CI LAW - Claude Code (Agentic Coding)

 

1	The Context Law	Create and maintain CLAUDE.md files to provide Claude with essential project context, commands, and guidelines automatically	Critical - Foundation for all other practices
2	The Specificity Law	Be explicit and detailed in instructions rather than vague - "add tests for foo.py" vs "write test case for foo.py covering logged-out user edge case"	High - Dramatically improves first-attempt success rates
3	The Plan-Before-Code Law	Always have Claude explore and plan before implementing - use "think" keywords to trigger extended reasoning	High - Prevents jumping to suboptimal solutions
4	The Iteration Law	Design workflows around clear targets (tests, visual mocks, screenshots) that Claude can iterate against until success	High - Enables continuous improvement cycles
5	The Course Correction Law	Actively guide Claude using escape to interrupt, prompt editing, and early feedback rather than passive supervision	Medium-High - Prevents wasted effort on wrong directions
6	The Context Window Law	Use /clear frequently between tasks to prevent context pollution and maintain focus on current objectives	Medium-High - Maintains performance in long sessions
7	The Multimodal Law	Leverage images, screenshots, file paths, and URLs as inputs - Claude excels with visual and diverse data types	Medium - Expands problem- solving capabilities significantly
8	The Permission Management Law	Curate allowed tools thoughtfully - balance safety with workflow efficiency through strategic permission grants	Medium - Enables smooth automation while maintaining security
9	The Multi-Agent Law	Use multiple Claude instances in parallel for complex workflows - separate verification, testing, and implementation	Medium - Unlocks advanced collaborative patterns
10	The Automation Law	Leverage headless mode (claude -p) for CI/CD, issue triage, and infrastructure tasks with structured JSON output	Low-Medium - Scales human-AI collaboration beyond interactive sessions

Key Workflow Patterns Hierarchy:

• Basic: Explore → Plan → Code → Commit
• Advanced: Write Tests → Code → Iterate → Commit
• Expert: Visual Mock → Code → Screenshot → Iterate

Essential Tools Integration:

• CLAUDE.md for persistent context
• Custom slash commands for repeated workflows
• MCP servers for extended capabilities
• Git/GitHub integration for version control automation

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Bottom Line: Master context management and specificity first—these two laws alone will transform your Claude Code effectiveness more than any other optimization.

 

https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/claude-code-best-practices

Claude Code Best Practices