CLAUDE.md Best Practices - Efficient Collaboration Between AI and Humans¶
What You Can Achieve¶
AI Behavior Optimization
Guide AI with project-specific rules
:material-checklist: Quality Control
Ensure consistency with checklists
Workflow Automation
Process routine tasks efficiently
Team Collaboration
Work together with common guidelines
📖 What is CLAUDE.md?¶
CLAUDE.md is a configuration file that provides project-specific instructions to Claude Code (AI development assistant). By properly configuring this file, AI can understand your project's rules and conventions, providing more effective assistance.
Basic Structure¶
# CLAUDE.md
## Project Overview
Description of project purpose and structure
## Development Guidelines
- Coding standards
- Naming conventions
- Architecture patterns
## Workflows
Standard procedures and commands
## Checklists
Quality control checkpoints
🚀 Creating an Effective CLAUDE.md¶
1. Project Overview Section¶
## Repository Overview
This is a [project type] built with [main technology stack].
### Key Features
- Feature 1: Description
- Feature 2: Description
- Feature 3: Description
### Target Users
- Primary: [main user base]
- Secondary: [secondary user base]
### Development Status
- Current Phase: [development phase]
- Version: [version number]
- Stability: [stability level]
2. Technology Stack and Dependencies¶
## Technology Stack
### Frontend
- Framework: React 18.2 with TypeScript
- UI Library: Material-UI v5
- State Management: Redux Toolkit
- Build Tool: Vite
### Backend
- Runtime: Node.js 18 LTS
- Framework: Express.js
- Database: PostgreSQL 15
- ORM: Prisma
### Infrastructure
- Hosting: AWS (EC2, RDS, S3)
- CI/CD: GitHub Actions
- Monitoring: DataDog
- Container: Docker
3. Development Guidelines¶
## Development Guidelines
### Code Style
- **Language**: TypeScript with strict mode
- **Linting**: ESLint with Airbnb config
- **Formatting**: Prettier with 2-space indentation
- **Naming**:
- Components: PascalCase (e.g., `UserProfile`)
- Functions: camelCase (e.g., `getUserData`)
- Constants: UPPER_SNAKE_CASE (e.g., `API_BASE_URL`)
- Files: kebab-case (e.g., `user-profile.tsx`)
### Git Conventions
- **Branches**: feature/*, bugfix/*, hotfix/*
- **Commits**: Conventional Commits format
- feat: New feature
- fix: Bug fix
- docs: Documentation
- style: Code style
- refactor: Code refactoring
- test: Test updates
- chore: Build/tooling updates
### Testing Requirements
- Unit tests: Jest with 80% coverage minimum
- Integration tests: Cypress for critical paths
- Performance tests: Lighthouse score > 90
4. Workflows and Commands¶
## Common Commands
### Development
```bash
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Start development server
npm run dev
# Run tests
npm test
# Build for production
npm run build
# Deploy to staging
npm run deploy:staging
# Deploy to production
npm run deploy:prod
Database Operations¶
# Run migrations
npx prisma migrate dev
# Generate Prisma client
npx prisma generate
# Seed database
npm run db:seed
# Reset database
npm run db:reset
Code Quality¶
# Run linter
npm run lint
# Fix linting issues
npm run lint:fix
# Type check
npm run type-check
# Run all checks
npm run check:all
### 5. Checklist System
```markdown
## 📝 Task Checklists
### Feature Development Checklist
- [ ] **Requirements Review**: Understand the feature requirements
- [ ] **Design Review**: Review UI/UX designs if applicable
- [ ] **Implementation Plan**: Create implementation approach
- [ ] **Code Implementation**: Write the feature code
- [ ] **Unit Tests**: Write comprehensive unit tests
- [ ] **Integration Tests**: Add integration tests
- [ ] **Documentation**: Update relevant documentation
- [ ] **Code Review**: Submit PR and get approval
- [ ] **QA Testing**: Ensure QA team has tested
- [ ] **Deployment**: Deploy to production
### Bug Fix Checklist
- [ ] **Reproduce Issue**: Confirm bug reproduction steps
- [ ] **Root Cause Analysis**: Identify the root cause
- [ ] **Fix Implementation**: Implement the fix
- [ ] **Regression Tests**: Add tests to prevent regression
- [ ] **Verify Fix**: Confirm fix resolves the issue
- [ ] **Related Issues**: Check for similar issues
- [ ] **Documentation**: Update if needed
- [ ] **Deploy**: Release the fix
### Code Review Checklist
- [ ] **Functionality**: Code works as intended
- [ ] **Tests**: Adequate test coverage
- [ ] **Performance**: No performance regressions
- [ ] **Security**: No security vulnerabilities
- [ ] **Style**: Follows coding standards
- [ ] **Documentation**: Code is well-documented
- [ ] **Dependencies**: No unnecessary dependencies
- [ ] **Breaking Changes**: Identified and documented
🎯 Practical Examples¶
1. Documentation Site CLAUDE.md¶
# CLAUDE.md - Documentation Site
## Project Overview
Technical documentation site using MkDocs Material.
