[BUG] Input composer highlights slash-commands in blue mid-line, even though they only invoke at the start of a message

Open 💬 0 comments Opened Jun 24, 2026 by ADavidBailey

Describe the bug

The docs state: "A command is only recognized at the start of your message." But the input composer highlights a recognized slash-command token (e.g. /usage) in blue even when it appears mid-line, inside ordinary prose. The blue cue implies the token is an active command that will run — but mid-line it is sent as plain text and does nothing. The highlight contradicts the documented invocation rule and is confusing: users add quotes or extra spaces to "escape" a command name that never needed escaping.

To reproduce

  1. Type a sentence with a real command in the middle, e.g. remember to run /usage afterward.
  2. Observe /usage is highlighted blue, as if it's an active command.
  3. Submit — the command is correctly not invoked (per the docs); the text is sent verbatim.

Expected behavior

Highlight a /command only when it is at the start of the message (where it actually invokes); render mid-line occurrences as ordinary text.

Actual behavior

Mid-line /command tokens are highlighted blue, implying they're active when they aren't.

Related (smaller) — placeholder wording

The input placeholder reads "Type / for commands," but the / menu also lists skills (folder-based SKILL.md capabilities), not just commands. Suggest relabeling it "Command or Skill" (or "commands or skills") so the prompt matches what the menu actually offers.

Environment

Claude Code desktop app on macOS.

Docs reference

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/commands.md — "A command is only recognized at the start of your message."

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