Claude Plugins — Automate Your Business Processes

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2.3 Commands -- How to Trigger Your Automation

Commands: How to Trigger Your Automation

Lesson 2.3 — Turning skills into one-click actions

Skills teach Claude what to do — but how do you actually start a workflow? That is where commands come in. A command is a simple trigger that tells Claude to execute a specific skill right now.

What Is a Command?

A command is a keyword or phrase — often prefixed with a slash — that Claude recognizes as a trigger. When you type /create-lead, Claude knows to load the CRM skill and start the lead creation workflow.

Direct Keyword

Type a slash command like /create-lead and Claude instantly knows which skill to run.

Frontmatter Trigger

Each command file has metadata describing when and how it should be activated.

Automatic Detection

Claude can detect the situation and suggest the right command based on context.

How Commands Work

commands/create-lead.md

---
name: create-lead
description: Create a new CRM lead from company info
steps:
  - Research the company website
  - Extract contact information
  - Create lead in Odoo CRM
---

Follow the CRM skill to create a new lead.

The frontmatter defines the command name and description. When Claude sees /create-lead, it reads this file and follows the instructions inside — which typically reference a skill.

Three Types of Triggers

Slash Commands

The user types /command-name explicitly. Clear, intentional, predictable.

Keyword Triggers

Claude detects a keyword or phrase in conversation and suggests the relevant command.

Contextual Triggers

Claude recognizes the situation — for example, you paste a company URL — and offers to run the prospecting command.

Commands Are Buttons

Think of commands as buttons for your workflow. Skills are the engine, commands are the ignition key. One click to start complex automation.

Key Takeaway

Commands bridge the gap between skills and action. They give you a simple, repeatable way to trigger complex workflows — turning Claude from a knowledge base into an automation tool.