If you're using Claude Code without setting up .claude folder, you're using 10% of it.
 
The .claude folder is where Claude Code actually lives.
 
Everything you wish Claude Code did out of the box is sitting inside this folder. Most vibe coders never open it. They install Claude Code, run a few prompts, hit a wall, and assume that's the ceiling.
 
It's not.
 
Instead have these canonical files that Claude Code reads:
 
𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗘.𝗺𝗱 → Your project rulebook. Coding style, conventions, gotchas. Claude reads it before every task so you stop repeating yourself in every prompt. Advisory, not enforced.
 
.𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲/𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀/ → Deterministic. Fires every single time. Auto-commit after edits, load project context on startup, save state before compaction. Claude doesn't get to skip these.
 
.𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲/𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀/ → Drop a SKILL.md inside any folder and Claude knows exactly when to invoke it. I have one for carousel generation, one for pacing drills. Claude picks the right one based on the task.
 
.𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲/𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀/ → Subagents with their own isolated context window. Code reviewer, researcher, log analyzer. They run in parallel and report back. Your main thread stays clean.
 
.𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲/𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀/ → Slash commands. Legacy but still works. Build a /ship command that lints, builds, and deploys in one go.
 
.𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲/𝗽𝗹𝘂𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀/ → First-class in 2026. Bundle hooks, skills, agents, and MCP servers into one shareable package. This is the real unlock.
 
.𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲/𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀/ → Path-scoped. Loads only when files match a glob. So your API rules don't pollute your frontend work.
 
.𝗺𝗰𝗽.𝗷𝘀𝗼𝗻 → Sits at the project root, not inside .claude. MCP servers your project uses. Claude connects them automatically.
 
The pattern most people miss: CLAUDE.md is advisory. Hooks are deterministic. Skills load on demand.
 
That's the whole mental model.
 
Once you understand which file does what, Claude Code stops feeling like another normal chatbot and starts feeling like a 10X developer.

Over to you: Do you have hooks set up in your .claude folder?
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