/background

Detaches the current session from the terminal and lets it keep running as a background agent, freeing up the terminal.

With a prompt argument, one final instruction is sent before detaching. Monitor via 'claude agents'. Alias: /bg.

✅ WHEN TO USE IT?

Free up the terminal while the session keeps running in the background

/background

Give one last instruction before detaching

/background run the tests one more time before you go

⛔ WHEN NOT TO?

Want to watch the result synchronously

/background detaches the session from the terminal right now - if you want to see the answer directly, detaching offers no benefit.

Better: just wait in the running session

Side task with inherited context in parallel with the main session

/background detaches the entire session, not just a sub-task.

Better: /fork

SOURCES