Run
# Next Step

Save output into:

.claude/handoff.md

Overwrite the file completely (do not append).

After saving, respond:

"Handoff saved. Use /handoffpass to continue in a new session."

---

.claude/commands/handoffpass.md

```md id="q5qq5l"
---
description: Restore previous session from handoff
---

Read the file:

.claude/handoff.md

Use it as full context of the previous session.

Then:

1. Summarize key state internally
2. Continue work from "Next Step"
3. Do NOT ask the user to re-explain anything

Start directly from where the system left off.

---

# ✅ Expected Behavior

The VSCode extension should automatically detect custom slash commands from:

```txt id="8x92q7"
.claude/commands/

and allow usage like:

```txt id="p8cxg5"
/handoff
/handoffpass

exactly like terminal Claude Code.

---

# ❌ Actual Behavior

VSCode extension returns:

```txt id="m3sh7n"
Unknown command: /handoff

even after:

• 🔄 Reload Window
• 🔄 Restart VSCode
• 🔄 Restart Claude extension
• 🔄 Reopen workspace
• 🔄 Recreate command files
• ✅ Verify markdown frontmatter
• ✅ Verify commands work in terminal Claude Code

---

🔍 Additional Observation

This appears to be specific to the VSCode extension because terminal Claude Code loads the exact same commands correctly.

Possibly the extension:

• is not scanning .claude/commands
• caches commands incorrectly
• only loads commands on startup
• or currently does not support project slash commands

---

🧪 Reproduction Steps

1. Create:

```txt id="cnj8x0"
.claude/commands/handoff.md

2. Add valid command markdown with frontmatter

3. Open Claude Code extension chat in VSCode

4. Run:

```txt id="jvzcvi"
/handoff

1. Observe:

```txt id="0sqfxk"
Unknown command: /handoff

while terminal Claude Code works correctly.

---

# 🙏 Request

Please confirm whether:

* custom project slash commands are officially supported in VSCode
* there is an additional setup step required
* or this is currently a bug in the extension

Thanks 🚀