A good CLAUDE.md file gives Claude Code the project context and recurring guidance it cannot reliably infer—without turning into a long, contradictory rulebook. Put shared project conventions in a project-level file, make instructions concrete and checkable, and move guidance for specific folders or occasional procedures into mechanisms designed for those jobs. Anthropic describes these files as context, not enforced configuration.
What belongs in a CLAUDE.md file?
Record information that Claude Code needs repeatedly and that is easy to miss or costly to explain each time. Anthropic’s guide suggests adding guidance when Claude repeats a mistake, a review catches a preventable issue, you find yourself repeating the same correction, or a new teammate would need the information.
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- Exact commands for building, testing, linting, or running the project.
- Project layout and architectural details that are not obvious from the files Claude is handling.
- Specific naming, formatting, API, or review conventions.
- Recurring constraints and exceptions that are easy to overlook.
Do not use the file as a general-purpose repository tour. Prioritize details that change how work should be done, rather than facts Claude can quickly infer from the code.
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Replace broad wishes with a clear action, standard, or location. “Format code properly” leaves the expected result open to interpretation; “Use 2-space indentation” gives a checkable convention. Likewise, “Run the tests” is less useful than naming the command, such as npm test, when that is the project’s actual test command.
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- Name the file, directory, or command when it matters.
- State the required action directly, including when it applies.
- Include exceptions only when they affect the decision Claude needs to make.
- Avoid conflicting versions of the same instruction in different files.
Choose the right scope for each instruction
Claude Code supports several instruction locations. Choose based on who needs the guidance and when it should apply, rather than putting everything in one file.
| Location or mechanism | Best fit | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
./CLAUDE.md or ./.claude/CLAUDE.md |
Shared conventions and context for a project | Project instructions load when Claude Code starts; applicable ancestor instructions are included. |
~/.claude/CLAUDE.md |
Personal preferences that should apply across projects | User-level guidance, rather than instructions intended for one repository. |
.claude/rules/ |
Modular guidance, including rules for particular paths or file types | Use scoped rules when a direction applies only to part of a project. |
| Skills | Multi-step or task-specific procedures | Use when a procedure should be available only when relevant, not loaded as general guidance every session. |
| Organization-managed instruction locations | Centrally managed organizational guidance | Use the platform-specific locations provided for organizational policy. |
Nested instruction files are discovered when Claude works with files in their subdirectories. This makes them useful for subsystem-specific conventions that would otherwise clutter project-wide instructions.
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Keep the always-loaded guidance compact
Anthropic’s current documentation recommends targeting fewer than 200 lines in each CLAUDE.md. This is a practical target, not a threshold established by a published performance study. Long instruction files use more context, so keep the main file focused and move directory-specific guidance into scoped rules.
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Imports can organize content, but they do not make a large instruction set free: imported text is expanded into context at launch and still consumes context. Anthropic documents relative and absolute import paths, with relative paths resolved from the file containing the import. Recursive imports can reach four hops. A project-level import that points outside the working directory can prompt for approval.
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Use imports when they improve organization
An import can keep a project’s instructions logically separated while making them available together. For example, a main file can refer to supporting documentation with a path such as @path/to/import. Use this when separation makes the material easier to maintain—not to disguise an oversized always-loaded instruction set.
Because imported content is included at launch, consider whether a path-scoped rule or task-specific skill is a better fit for guidance that is only sometimes needed.
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Draft a practical file in a useful order
There is no required Anthropic template. This structure adapts the official guidance into a straightforward starting point:
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- Purpose and scope: Say whether the instructions apply to the whole project, a team workflow, or your personal preferences.
- Project map: Identify important architecture and locations that Claude cannot quickly infer from the files it is handling.
- Common commands: List the actual build, test, lint, and development commands that are repeatedly needed.
- Conventions: State actionable naming, formatting, API, and review practices.
- Boundaries and exceptions: Capture constraints that are easy to miss, and point to scoped rules for subsystem-specific cases.
- Maintenance: Remove obsolete guidance and resolve conflicts when the project workflow changes.
Anthropic’s documentation also describes /init as part of its project-memory guidance. Treat generated or existing instructions as material to review: keep only the context that is accurate, useful, and appropriately scoped.
Review the file for drift and contradictions
A once-useful instruction can become wrong after commands, architecture, or team practices change. Review the main file, nested instruction files, and rules together so they do not give incompatible directions. Delete stale details instead of adding another instruction to work around them.
The current documentation describes /doctor prompt-audit for identifying outdated references and conflicts, and says it requires Claude Code v2.1.283 or later. Check the installed release and current documentation before relying on that command, since version-specific behavior can change.
Do not rely on CLAUDE.md for enforcement
Anthropic’s Claude Code documentation states: “Claude treats CLAUDE.md files as context, not enforced configuration.” These files guide behavior, but they are not a security boundary or a guarantee that a rule will always be followed. For controls that must hold regardless of Claude’s choices, use hooks or settings rather than relying on prose in CLAUDE.md.
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