CLAUDE.md isn't a set-and-forget file. As your work changes, clients come and go, conventions evolve, the file needs to stay tight. Left alone, it grows. Growing files get ignored.

Audit it regularly. Tell Claude to do it for you.

When to audit

Schedule a 5-minute audit

• First month of using Claude Code - weekly. You'll be finding new preferences and adding rules constantly.
• Ongoing - monthly. Enough time to accumulate drift without letting it sprawl.
• Whenever Claude keeps making the same mistake - the rule either isn't there or isn't being followed.
• Whenever Claude keeps ignoring a rule - often the file is too long and the rule is buried.

Audit the global CLAUDE.md

Start Claude Code and tell it

Read my global CLAUDE.md at ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md. For each line: does it apply to every project? Would removing it cause mistakes? Flag anything that should move to a project file or be deleted. Target is under 25 lines.

Claude walks through the file line by line, gives its verdict, and suggests cuts. Review each suggestion. Cut, keep, or move. 📷 Upload image here: l05-global-audit.png Terminal showing Claude auditing the global CLAUDE.md line by line

Audit a project CLAUDE.md

From inside the project folder, tell Claude

Read the CLAUDE.md in this project folder. Check: is every line specific to this project? Is anything missing that would cause you to make mistakes - client identity, channels, brand, current goals? Is anything here that belongs in global or should move elsewhere?

Claude flags gaps (missing brand colour, missing channel list) AND bloat (stuff that belongs in global). Target 30-60 lines.

Check what's actually loaded in this session

Useful sanity check. Tell Claude

Show me which CLAUDE.md files are loaded in this session and how many lines each one has.

Claude lists each file with its line count. If you see a 200-line global file, you know what to fix. If you expected a project CLAUDE.md but it's not loaded, Claude isn't running in the right folder.

When something isn't working

If Claude Code is ignoring instructions, using the wrong conventions, or making the same mistake over and over, the problem is almost always in CLAUDE.md. Either:

1. The rule isn't there
2. The rule is there but buried in a too-long file
3. The rule is in the wrong file (global vs project)
4. The rule is too vague to act on

Tell Claude

Read my CLAUDE.md files and tell me if anything is missing, in the wrong level, or redundant. I've been noticing [specific mistake Claude keeps making].

Claude will often find the exact gap and suggest the fix.

The comments trick

HTML-style comments - <!-- note --> - are stripped before CLAUDE.md gets sent to Claude. That means you can use them for human-only notes at zero token cost.

Use them to remind yourself WHY a rule exists

Safety <!-- This rule added after the Feb 2026 incident where Claude fabricated client numbers in a report -->

• NEVER fabricate metrics - use placeholders instead

The note helps you not delete the rule later. Claude never sees the comment. Zero tokens wasted.

When to split into multiple files

If your CLAUDE.md is legitimately over 50 lines because you have genuine breadth - multiple roles, multiple tech stacks, multiple workflows - you can split it using the @path/to/file import syntax:

Global Rules

Who I am

• [identity stuff]

Git @~/.claude/rules/git-conventions.md

Safety @~/.claude/rules/safety-rails.md

The @file imports pull in the content of that file as if it were written inline. Lets you keep the main file lean while still having thorough rules that load separately. Most marketers never need this. But it's there when you do.

Test after every change

After auditing or changing CLAUDE.md, test it

1. End your current session (close the terminal)
2. Start a fresh session with claude
3. Ask Claude a test question that exercises one of your rules

Example test questions

• "What do you know about me?" - tests identity rules
• "Build me a sample report" - tests format rules and safety rails (does it fabricate numbers?)
• "Commit and push my changes" - tests git conventions

If the response doesn't match your rules, CLAUDE.md needs another pass.

Action items

☐ Add a recurring monthly reminder to audit your CLAUDE.md files

☐ Tell Claude to audit the global CLAUDE.md right now - act on the suggestions

☐ If you have a project CLAUDE.md, audit that one too

☐ Ask Claude "show me which CLAUDE.md files are loaded" to confirm the right ones are active

☐ Test after changes with a fresh session + a question that exercises a rule

Module complete. You're ready for Module 03: how Claude Code works under the hood.

Exercises

1. Review the concepts covered in this lesson: Audit + keep it tight.
2. Write down your key takeaway from this lesson.
3. Practice running any commands or prompts mentioned above inside your terminal.