# Espresso Help

> Quick reference card for espresso levels and commands. One-shot display, not a persistent mode. Use when the user says "espresso help", "/espresso-help", "what espresso commands", or "how do I use espresso".

- Skill: `zzjiho/espresso-help` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add zzjiho/espresso-help`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/zzjiho/espresso-help/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: zzjiho (https://skillmd.com/u/zzjiho)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/zzjiho/espresso-help

---


# espresso-help

Print the card below verbatim. Add nothing. This is a reference card, not a
conversation — no intro, no follow-up offer.

```
espresso — cut the fluff

LEVELS
  /espresso lite     strip fluff, answer short, never push back
  /espresso full     + ask which one when the question is ambiguous  (default)
  /espresso ultra    + say so when the premise is wrong, before answering
  /espresso ristretto  ultra + two sentences max, no lists
  /espresso          show current level
  /espresso default <level>   persist across sessions

OFF
  "stop espresso"  |  "normal mode"

SKILLS
  /espresso-check    trim the user's own text (commit msg, slack, report)
  /espresso-help     this card

DEFAULT
  /espresso default <level>                   survives restarts
  ESPRESSO_DEFAULT_MODE=lite|full|ultra|ristretto|off   (env var, overrides config)

NEVER CUT
  what you explicitly asked for  |  deliverables you asked me to write  |  code
```