Module 11 — Using Claude Code Well

🎯 Goal: Go from "I can get it to work" to "I'm genuinely fluent." These are the habits that make the difference. ⏱️ Time: ~1 hour, best after you've built a few things (Modules 08–09).

You already know how to talk to Claude Code (Module 07). This module is about the craft around the conversation — the small techniques that make it dramatically more reliable and less frustrating.

1. Give a project a memory with CLAUDE.md

Every time you start claude in a folder, it automatically reads a file named CLAUDE.md (if one exists) as standing instructions. It's a sticky note Claude Code always sees — perfect for the preferences you'd otherwise repeat every time.

You don't have to write it by hand. Just ask:

Create a CLAUDE.md for this project. Note that: input files go in the inbox folder, finished files go in results, I always want a dry-run preview before anything is moved or renamed, and spreadsheets should use MM/DD/YYYY dates.

Now those rules apply to every future conversation here — no re-explaining. As your project grows, ask it to "update CLAUDE.md to remember that too."

Why it matters: consistency. The #1 cause of "it did it differently this time" is that the instruction lived in your head, not in the project.

2. Use Plan Mode for anything bigger than a one-liner

For a task with several steps, ask Claude Code to plan before it acts:

Before changing anything, give me a step-by-step plan for how you'll do this, and point out any risks or decisions I should weigh in on.

You read the plan, correct any wrong assumptions, then say "looks good, go." This catches misunderstandings while they're cheap — before any files are touched. Think of it as measuring twice, cutting once.

(Claude Code also has a built-in plan mode you may see offered; the plain-English version above works just as well and is easier to remember.)

3. Keep conversations focused — and start fresh often

Claude Code remembers everything in the current conversation. That's great within a task, but a long, wandering chat that jumped across five unrelated jobs gets muddled — it may drag old context into a new task.

The fix is simple: one task, one conversation. When you finish something and move to an unrelated job, clear the slate:

• Type /clear to wipe the conversation and start clean, or
• Quit (Ctrl + C twice) and run claude again.

Rule of thumb: if you find yourself saying "no, forget the spreadsheet, I'm asking about the PDFs now" — that's your cue to /clear and start fresh.

You won't lose your files — /clear only resets the conversation, not your work.

4. Review before you accept — don't rubber-stamp

Claude Code asks permission before it changes files or runs commands that aren't read-only. Actually read those prompts. When it's about to do something you don't fully understand:

Before you run that, explain in plain English what it does and what it changes.

And after a change, verify (you learned this in Modules 08 & 10):

• Look at the result in VS Code's sidebar.
• For file changes, git status shows you exactly what changed; git restore . rewinds it if you don't like it.

Trust grows from checking, not from hoping.

5. Turn a repeat task into a one-liner

Once a workflow is solid and you do it often, you don't want to re-describe it every week. Two easy ways to save it:

• The simple way — a written recipe. Ask: "Write a short note in CLAUDE.md titled 'Weekly report' with the exact steps, so next week I can just say 'do the weekly report.'" Then each week: claude → "do the weekly report."
• The tidy way — a custom command. Claude Code lets you save a reusable prompt as a slash command (e.g. /weekly-report). Just ask: "Set this up as a reusable slash command called weekly-report so I can run it anytime." It'll create the file and tell you how to use it.

Either way, a 10-minute task becomes a 10-second one.

6. Small habits that pay off

• Paste screenshots. Stuck on what a window or error looks like? You can paste an image into Claude Code and say "what do I do here?"
• Ask for less. If responses are too long, say "be concise" or "just give me the command." It adapts.
• Ask it to teach. "Explain what that did like I'm new to this" turns any task into a mini-lesson. Over months, this is how you actually learn.
• Redirect freely. If it's heading the wrong way, interrupt (Ctrl + C) and say so. You're the director; cut and re-shoot anytime.
• Commit before big swings. git commit first, experiment, git restore . if it goes sideways. Fearless because reversible.

✅ You're done with this module when

• You've created a CLAUDE.md for a real project and felt it remember your preferences.
• You've asked for a plan before a multi-step task at least once.
• You use /clear (or restart) when switching to an unrelated task.
• You read permission prompts instead of reflexively approving.
• You've saved at least one repeat task as a recipe or slash command.

Next: Module 12 — Making It a Habit.