Claude Code Guide

Purpose

To provide a comprehensive reference for configuring and using Claude Code (the agentic coding tool) to its full potential. This skill synthesizes best practices, configuration templates, and advanced usage patterns.

Configuration (CLAUDE.md )

When starting a new project, create a CLAUDE.md file in the root directory to guide the agent.

Template (General)

Project Guidelines

Commands

• Run app: npm run dev
• Test: npm test
• Build: npm run build

Code Style

• Use TypeScript for all new code.
• Functional components with Hooks for React.
• Tailwind CSS for styling.
• Early returns for error handling.

Workflow

• Read README.md first to understand project context.
• Before editing, read the file content.
• After editing, run tests to verify.

Advanced Features

Thinking Keywords

Use these keywords in your prompts to trigger deeper reasoning from the agent:

• "Think step-by-step"

• "Analyze the root cause"

• "Plan before executing"

• "Verify your assumptions"

Debugging

If the agent is stuck or behaving unexpectedly:

• Clear Context: Start a new session or ask the agent to "forget previous instructions" if confused.

• Explicit Instructions: Be extremely specific about paths, filenames, and desired outcomes.

• Logs: Ask the agent to "check the logs" or "run the command with verbose output".

Best Practices

• Small Contexts: Don't dump the entire codebase into the context. Use grep or find to locate relevant files first.

• Iterative Development: Ask for small changes, verify, then proceed.

• Feedback Loop: If the agent makes a mistake, correct it immediately and ask it to "add a lesson" to its memory (if supported) or CLAUDE.md .

Reference

Based on Claude Code Guide by zebbern.