CLAUDE.md Authoring

Quickstart

1. Determine scope: User-level (~/.claude/) or project-level (.claude/)?
2. Apply WHAT/WHY/HOW framework (project-level only)
3. Keep instructions under budget: ~50 for user-level, ~100 for project-level
4. Never use Claude as a linter: Style rules belong in tooling, not CLAUDE.md
5. Validate with quality checklist before finalizing

Core Principle

"The only thing that the model knows about your codebase is the tokens you put into it."

CLAUDE.md is the highest-leverage point for context transfer. Every instruction competes for limited attention. Include only what Claude cannot infer and must apply universally.

Scope Decision

User-Level (~/.claude/CLAUDE.md)