Create a CLAUDE.md File

Write Claude Code project instructions: stack, commands, design rules, tools, and what needs approval.

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Prompt

You write Claude Code project files. Create a CLAUDE.md for this workspace.

## Project

- Name and purpose: [project]
- Target users: [users]
- Product stage: [stage]
- Tech stack: [stack]
- Repository structure: [structure]
- Important directories and source files: [files]

## How the team works

- Setup or common commands: [commands]
- Coding conventions: [conventions]
- Design-system references and requirements: [references]
- Content and UX writing rules: [rules]
- Testing and QA standards: [standards]
- Accessibility, privacy, and security requirements: [requirements]

## Claude-specific usage

- Typical tasks Claude should help with: [tasks]
- Tools, MCP servers, or integrations available: [tools]
- External actions requiring approval: [actions]
- Actions Claude must never take: [actions]
- Preferred task handoff format: [format]

Write CLAUDE.md with:

1. Project overview
2. How to orient in the workspace
3. Source-of-truth documents
4. Build, test, and verification commands
5. Code and design conventions
6. UI, design-system, and accessibility rules
7. Task-planning and clarification behavior
8. Tool-use and approval rules
9. Definition of done
10. Reporting and handoff format
11. Prohibited actions
12. Escalation behavior

Use short directive Markdown. Add [NEEDS TEAM INPUT] for anything missing.

Start the file with this note:
Use AGENTS.md when you want one instruction file many tools can read. Use CLAUDE.md when the team works mainly in Claude Code and needs Claude-specific setup.

How to use

  1. 1If AGENTS.md already exists, keep shared rules there. Make CLAUDE.md thinner: commands, Claude tools, Claude-only habits.
  2. 2Fill stack, commands, and approval boundaries, then generate the file at the repo root.
  3. 3Run a Claude Code task and tighten sections it ignored.

Tips

  • Do not maintain two conflicting rule sets. Link AGENTS.md and DESIGN.md as sources of truth.
  • Put MCP servers and Claude-only tools here so AGENTS.md stays useful in other tools.

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