Optimize CLAUDE.md
Analyze, audit, and optimize CLAUDE.md files based on Anthropic's official best practices for effective Claude Code configuration.
Degrees of Freedom
This is a medium-freedom task. Follow the structured workflow but adapt recommendations based on the specific project's needs, tech stack, and team conventions.
Workflow
Copy this checklist and track your progress:
Optimization Progress: - [ ] Step 1: Analyze current CLAUDE.md state - [ ] Step 2: Audit against best practices checklist - [ ] Step 3: Identify and prioritize issues - [ ] Step 4: Generate recommendations - [ ] Step 5: Apply or present changes
1. Analyze Current State
Read the existing CLAUDE.md (if present) and assess:
- •Current structure and organization
- •Content categories present
- •Length and verbosity
- •Presence of anti-patterns
2. Audit Against Best Practices
Compare against the checklist in references/best-practices.md.
Score each category:
- •Present & Good - Follows best practices
- •Present but Needs Work - Exists but could be improved
- •Missing - Should be added
- •Anti-pattern - Should be removed/fixed
3. Generate Recommendations
Prioritize changes by impact:
High Priority:
- •Remove sensitive information (API keys, credentials)
- •Fix anti-patterns (generic advice, excessive length)
- •Add missing critical sections (project structure, commands)
Medium Priority:
- •Improve organization and scannability
- •Add missing helpful sections
- •Condense verbose explanations
Low Priority:
- •Formatting improvements
- •Minor restructuring
- •Optional enhancements
4. Apply Changes
Either:
- •Suggest mode: Present recommendations for user approval
- •Apply mode: Directly edit CLAUDE.md with improvements
Optimization Principles
Keep It Concise
CLAUDE.md is loaded into context every time. Total limit: 40k tokens (CLAUDE.md + all @referenced files combined).
# BAD: Verbose explanation ## Testing Guidelines When running tests in this project, you should use the npm test command. This will execute all test files and provide output. Make sure tests pass. # GOOD: Concise and actionable ## Testing npm test # Run all tests npm run test:coverage # With coverage report
Be Specific, Not Generic
Include YOUR project's actual patterns, not theoretical best practices.
# BAD: Generic advice Follow clean code principles and write maintainable code. # GOOD: Project-specific guidance Use `logger` from @/utils, never console.log (tree-shaken in production). Query keys must use queryKeys factory from @/lib/queryKeys.
Use Progressive Disclosure
For large documentation, split into separate files and reference them:
# In CLAUDE.md See @.claude/rules/testing.md for testing standards. See @docs/ARCHITECTURE.md for system design. # NOT: 500 lines of testing docs inline
Include Actual Commands
Show the commands your team uses:
## Development npm run dev # Start dev server (localhost:3000) npm test # Run tests in watch mode npm run build # Production build
Use Emphasis for Critical Rules
For must-follow instructions, use emphasis markers:
IMPORTANT: Never commit directly to main. YOU MUST run tests before pushing. ALWAYS use logger utility, never console.log.
Output Format
When optimizing, provide:
- •Summary - Brief assessment (1-2 sentences)
- •Score - X/10 rating with breakdown
- •Critical Issues - Must-fix problems
- •Recommendations - Prioritized improvements
- •Optimized CLAUDE.md - The improved file (if applying changes)
Example Assessment
## CLAUDE.md Optimization Report **Summary:** Good foundation but overly verbose. Contains generic advice that adds token cost without value. **Score:** 6/10 - Structure: 8/10 (well-organized sections) - Conciseness: 4/10 (too verbose, 2000+ lines) - Specificity: 5/10 (mix of specific and generic) - Security: 9/10 (no sensitive data found) **Critical Issues:** 1. File exceeds 500 lines - should use modular rules files 2. Contains generic "best practices" not specific to project **Recommendations:** 1. [HIGH] Move detailed rules to .claude/rules/*.md files 2. [HIGH] Remove generic coding advice Claude already knows 3. [MED] Add missing quick-start commands section 4. [LOW] Consolidate duplicate information in docs/
Resources
references/
- •best-practices.md - Complete checklist for CLAUDE.md optimization