CLAUDE.md Template
A minimal, effective template for Claude Code project instructions focusing on what matters.
Prompt
Project: [Name]
WHY
[One paragraph: what problem this solves and why it matters]
WHAT
- Stack: [technologies]
- Structure: [where things live]
- Key patterns: [2-3 architectural decisions worth knowing]
HOW
- Build:
[command] - Test:
[command] - Lint:
[command]
Gotchas
- [Thing that will bite you if you don’t know]
- [Another thing]
Don’t put style guidelines here. That’s what linters are for. Don’t enumerate every possible command. Search the codebase.