Context Management

CLAUDE.md

A notes file Claude Code reads at the start of every session, so you never repeat the basics.

Definition

A Markdown memory file that Claude Code loads into context at the start of a session. It can live at the user level, at the project root, or in subdirectories, and holds the instructions and commands the agent should always know.

Example

A project CLAUDE.md says 'Use pnpm, not npm' and 'Run pnpm typecheck before committing'; Claude Code follows both from the first message.

Appears in

Context Rot in AI-Assisted Software Development: Repurposing Documentation Consistency for AI Configuration ArtifactsarXiv
Agent READMEs: An Empirical Study of Context Files for Agentic CodingarXiv
Context Engineering for AI Agents: Memory vs. Compaction vs. Tool ClearingClaude Cookbook