Awesome CLAUDE.md — Project Config Best Practices

What it is

Awesome CLAUDE.md is a community-maintained collection of CLAUDE.md templates and best practices for configuring Claude Code on a per-project basis. A CLAUDE.md file in your project root tells Claude Code about your codebase conventions, tech stack, architecture decisions, and team preferences so it generates code that fits your project from the first interaction.

The collection targets developers and teams using Claude Code who want to reduce repetitive instructions. Instead of explaining your project setup in every conversation, you write it once in CLAUDE.md and Claude Code follows it automatically.

How it saves time or tokens

Without a CLAUDE.md, every Claude Code session starts from zero -- you explain your stack, naming conventions, forbidden patterns, and architecture before getting useful output. A well-written CLAUDE.md eliminates this setup overhead. The model reads it at the start of each session and generates code that conforms to your standards immediately.

The token estimate for this workflow is approximately 2,600 tokens. Templates are designed to be concise enough that they fit within Claude Code's context without consuming excessive token budget.

How to use

1. Create a CLAUDE.md file in your project root:

# CLAUDE.md

Project Overview

This is a Next.js 14 app with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and Prisma ORM.

Commands

• npm run dev -- Start dev server
• npm run test -- Run tests
• npm run lint -- Run ESLint + Prettier

Code Style

• Functional components only, no class components
• Use Server Components by default
• State: Zustand for client, React Query for server
• Naming: PascalCase components, camelCase functions, kebab-case files

Do NOT

• Do not use Redux or Context API for state
• Do not create CSS modules -- use Tailwind only
• Do not add comments explaining obvious code

2. Open Claude Code in your project directory. It reads CLAUDE.md automatically.

3. Start working. Claude Code follows your documented conventions without being told.

Example

A CLAUDE.md for a Go backend project:

# CLAUDE.md

Stack

Go 1.22 + Chi router + sqlc + PostgreSQL

Architecture

• cmd/server/ -- Entry point
• internal/handler/ -- HTTP handlers
• internal/service/ -- Business logic
• internal/repo/ -- Database queries (sqlc generated)

Rules

• All errors must be wrapped with fmt.Errorf('operation: %w', err)
• No global variables except logger
• Tests use testcontainers-go for database tests
• Run 'make lint' before committing

Related on TokRepo

• AI Tools for Coding -- Developer productivity tools and agent configurations
• Prompt Library -- Reusable prompts and templates

Common pitfalls

• CLAUDE.md files that are too long consume token budget that could go toward actual work. Keep templates under 500 words and focus on decisions, not documentation.
• Conflicting instructions (e.g., 'use Tailwind' in one section and 'use CSS modules' in another) confuse the model. Review for consistency before committing.
• CLAUDE.md is not a substitute for proper documentation. It tells the AI how to work in your project; it does not replace README.md or architecture docs for human readers.