Slash commands

Slash commands are hooks left by the developers that players can use to create macros or perform certain actions. Text-based chat in World of Warcraft uses slash commands. (Those familiar with IRC will feel right at home.)

The Macro Commands page lists all of the commands available from the official interface.

A slash command generally takes the form: [optional text]

For instance, one might wish to send an emote to the entire chat channel. One would then type something along the lines of: /em nods head and gazes around The above slash command, in some games, would send the string of text to the chat channel prefaced by the character name sending the command like so: nods head and gazes around

Emotes
You can make your own text-based emote (as noted above):

Full list of emotes
This is a complete list of the emotes as of World of Warcraft version 1.5.0, released June 7, 2005.

In Wrath of the Lich King
Several new slash commands have been added as of the beta. The following are growing, but probably an incomplete list: