CLAUDE.md template builder

What CLAUDE.md is

CLAUDE.md files are markdown instructions you write so Claude Code has lasting context for a project, your personal workflow, or your organization. Claude reads them at the start of every session. They are context, not hard enforcement. Source

• Project./CLAUDE.md or ./.claude/CLAUDE.md, shared with your team through git. Source
• User~/.claude/CLAUDE.md for personal preferences across every project. Source
• Local./CLAUDE.local.md for personal notes on one project; add it to .gitignore. Source
• @importsPull in other files with @path/to/file. Relative paths resolve from the CLAUDE.md that imports them. Source
• /initRun /init in a session to generate a starting CLAUDE.md from the codebase, or to suggest improvements if one already exists. Source

Anthropic advises keeping each CLAUDE.md concise (target under 200 lines) so more of it stays in context and is followed. Source For session memory beyond a short rules file, see How to give Claude Code memory between sessions. To wire an MCP server into an app, use the MCP config builder.

Questions

• What is CLAUDE.md?A markdown file of instructions you write for Claude Code. Claude reads it at the start of every session and treats it as context for build commands, conventions, project layout and rules.
• Where do I put the file?Project instructions: ./CLAUDE.md or ./.claude/CLAUDE.md (share with the team in git). Just you, every project: ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md. Just you, this project: ./CLAUDE.local.md (add it to .gitignore).
• What is /init?In a Claude Code session, /init analyzes your codebase and writes a starting CLAUDE.md with build commands, tests and conventions it finds. If a CLAUDE.md already exists, /init suggests improvements instead of overwriting it.
• What are @imports?A CLAUDE.md can pull in other files with @path/to/file, for example @README. Relative paths resolve from the file that contains the import. Imports help you organize, but the imported text still takes up context.
• Does this page send my answers anywhere?No. The builder runs in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded or saved. Copy or download the file yourself.
• Should CLAUDE.md be long?No. Anthropic's memory docs say to keep it concise, targeting under 200 lines per CLAUDE.md file, because longer files use more context and reduce how consistently Claude follows them.