Claude Code Project Memory (Jan 2026)

Configure CLAUDE.md project memory so Claude Code gets stable, scoped instructions across sessions while keeping token cost low.

Quick Reference

Memory Type	Typical Location	Purpose
Managed policy	OS-dependent (see official docs)	Organization-wide standards (security, compliance)
Project memory	./CLAUDE.md or ./.claude/CLAUDE.md	Shared project context and conventions
Project rules	./.claude/rules/*.md	Modular, topic-focused rules (testing, security, style)
User memory	~/.claude/CLAUDE.md	Personal preferences across projects
Project memory (local)	./CLAUDE.local.md (git-ignored)	Local-only, project-specific preferences

How Loading Works (High Level)

• Recursive loading: from the current working directory up to (but not including) filesystem root (/).
• On-demand loading: nested CLAUDE.md files under the cwd are loaded only when Claude reads files in those subtrees.
• Imports: @path/to/file pulls in additional context (max depth: 5; ~ supported).

Workflow (Best Practice)

1. Start with a minimal CLAUDE.md (50–120 lines): what the project is, how it’s shaped, and the “must not break” rules.
2. Move long or fragile guidance into .claude/rules/ (one topic per file).
3. Use @imports as navigation for detailed docs instead of copying them into memory.
4. Treat memory like code: PR review, ownership, and periodic cleanup (remove dead rules).

Rules With Optional Path Scope

Create .claude/rules/testing.md, .claude/rules/security.md, etc. If a rule only applies to a slice of the repo, scope it:

---
paths:
  - "src/api/**/*.ts"
---

Commands (Claude Code)

• > /memory to view and directly edit memories.
• > /init to bootstrap project memory (see official docs for current behavior).

Cross-Platform Strategy (AGENTS.md + CLAUDE.md)

If you support multiple coding assistants, keep one canonical file and mirror it:

• macOS/Linux: symlink one to the other.
• Windows: prefer copying (or a small sync script) over symlinks unless Developer Mode is enabled.

Avoid tool-specific claims in the memory file; keep it portable and strictly project-focused.

Validation (Fast Checks)

• Run the bundled linter: bash frameworks/shared-skills/skills/claude-code-project-memory/scripts/lint_claude_memory.sh .
• Manually scan for unresolved @imports and secrets before merging memory changes.

Resources

Resource	Purpose
references/memory-patterns.md	Patterns and anti-patterns
references/memory-examples.md	Full examples by stack
references/large-codebase-strategy.md	100K–1M LOC strategy
data/sources.json	Official links

Related Skills

Skill	Purpose
claude-code-skills	Skill creation patterns
claude-code-agents	Claude Code agent setup
docs-codebase	Repo documentation patterns