## Article Creation Workflow
### Pre-Writing
- [ ] Research topic thoroughly
- [ ] Check for existing similar content
- [ ] Define target audience
- [ ] Create article outline
### Writing
- [ ] Write primary language version
- [ ] Create translations
- [ ] Add code examples
- [ ] Include visual elements (diagrams, cards)
- [ ] Add cross-references
### Quality Assurance
- [ ] Grammar and spell check
- [ ] Test all code examples
- [ ] Verify all links
- [ ] Check formatting consistency
### Deployment
- [ ] Update navigation
- [ ] Git add, commit, push
- [ ] Deploy to production
- [ ] Verify live deployment
- [ ] Test search functionality
## Article Template
```markdown
# Article Title

## What You Can Achieve
<div class="grid cards" markdown>
- :material-icon: **Feature**
Description
</div>
## Overview
Introduction...
## Implementation
Implementation details...
## Related Articles
- [Related Article](./related.md)
---
Common Commands¶
# Local development
mkdocs serve
# Deploy to GitHub Pages
mkdocs gh-deploy
# Build static files
mkdocs build
### 2. API Project CLAUDE.md
```markdown
# CLAUDE.md - REST API Project
## Architecture Overview
## API Development Guidelines
### Endpoint Naming
- Use nouns, not verbs
- Use plural for collections
- Use kebab-case for multi-word resources
Examples:
- GET /api/users
- GET /api/users/:id
- POST /api/users
- GET /api/user-profiles
### Response Format
```json
{
"success": true,
"data": {},
"error": null,
"metadata": {
"timestamp": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
"version": "1.0.0"
}
}
Error Handling¶
// Always use this error format
throw new AppError('Error message', 400, 'ERROR_CODE');
Testing Requirements¶
All endpoints must have: 1. Unit tests for business logic 2. Integration tests for API endpoints 3. Load tests for performance-critical endpoints
Security Checklist¶
- Input validation on all endpoints
- Authentication required (except public endpoints)
- Rate limiting implemented
- SQL injection prevention
- XSS prevention
- CORS properly configured
### 3. Frontend Project CLAUDE.md ```markdown # CLAUDE.md - React Application ## Component Development ### Component Structure ```typescript // components/UserProfile/UserProfile.tsx import React from 'react'; import { UserProfileProps } from './UserProfile.types'; import { useUserProfile } from './UserProfile.hooks'; import styles from './UserProfile.module.css'; export const UserProfile: React.FC<UserProfileProps> = ({ userId }) => { const { user, loading, error } = useUserProfile(userId); // Component logic };
State Management Rules¶
- Local state for UI-only state
- Context for cross-component state
- Redux for global application state
- React Query for server state
Performance Guidelines¶
- Use React.memo for expensive components
- Implement virtual scrolling for long lists
- Lazy load routes and heavy components
- Optimize images with next-gen formats
Accessibility Requirements¶
All components must: - [ ] Have proper ARIA labels - [ ] Support keyboard navigation - [ ] Meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards - [ ] Pass automated a11y tests - [ ] Include screen reader testing
CSS Guidelines¶
/* Use CSS Modules */
.container {
/* Mobile-first approach */
padding: 1rem;
@media (min-width: 768px) {
padding: 2rem;
}
}
/* Use CSS variables for theming */
.button {
background-color: var(--primary-color);
color: var(--text-on-primary);
}
## 💡 Best Practices
### 1. Clear and Actionable Instructions
```markdown
# Good ✅
## File Naming
- Components: PascalCase (e.g., UserProfile.tsx)
- Utilities: camelCase (e.g., formatDate.ts)
- Tests: *.test.ts or *.spec.ts
# Bad ❌
## File Naming
Files should be named appropriately.
2. Specific Code Examples¶
# Good ✅
## Error Handling Pattern
```typescript
try {
const result = await apiCall();
return { success: true, data: result };
} catch (error) {
logger.error('API call failed', { error, context });
return { success: false, error: error.message };
}
Bad ❌¶
Error Handling¶
Handle errors properly.
### 3. Effective Use of Checklists
```markdown
# Good ✅
## PR Checklist
- [ ] Tests pass locally
- [ ] No console.log statements
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] Changelog entry added
- [ ] Performance impact assessed
# Bad ❌
## PR Requirements
Make sure everything is good before submitting.
🔄 Continuous Improvement¶
1. Regular Reviews¶
## Maintenance Schedule
### Weekly
- Review and update task checklists
- Check for outdated dependencies
- Review error logs
### Monthly
- Update documentation
- Review and refine guidelines
- Analyze code metrics
### Quarterly
- Major dependency updates
- Architecture review
- Performance audit
2. Feedback Collection¶
## Feedback Collection
### Developer Feedback
- What guidelines are unclear?
- What tasks are repetitive?
- What tools are missing?
### AI Performance
- Track successful completions
- Identify common mistakes
- Measure time savings
### Improvement Ideas
- [ ] Add more code examples
- [ ] Create video tutorials
- [ ] Build custom tools
🎓 Learning Resources¶
Recommended Articles¶
External Resources¶
🚀 Next Steps¶
- Apply to Existing Projects: Add CLAUDE.md to your current project
- Share with Team: Review content with team members
- Continuous Refinement: Improve content through usage
- Measure Impact: Quantify productivity improvements