gh-cskiro-claudex-claude-code-tools/skills/claude-md-auditor/reference/official-guidance.md

Official Anthropic Guidance

Complete compilation of official documentation from docs.claude.com (verified 2025-10-26).

Memory Hierarchy

Precedence Order (highest to lowest):

1. Enterprise policy (managed by admins)
2. Project instructions (.claude/CLAUDE.md)
3. User instructions (~/.claude/CLAUDE.md)

Loading Behavior:

• All tiers loaded and merged
• Higher precedence overrides conflicts
• Enterprise can restrict user/project capabilities

File Locations

Tier	Location	Scope
Enterprise	Managed centrally	Organization-wide
Project	.claude/CLAUDE.md or CLAUDE.md in project root	Per-repository
User	~/.claude/CLAUDE.md	All user sessions

Import Functionality

Syntax: @path/to/file.md

Limitations:

• Maximum 5 import hops
• Only markdown files
• Relative paths from CLAUDE.md location
• No circular imports

Example:

## Coding Standards
@docs/coding-standards.md

## API Guidelines
@docs/api-guidelines.md

Official Best Practices

Keep Them Lean

• Avoid verbose documentation
• Focus on project-specific information
• Claude already knows general programming

Be Specific

• Concrete examples over vague guidance
• Actual commands, not descriptions
• Real patterns from your codebase

Use Structure

• Clear markdown headers
• Organized sections
• Priority markers for critical items

What NOT to Include

Security Risks

• API keys, tokens, secrets
• Database credentials
• Private keys
• Internal infrastructure details

Redundant Content

• Generic programming best practices
• Language documentation
• Framework tutorials
• Content Claude already knows

Problematic Content

• Conflicting instructions
• Vague guidance ("write good code")
• Outdated information

Validation Methods

/memory Command

Shows what Claude currently has loaded from all CLAUDE.md files.

/init Command

Generates or updates CLAUDE.md based on project analysis.

Official Documentation Links

• Memory Files: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/memory
• Best Practices: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-md-best-practices
• Import Syntax: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/imports