Claude Code Best Practices Checklist
27 items in 6 groups. Tick what you have done. Progress stays in this browser.
Project memory
Permissions
Hooks
Workflow
Context
Safety
How to use this list
Work top to bottom once, then come back after a month. Items tagged docs come from Anthropic's Claude Code documentation. Items tagged field are habits that work for many people but are not official rules. Disagree with a field item? Skip it.
Rules versus advice
CLAUDE.md shapes behavior but does not enforce it. Permissions rules and hooks do. If a mistake would be costly, enforce it with a deny rule or a PreToolUse hook instead of writing it in prose.
Self-check
Pick one recent session. Did Claude have a test command? Did you review the diff? Did any prompt ask for something vague? Fix the cause in CLAUDE.md or settings, then tick the item.
FAQ
What are the most important Claude Code best practices?
Write a short CLAUDE.md with your commands, give Claude a way to verify its work (tests), use plan mode for multi-file changes, deny access to secrets, and clear the context when you change tasks.
What does the source tag mean?
docs means the item is stated in Anthropic's Claude Code documentation. field means it is common practice among users and not an official rule.
Where is my progress stored?
In this browser's localStorage, under one key. It is never sent anywhere. Clearing site data resets it.
Should I use plan mode every time?
No. Use it when a change spans several files or the approach is unclear. For a one-line fix it adds a step with no benefit.
How do I stop Claude from making changes I did not ask for?
Say what is out of scope in the prompt, add a Do not list to CLAUDE.md, and use ask rules for commits and pushes so you see each one.