92 lines
3.4 KiB
Markdown
92 lines
3.4 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "The .claude Folder — Full Configuration Reference"
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aliases: [dot-claude, claude-folder, claude-configuration]
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tags: [claude-code, configuration, hooks, skills, agents, plugins, mcp]
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sources: [raw/Claude md folder.md]
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created: 2026-04-29
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updated: 2026-04-29
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---
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# The .claude Folder — Full Configuration Reference
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> "If you're using Claude Code without setting up .claude folder, you're using 10% of it."
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The `.claude` folder is where Claude Code's real power lives. Most users never open it.
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## Mental Model
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Three tiers of execution:
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| Tier | Example | Behavior |
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|------|---------|----------|
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| Advisory | `CLAUDE.md` | Claude reads and follows — but can be overridden |
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| Deterministic | `.claude/hooks/` | Fires every time, no exceptions |
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| On-demand | `.claude/skills/` | Loaded only when the task matches |
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---
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## Files and Folders
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### `CLAUDE.md` (project root)
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- Your project rulebook — coding style, conventions, gotchas
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- Claude reads it before every task; stops you repeating yourself in every prompt
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- **Advisory**: Claude follows it, not enforced at the system level
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### `.claude/hooks/`
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- Shell scripts that fire on lifecycle events (session start, after edits, before compaction, etc.)
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- **Deterministic** — Claude cannot skip them
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- Common uses: auto-commit after edits, load project context on startup, save state before compaction
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### `.claude/skills/`
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- Drop a `SKILL.md` inside any folder; Claude invokes it when the task matches
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- Skills are scoped — no skill bleeds into unrelated work
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- Examples: carousel generation skill, pacing drills skill
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### `.claude/agents/`
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- Subagents with isolated context windows
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- Run in parallel; report back to the main thread
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- Common patterns: code reviewer, researcher, log analyzer
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### `.claude/commands/`
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- Slash commands (legacy, still functional)
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- Example: `/ship` → lint + build + deploy in one go
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### `.claude/plugins/`
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- First-class in 2026
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- Bundle hooks + skills + agents + MCP servers into one shareable package
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- The "real unlock" for team sharing and distribution
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### `.claude/rules/`
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- Path-scoped rules loaded only when files match a glob pattern
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- Prevents API rules from polluting frontend context (and vice versa)
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### `.mcp.json` (project root, not inside `.claude/`)
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- MCP server config for the project
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- Claude connects them automatically on session start
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---
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## Key Takeaways
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- **`.claude` folder = Claude Code's brain** — ignoring it means ignoring most of the product
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- **CLAUDE.md is advisory; hooks are deterministic; skills load on demand** — this is the core mental model
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- **Hooks are the enforcement layer** — use them for anything that must always happen
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- **Skills scope Claude's capabilities to context** — prevents wrong tools firing on wrong tasks
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- **Agents keep the main context clean** — parallel subagents handle heavy lifting
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- **Plugins (2026) are the distribution primitive** — bundle everything into one installable unit
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- **`.mcp.json` lives at the project root**, not inside `.claude/`
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---
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## Related Articles
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- [[wiki/claude-code/skills|Skills]] — deep dive on SKILL.md creation, scopes, and invocation
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- [[wiki/claude-code/custom-subagents|Custom Subagents]] — isolated context windows, tool control, hooks
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- [[wiki/claude-code/create-plugins|Create Plugins]] — plugin manifest, bundling, marketplace distribution
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- [[wiki/claude-code/overview|Claude Code Overview]] — full product capabilities
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---
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## Sources
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- `raw/Claude md folder.md`
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