Claude Md

User Input

$ARGUMENTS

You MUST consider the user input before proceeding (if not empty). User may specify:

• create - Create new CLAUDE.md from scratch
• update - Improve existing CLAUDE.md
• audit - Analyze and report on current CLAUDE.md quality
• A specific path to create/update (e.g., src/api/CLAUDE.md for directory-specific instructions)

Core Principles

LLMs are stateless: CLAUDE.md is the main project file loaded into every conversation (alongside auto memory and unscoped rules). It serves as the primary onboarding document for AI agents into your codebase.

The Golden Rules

1. Less is More: Frontier LLMs can follow ~150-200 instructions. Claude Code's system prompt already uses ~50. Keep your CLAUDE.md focused and concise.

2. Universal Applicability: Only include information relevant to EVERY session. Task-specific instructions belong in separate files.

3. Don't Use Claude as a Linter: Style guidelines bloat context and degrade instruction-following. Use deterministic tools (prettier, eslint, etc.) instead.

4. Never Auto-Generate: CLAUDE.md is the highest leverage point of the AI harness. Craft it manually with careful consideration.

Execution Flow

1. Project Analysis

First, analyze the current project state:

1. Check for existing CLAUDE.md files:

   • Root level: ./CLAUDE.md or .claude/CLAUDE.md
   • Directory-specific: **/CLAUDE.md
   • Global user config: ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md

2. Identify the project structure:

   • Technology stack (languages, frameworks)
   • Project type (monorepo, single app, library)
   • Development tools (package manager, build system, test runner)

3. Review existing documentation:

   • README.md
   • CONTRIBUTING.md
   • package.json, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml, etc.

2. Content Strategy (WHAT, WHY, HOW)

Structure CLAUDE.md around three dimensions: