Session Commands Reference¶
Every command the z skill provides inside a session, listed alphabetically.
Invocation differs by host, the commands do not
Claude Code and Codex install the same skill bundle. Claude Code exposes it as a slash command, /z <command>. Codex has no user-defined slash commands, so it invokes the same skill as $z <command>. This page uses the /z form; substitute $z in Codex.
/z agent is the one exception – it is Claude Code only.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/z adversary [profile] [--cycle] |
Switch the reviewer's behavioral profile (keeps context by default) |
/z agent [agent_name] |
Switch the active agent persona (cycles the reviewer). Claude Code only |
/z ask |
Ask the reviewer a question without changing behavior |
/z config |
Open the interactive settings editor |
/z cycle |
Reset the reviewer's context window |
/z direct |
Send a high-priority directive that overrides behavior |
/z disable |
Disable supervision (current session or --all) |
/z enable |
Enable supervision (current session or --all) |
/z model [model_id] |
Switch the reviewer's model (always starts fresh) |
/z monitor |
Open a live window streaming the reviewer's verdicts |
/z plan <task> |
Hold a task under a planning gate until you agree an approach with the reviewer |
/z restart |
Restart the Zwischen daemon |
/z session-id |
Show the current session ID |
/z spy |
View the reviewer's transcript for the current turn |
/z status |
Show the reviewer's current model and profile |
/z unblock |
Clear blocks without disabling supervision (current session or --all) |
/z update |
Update the Zwischen client and restart the daemon |
/z adversary [profile] [--cycle]¶
Switch the reviewer's behavioral profile. By default, the reviewer keeps its conversation context -- all settings update immediately (operating rules, tool visibility) without cycling the session. Pass --cycle to tear down the session and start fresh with a handoff summary.
If you provide a profile name directly (e.g. /z adversary code-review), the switch happens immediately without the wizard. Omit the profile name to see the full profile picker.
/z agent [agent_name]¶
Claude Code only
Codex sets the agent identity and persona when the session launches, with zwischen codex <agent>, and has no mid-session switch. See Codex.
Switch Claude Code's active agent persona mid-session. Presents a picker of agents from ~/.claude/agents/, resolves the reviewer profile mapped to the chosen agent in settings.yaml, and cycles the reviewer to a fresh session with the new agent's definition as its rubric. Claude Code then adopts the selected agent's instructions.
Unlike /z adversary (which changes only the reviewer's profile), /z agent changes both who Claude Code acts as and how the reviewer monitors it. The reviewer always cycles on an agent switch. The agent must have a matching profile in settings.yaml whose agents: list includes it.
/z ask¶
Ask the reviewer a question. Does not change monitoring behavior.
/z config¶
Open the interactive settings editor for ~/.zwischen/settings.yaml in a new terminal window. Pick a scope – defaults, a named profile, global settings, or credentials – then change any setting from a menu rather than editing YAML by hand.
Edits apply on the reviewer's next turn, with no restart. Environment variable changes need zwischen restart.
Unset settings live under 'Add or change a setting'
A scope opens showing only what it currently overrides. Everything else – model and adversary included – is under + Add or change a setting. A profile that shows no Model row has not lost the ability to set one; it is inheriting it.
This edits saved configuration only. To change the running session instead, use /z model or /z adversary. See also zwischen config.
/z cycle¶
Reset the reviewer's context window. The reviewer writes a handoff summary, then monitoring continues with a fresh context.
/z direct¶
Send a directive that overrides the reviewer's behavior for the rest of the session.
/z disable / /z enable¶
Toggle supervision on or off.
/z disable # This session
/z disable --all # All sessions
/z enable # Re-enable this session
/z enable --all # Re-enable all sessions
/z model [model_id]¶
Switch the reviewer's model mid-session. This always cycles the session – the reviewer writes a handoff summary, then a new session starts on the target model with that summary plus a tail of recent events. The same cycle settings (tail_depth, etc.) that govern automatic and manual cycling apply here.
When called without arguments, the skill checks which providers have usable credentials (via zwischen providers), shows a filtered model list grouped by provider, and prompts for selection. Providers without configured credentials are omitted. For OpenAI, you're prompted to choose between OAuth and API key if both are available.
Credentials for the target model must be available. If they aren't, the command tells you to run zwischen auth.
/z monitor¶
Open a separate terminal window that streams the reviewer's verdicts live, alongside your session. Live-only – it shows verdicts from the moment it opens, not history. See Live Monitor.
/z plan <task>¶
Hold a task under a planning gate: the agent must agree a rough approach with the reviewer before it starts real work. Everything after plan is the task.
This places the hold regardless of the profile's planning_gate setting. If the agent is already blocked, clear it with /z unblock first.
/z restart¶
Restart the Zwischen daemon without updating.
/z session-id¶
Print the current session ID. Useful for diagnostics and support.
/z spy¶
View the reviewer's transcript. Shows reviewed events, determinations, and reasoning.
/z status¶
Show the reviewer's current model and behavioral profile for this session.
/z unblock¶
Clear all active blocks for the current session without disabling supervision. The reviewer keeps watching; the current block is just released.
Use this when message_adversary is unavailable and you need to clear a block without turning off monitoring entirely. Unlike /z disable, supervision continues after unblocking.
/z update¶
Update the zwischen package to the latest version and restart the daemon.