Put shared project guidance in a root-level CLAUDE.md or .claude/CLAUDE.md; use scoped rules for specialized guidance, settings for technical controls, and /context and /status to verify what Claude Code loaded. These layers serve different purposes: instruction files shape behavior, while settings and managed policy control capabilities.
Choose the right place for each instruction
Claude Code can draw context from several locations. Choose based on who needs the guidance, where it applies, whether it should load every session, and whether it must be technically enforced.
| Location | Best for | Sharing and scope |
|---|---|---|
~/.claude/CLAUDE.md |
Your preferences across projects | User-level; applies across projects |
./CLAUDE.md or ./.claude/CLAUDE.md |
Project facts, conventions, and workflows for the team | Project-level; typically version-controlled |
./CLAUDE.local.md |
Your private guidance for one project | Project-local; keep it out of version control and add it to .gitignore |
.claude/rules/ |
Detailed instructions, including guidance for particular paths | Project rules; can be scoped to matching files |
~/.claude/rules/ |
Reusable personal rules | User-level rules |
.claude/settings.json |
Team-shared settings such as permissions, hooks, or plugins | Project-level settings; can be committed |
.claude/settings.local.json |
Personal project-specific settings | Local override; keep private |
| Managed-policy CLAUDE.md | Organization-wide instructions administered by IT or DevOps | Machine or organization managed |
Anthropic documents managed instruction-file locations as /Library/Application Support/ClaudeCode/CLAUDE.md on macOS, /etc/claude-code/CLAUDE.md on Linux and WSL, and C:Program FilesClaudeCodeCLAUDE.md on Windows. See Anthropic’s memory and project-instructions guide for changes to supported locations and loading behavior.
Create shared project instructions
Use a project-level CLAUDE.md for durable guidance that should apply to everyone working in the repository: build and test commands, architecture decisions, naming conventions, coding standards, or recurring workflows. Choose the repository root or .claude/CLAUDE.md.
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- From the project, run
/init. Claude Code analyzes the codebase and proposes a startingCLAUDE.md. If one already exists, it suggests improvements rather than overwriting it. - Review the proposed content. Keep facts and instructions that are accurate, broadly useful, and likely to remain relevant.
- Save the file at the repository root or under
.claude/, and version-control it when it is intended for the team. - Run
/contextand inspect the Memory files list to verify that the file loaded.
Keep always-loaded context focused
Anthropic describes CLAUDE.md as context, not enforced configuration: it can guide behavior but cannot guarantee that a tool or path is blocked. Write instructions concretely—for example, name the exact test command or the directory where a kind of code belongs—and resolve contradictory or outdated guidance.
Anthropic recommends targeting fewer than 200 lines per CLAUDE.md. This is guidance, not a hard limit or a guarantee that Claude will follow every instruction. Imports can split material across files for readability, but imported content still consumes context when loaded at startup. Keep the always-loaded file limited to broadly useful material; put conditional procedures in path-scoped rules under .claude/rules/.
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Import reference files when they belong in context
A CLAUDE.md file can import project material with @path/to/file, such as a README, package manifest, or workflow guide. Relative paths resolve from the file containing the import. The current Anthropic guide says recursive imports are limited to four hops.
- Imports are expanded into context; they do not make the referenced content free or automatically conditional.
- Markdown code spans and fenced code blocks are skipped while parsing imports. Put an example path in backticks when you want it treated as literal text rather than an import.
- A project-level import that resolves outside the working directory can trigger an approval dialog.
Use imports for reference material Claude needs, not as a way to hide extensive guidance in an always-loaded file.
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Use settings and policy for technical controls
Use .claude/settings.json for settings meant to be shared, including permissions, hooks, or plugins. Use .claude/settings.local.json for personal project overrides. Settings files require strict JSON: comments and trailing commas cause errors.
After changing settings, run /status to inspect which settings sources Claude Code loaded. For controls that must technically restrict tools or paths, use settings and organization-managed policy rather than relying on prose in CLAUDE.md. Anthropic documents these distinctions in its settings guide.
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Check AGENTS.md compatibility before depending on it
Support for AGENTS.md depends on configuration and Claude Code version. The current Anthropic memory guide says direct reading is available in Claude Code v2.1.277 or later. By default, Claude Code reads AGENTS.md only when there is no qualifying CLAUDE.md or CLAUDE.local.md in the working directory or its parent directories. The project-instruction setting can instead be configured to load both formats, use CLAUDE.md only, or use managed-only instructions.
If compatibility matters, check the live documentation and your installed version rather than relying on AGENTS.md as the only instruction file. Anthropic documents importing it from CLAUDE.md with @AGENTS.md as a compatibility approach. Run /context and confirm the file appears under Memory files.
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Understand automatic memory separately
Automatic memory is distinct from explicit project instructions. Claude Code can retain selected knowledge across sessions in a machine-local project memory directory, with an index named MEMORY.md and separate topic files. Only the beginning of the index is loaded at session start; topic files can be accessed as needed. Automatic memory does not replace team guidance in a version-controlled CLAUDE.md.
Anthropic documents two ways to disable automatic memory: set autoMemoryEnabled: false for a project, or set the environment variable CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_MEMORY=1. See the memory guide for the current configuration details.
Verify what is active
- Run
/contextto inspect memory files and confirm instruction files, imports, or memory content are present. - Run
/statusto inspect loaded settings sources. - If expected guidance is missing, check its location and scope, then check whether a parent-level instruction file or project setting changes loading behavior.
Commands, version thresholds, and loading rules can change. Anthropic’s live memory guide and settings guide are the references to consult for the current behavior.
Quick Recap
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