Claude Token Efficient — Drop-in CLAUDE.md for Terse Output

Approach

• Think before acting. Read existing files before writing code.
• Be concise in output but thorough in reasoning.
• Prefer editing over rewriting whole files.
• Do not re-read files you have already read unless the file may have changed.
• Test your code before declaring done.
• No sycophantic openers or closing fluff.
• Keep solutions simple and direct.
• User instructions always override this file.

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## Available Profiles

### Universal Profile (Default CLAUDE.md)

The base configuration that works for any project:

```markdown

## Approach

- Think before acting. Read existing files before writing code.
- Be concise in output but thorough in reasoning.
- Prefer editing over rewriting whole files.
- Do not re-read files you have already read unless the file may have changed.
- Test your code before declaring done.
- No sycophantic openers or closing fluff.
- Keep solutions simple and direct.
- User instructions always override this file.

Coding Profile (profiles/CLAUDE.coding.md)

For dev projects, code review, and debugging. Adds code-specific rules:

• Simplest working solution first
• No over-engineering or speculative features
• For bug reports: state bug → show fix → stop
• No em dashes or smart quotes (copy-paste safe)
• No trailing summaries after code changes

Benchmark Profile (profiles/CLAUDE.benchmark.md)

For token-to-green coding benchmarks. Optimized for passing tests with minimal output.

Agents Profile (profiles/CLAUDE.agents.md)

For automation pipelines and multi-agent systems. Tuned for structured, parseable output.

Analysis Profile (profiles/CLAUDE.analysis.md)

For data analysis, research, and reporting. Allows slightly more verbose output where detail matters.

Versioned Config Sets

Benchmark Results

Note: Best for high-output-volume workflows. At low volume, the input overhead of the CLAUDE.md file may exceed the output savings.

FAQ

Q: What is Claude Token Efficient? A: A single CLAUDE.md config file that reduces Claude Code's output verbosity by 63%, saving tokens and costs on high-volume workflows.

Q: Is Claude Token Efficient free? A: Yes, fully free and open source under the MIT license.

Q: How do I install Claude Token Efficient? A: Run curl -o CLAUDE.md https://raw.githubusercontent.com/drona23/claude-token-efficient/main/CLAUDE.md in your project root.