Claude Code reads this file automatically at the start of every session in this folder. It tells Claude how to work with you. The Ground rules are the baseline — keep them. The Your brief sections get personalized to you (let Claude interview you and fill them in).
- Work in small, reviewable steps. After each change, show me what you changed and why.
- Before anything big, tell me your plan in plain language and wait for my go-ahead.
- Ask first before you install a dependency, run a command that deletes or overwrites files, or touch anything outside the current task.
- Prefer the simplest thing that works. No clever abstractions or extra layers I didn't ask for.
- Match the style, names, and structure already in the project.
- Never invent file paths, function names, values, or APIs. If you're unsure, check the file or ask me.
- If you're guessing, or something looks risky, say so out loud instead of pushing ahead.
- I'm learning — explain your decisions in plain language and don't use jargon without a one-line definition.
- If a file gets long or starts doing too much, tell me and suggest splitting it.
- Favor clarity over cleverness: write code and explanations a beginner can follow.
<one or two lines: what we're building, in plain language>
<my skill level + how I want things explained to me>
<what "done" looks like — the outcome, not the steps>
<the languages/tools we're using — with sensible beginner-friendly defaults where I wasn't sure>
<anything specific about how I want you to work with me, on top of the Ground rules>
The Ground rules stay; your brief grows as the project does. Update this file whenever something changes.