---
name: claude-code-guide
description: "Master guide for using Claude Code effectively. Includes configuration templates, prompting strategies \\\"Thinking\\\" keywords, debugging techniques, and best practices for interacting wit..."
risk: unknown
source: community
---
# Claude Code Guide
## Purpose
To provide a comprehensive reference for configuring and using Claude Code (the agentic coding tool) to its full potential. This skill synthesizes best practices, configuration templates, and advanced usage patterns.
## Configuration (`CLAUDE.md`)
When starting a new project, create a `CLAUDE.md` file in the root directory to guide the agent.
### Template (General)
```markdown
# Project Guidelines
## Commands
- Run app: `npm run dev`
- Test: `npm test`
- Build: `npm run build`
## Code Style
- Use TypeScript for all new code.
- Functional components with Hooks for React.
- Tailwind CSS for styling.
- Early returns for error handling.
## Workflow
- Read `README.md` first to understand project context.
- Before editing, read the file content.
- After editing, run tests to verify.
```
## Advanced Features
### Thinking Keywords
Use these keywords in your prompts to trigger deeper reasoning from the agent:
- "Think step-by-step"
- "Analyze the root cause"
- "Plan before executing"
- "Verify your assumptions"
### Debugging
If the agent is stuck or behaving unexpectedly:
1. **Clear Context**: Start a new session or ask the agent to "forget previous instructions" if confused.
2. **Explicit Instructions**: Be extremely specific about paths, filenames, and desired outcomes.
3. **Logs**: Ask the agent to "check the logs" or "run the command with verbose output".
## Best Practices
1. **Small Contexts**: Don't dump the entire codebase into the context. Use `grep` or `find` to locate relevant files first.
2. **Iterative Development**: Ask for small changes, verify, then proceed.
3. **Feedback Loop**: If the agent makes a mistake, correct it immediately and ask it to "add a lesson" to its memory (if supported) or `CLAUDE.md`.
## Reference
Based on [Claude Code Guide by zebbern](https://github.com/zebbern/claude-code-guide).
## When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.