CLAUDE.md

The CLAUDE.md file is the primary configuration file that provides guidance to Claude Code when working with your codebase. Understanding this file is crucial for effective use of ClaudeKit.

What is CLAUDE.md?

CLAUDE.md serves as the entry point for Claude Code’s understanding of your project. It contains:

  • Role and responsibilities definitions
  • Links to detailed workflow documentation
  • References to development rules
  • Documentation management guidelines

File Structure

A typical CLAUDE.md file looks like this:

# CLAUDE.md

This file provides guidance to Claude Code when working with code in this repository.

## Role & Responsibilities

Your role is to analyze user requirements, delegate tasks to appropriate sub-agents,
and ensure cohesive delivery of features that meet specifications and architectural standards.

## Workflows

- Primary workflow: `./.claude/workflows/primary-workflow.md`
- Development rules: `./.claude/workflows/development-rules.md`
- Orchestration protocols: `./.claude/workflows/orchestration-protocol.md`
- Documentation management: `./.claude/workflows/documentation-management.md`

## Documentation Management

We keep all important docs in `./docs` folder and keep updating them.

Why File System As Context?

ClaudeKit follows Manus’s approach to Context Engineering: Use File System As Context.

Benefits

  1. Token Efficiency: CLAUDE.md contains just a few lines with links to detailed files
  2. On-Demand Loading: Detailed instructions are loaded only when needed
  3. Better Organization: Related documentation is grouped in logical directories
  4. Easier Maintenance: Update specific files without touching CLAUDE.md

Example

Instead of putting all development rules in CLAUDE.md:

❌ Bad Approach (All in CLAUDE.md)
# CLAUDE.md
## Development Rules
1. Always write tests
2. Follow TypeScript strict mode
3. Use conventional commits
... (hundreds of lines)

ClaudeKit uses references:

✅ Good Approach (File System As Context)
# CLAUDE.md
## Workflows
- Development rules: `./.claude/workflows/development-rules.md`

This keeps CLAUDE.md lightweight while maintaining access to detailed guidelines.

Important: Do Not Modify

[Important] You should not modify CLAUDE.md directly, as it will be overwritten each time you update ClaudeKit using ck update.

Why?

  • ClaudeKit updates may include improvements to workflows and rules
  • Manual changes will be lost during updates
  • Consistency across ClaudeKit projects

What if I need to customize?

If you want to modify CLAUDE.md without it being overwritten:

# Use the exclude flag during updates
ck update --exclude CLAUDE.md

Better approach: Instead of modifying CLAUDE.md, customize the referenced files in .claude/workflows/ which are less likely to change during updates.

Structure Overview

CLAUDE.md links to several key directories:

.claude/workflows/

Contains detailed workflow instructions:

  • development-rules.md - Code quality standards, subagent orchestration, pre-commit procedures
  • documentation-management.md - Documentation standards and practices
  • orchestration-protocol.md - Agent orchestration methods
  • primary-workflow.md - Development workflow from code to deployment

docs/

Project-specific documentation:

docs/
├── project-overview-pdr.md
├── code-standards.md
├── codebase-summary.md
├── design-guidelines.md
├── deployment-guide.md
├── system-architecture.md
└── project-roadmap.md

These files help Claude Code:

  • Avoid hallucinations
  • Prevent creating redundant code
  • Understand project-specific patterns
  • Follow established conventions

How Claude Code Uses CLAUDE.md

Initial Load

  1. Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md when started
  2. Understands the project’s role and structure
  3. Knows where to find detailed instructions

During Tasks

When performing specific tasks, Claude Code:

  1. References linked workflow files
  2. Reads relevant documentation from docs/
  3. Follows established patterns and rules
  4. Updates documentation as needed

Example Flow

User: "Add user authentication"
  ↓
Claude reads CLAUDE.md
  ↓
Loads development-rules.md
  ↓
Checks code-standards.md
  ↓
Reviews system-architecture.md
  ↓
Implements following patterns
  ↓
Updates documentation

Best Practices

Do’s

✅ Keep CLAUDE.md concise with links to detailed docs ✅ Update workflow files in .claude/workflows/ as needed ✅ Maintain project docs in docs/ directory ✅ Use ck update --exclude CLAUDE.md if you must customize

Don’ts

❌ Don’t put all documentation in CLAUDE.md ❌ Don’t modify CLAUDE.md without understanding update implications ❌ Don’t ignore the linked workflow files ❌ Don’t skip documentation management

Token Consumption

Using File System As Context significantly reduces token usage:

Without File System As Context:

  • Initial load: ~5000 tokens (everything in CLAUDE.md)
  • Every task: Same 5000 tokens loaded

With File System As Context (ClaudeKit approach):

  • Initial load: ~500 tokens (just CLAUDE.md)
  • Specific task: +1000 tokens (only relevant file)
  • Total: 1500 tokens vs 5000 tokens (70% savings)

Validation

Ensure your CLAUDE.md is properly configured:

# Check if CLAUDE.md exists
cat CLAUDE.md

# Verify linked files exist
ls .claude/workflows/

# Check documentation structure
ls docs/

Next Steps

Now that you understand CLAUDE.md:

  • Workflows - Learn about workflow files
  • Agents - Understand the agent system
  • Commands - Explore available commands

Key Takeaway: CLAUDE.md is a lightweight entry point that uses the file system as context, making ClaudeKit efficient and maintainable.