Ask Side Questions Without Polluting Context with /btw

The /btw command lets you ask Claude a quick question that is answered immediately but never added to the conversation history. It keeps your context clean when you need a one-off lookup mid-task.

/btw what's the difference between Promise.all and Promise.allSettled?
/btw how do I check if a port is in use on macOS?
/btw what's the shortcut to rename a symbol in VS Code?

Without /btw, every question you ask extends the conversation and becomes part of Claude's context for all future turns. Over a long session this adds up: context fills faster, and unrelated questions can subtly shift Claude's focus away from the main task.

Questions asked with /btw are displayed in your session so you can see the answer, but they do not count as turns. Claude answers from its knowledge and the context stays exactly as it was before you asked.

This is especially useful when you are deep into a complex refactor and want to quickly check a syntax detail, API signature, or shell command without breaking the thread. It is the equivalent of googling something without opening a new browser tab and losing your place.

You can also use it to check the current state of something without affecting Claude's plan:

/btw how many lines does src/auth.ts have right now?

Use /btw for anything you would normally Google mid-task so the answer does not scatter your context.

via Claude Code Commands Reference