claude-md

Installation
SKILL.md

CLAUDE.md Authoring

The Core Rule

Apply this litmus test to every line: "Would removing this cause Claude to make mistakes?"

If Claude can infer it from code, README, or standard conventions — cut it. CLAUDE.md is expensive context loaded every session. Treat every line as costing money.

What Belongs in CLAUDE.md

Only include what Claude would get wrong without explicit instruction:

  • Build/test/lint commands Claude can't guess (make test-integration, custom scripts)
  • Code style rules that differ from language defaults or formatter configs
  • Non-obvious gotchas and footguns specific to this codebase
  • Testing instructions — preferred runners, required setup, test DB conventions
  • Repo etiquette — branch naming, PR conventions, commit message format
  • Architectural decisions not self-evident from code structure
  • Dev environment quirks — required env vars, version pinning, local setup traps
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Installs
24
GitHub Stars
32
First Seen
Apr 15, 2026