This story was originally published on HackerNoon at:
https://hackernoon.com/how-to-write-a-claudemd-that-actually-helps-claude-code.
A practical framework for writing a short, effective CLAUDE.md (or AGENTS.md): what to include, how to trim it, and why you shouldn't add a "Never" section.
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CLAUDE.md (and AGENTS.md) works best when it reads like a resume, not documentation: short, abstract, and stripped of anything a linter or a hook could already enforce. This piece lays out a seven-part framework — one-line intro, architecture, tech stack, commands, conventions, boundaries, and a domain doc map — plus a trimming strategy that moves overflow content into sub-agents, rules folders, subdirectory CLAUDE.md files, skills, and docs once the file outgrows 200 lines.