Maintaining Claude Code
Validate, organize, and improve Claude Code configurations.
Modes of Operation
Audit Mode
Use when: Checking config quality, validating skills work
Checklist:
- •CLAUDE.md: Specific, structured, actionable
- •Skills: Valid YAML, good descriptions (What + When formula)
- •Commands: Clear purpose, not duplicating skills
- •Hooks: Proper exit codes, reasonable timeouts
Organize Mode
Use when: .claude directory is messy, too many similar skills
Guidelines:
- •Split CLAUDE.md into rules when >150 lines
- •Consolidate similar skills (don't have 3 "code review" skills)
- •Use subdirectories in rules/ for large projects
Advise Mode
Use when: Deciding what entity type to create
Decision tree:
- •Needs to run automatically before/after actions? -> Hook
- •User explicitly triggers with /command? -> Command
- •Claude should auto-detect and use? -> Skill
- •Always-on behavioral guidance? -> CLAUDE.md
- •Path-specific rules? -> .claude/rules/
Quick Reference
Entity Type Decision Matrix
| Need | Best Entity | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Global behavior guidelines | CLAUDE.md | Rules if >150 lines |
| Path-specific rules | .claude/rules/ | CLAUDE.md if universal |
| User-invoked workflows | Commands | Skill if auto-detection wanted |
| Auto-detected capabilities | Skills | Command if user should control |
| Pre/post action validation | Hooks | Nothing else does this |
| External API integration | MCP Servers | Bash calls if simple |
| Task-specific personas | Agents | Skills for simpler cases |
Skill Description Formula
<What it does>. Use when <trigger1>, <trigger2>, or <trigger3>.
Good: "Extract text and tables from PDF files. Use when working with PDFs, forms, or document extraction."
Bad: "Helps with documents"
YAML Validation
- •
---on line 1 (required) - •
name:max 64 chars - •
description:max 1024 chars, must include triggers - •
---before content
Common Anti-Patterns
- •Vague descriptions: "Helps with stuff"
- •Nested references: SKILL.md -> REF.md -> DETAILS.md
- •Overloaded skills: Does 5 unrelated things
- •Missing triggers: No "Use when..." clause
Validation Steps
- •Check YAML syntax in all skills
- •Verify descriptions include trigger phrases
- •Ensure no duplicate capabilities across skills
- •Confirm CLAUDE.md content won't quickly grow stale
- •Check hooks have reasonable timeouts
Resources
See REFERENCE.md for detailed examples and troubleshooting.