Claude Code has revolutionized the way developers interact with AI for coding tasks. Whether you're a seasoned user or just getting started, this comprehensive guide compiles the best tips, tricks, and workflows collected from power users, official documentation, and the developer community.
Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
Mastering keyboard shortcuts is crucial for efficient Claude Code usage. Here are the shortcuts every developer should know:
Don't use Ctrl + C to stop Claude mid-task - that exits entirely! Use Escape to stop while preserving your session context.
Pasting images with Cmd + V doesn't work. Always use Ctrl + V for clipboard images, even on Mac.
Mastering CLAUDE.md
The CLAUDE.md file is your secret weapon for consistent, high-quality AI assistance. Think of it as onboarding documentation for your AI pair programmer.
What to Include
- Project architecture - High-level overview of your codebase structure
- Code style guidelines - Naming conventions, formatting preferences
- Common commands - Build, test, and deployment scripts
- Key file locations - Where to find configurations, utilities, etc.
- Project-specific quirks - Warnings about gotchas or unusual patterns
- Testing instructions - How to run tests, coverage requirements
Placement Options
./CLAUDE.md # Project root (shared via git)
../CLAUDE.md # Parent directory (useful for monorepos)
~/.claude/CLAUDE.md # Home folder (applies to all sessions)
Press # during a session to have Claude automatically add instructions to the relevant CLAUDE.md file. Use emphasis keywords like "IMPORTANT" or "ALWAYS" to enhance instruction adherence.
Quick Setup
Run /init before working on any repository to auto-generate a CLAUDE.md file based on your project structure.
The Perfect Workflow
The most successful Claude Code users follow a structured approach. Here's the recommended workflow:
Explore-Plan-Code-Commit
- Explore - Have Claude read relevant files first (no coding yet)
- Plan - Request a detailed implementation plan using "think" or "think hard" for extended reasoning
- Code - Implement the solution with Claude's assistance
- Commit - Finalize with updated documentation
Use Plan Mode before coding. Press Shift + Tab twice to enter Plan Mode. The more time you spend planning, the more likely Claude will succeed on the first attempt.
Visual Iteration Workflow
- Ask Claude to build a UI component
- Open the result in a browser
- Take a screenshot (Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + 4 on macOS)
- Paste the screenshot into Claude Code
- Provide feedback and iterate 2-3 times
Context Management
Efficient context management is crucial for maintaining Claude's effectiveness throughout long sessions.
Essential Commands
- /clear - Reset session context. Use between tasks to start fresh
- /compact - Summarize long conversations to save tokens
- /rewind - Roll back conversation and code to earlier checkpoints
Use /clear often. Every time you start something new, clear the chat. You don't need old history eating your tokens, and you avoid context pollution from unrelated tasks.
Scope Your Sessions
Scope each chat to one project or feature so all context stays relevant. The moment you're done with a feature, use /clear to start fresh.
Slash Commands & Custom Commands
Claude Code comes with powerful built-in commands and lets you create your own for repetitive workflows.
Built-in Commands
/clear # Reset session context
/compact # Summarize conversation
/model opus # Switch to Opus for complex reasoning
/model sonnet # Switch to Sonnet for speed
/permissions # Manage tool allowlists
/mcp # Activate agent orchestration
/init # Initialize CLAUDE.md
/install-github-app # Enable automatic PR reviews
Creating Custom Commands
Store prompt templates as Markdown files in .claude/commands/ to create reusable workflows:
# .claude/commands/fix-github-issue.md
Fix GitHub issue #$ARGUMENTS
1. Read the issue details
2. Identify affected files
3. Implement the fix
4. Write tests
5. Create a PR
This becomes available as /project:fix-github-issue 1234 to fix issue #1234.
Check your custom commands into git to make them available for your entire team!
MCP Servers & Integrations
Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers extend Claude Code's capabilities beyond your local terminal.
Popular MCP Servers
- Playwright - Browser automation and testing
- GitHub - Direct repository interactions
- Sentry - Error log analysis
- Puppeteer - Web scraping and screenshots
Configuration
Add MCP servers to your project's .mcp.json file to share configurations with your team:
{
"servers": {
"playwright": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@anthropic/mcp-playwright"]
}
}
}
Use the --mcp-debug flag when troubleshooting MCP server connections.
Test-Driven Development with Claude
TDD is the most effective counter to hallucination and scope drift. Here's how to leverage it with Claude Code:
The TDD Workflow
- Have Claude write failing tests first
- Confirm the tests fail (important!)
- Commit the tests
- Have Claude write code to pass the tests
- Iterate until all tests pass
- Commit the implementation
Teams using TDD with Claude Code report 70% fewer production bugs compared to traditional AI-assisted coding.
Pre-commit Hooks
Add linting and testing to your pre-commit hooks. Every commit will automatically run tests, type checking, and linting before allowing the commit through.
Advanced Techniques
Extended Thinking
Trigger Claude's extended thinking mode for complex problems:
"think" - Basic extended thinking
"think hard" - Deeper analysis
"think step by step" - Detailed reasoning breakdown
Sub-Agents
Create specialized agents for focused tasks to prevent context pollution:
- Debugging agent
- Security review agent
- Frontend specialist
- Database optimizer
Use the /agents command to manage your sub-agents.
Prevent Over-Engineering
Claude Opus 4.5 tends to over-engineer solutions. Add explicit prompting to keep solutions minimal:
IMPORTANT: Keep the solution minimal. Do not add:
- Extra files or abstractions
- Unnecessary flexibility
- Features not explicitly requested
Automation & Headless Mode
Run Claude Code programmatically for CI/CD pipelines and automated workflows.
Basic Headless Usage
claude -p "Fix all TypeScript errors" --output-format stream-json
Use Cases
- CI/CD Integration - Automated code reviews on PRs
- Pre-commit hooks - Auto-fix linting issues
- Issue triage - Automatically categorize and assign issues
- PR from anywhere - Trigger PRs from Slack, Jira, or alerts
Skip Permissions for Containers
In isolated environments without internet access:
claude --dangerously-skip-permissions
Only use --dangerously-skip-permissions in containerized environments without network access!
Multi-Claude Workflows
Run multiple Claude instances simultaneously for maximum productivity.
Strategies
- Parallel verification - One Claude writes code while another reviews
- Multiple checkouts - 3-4 separate git checkouts with simultaneous Claude sessions
- Git worktrees - Use git worktree add for lightweight branch checkouts
# Create worktrees for parallel work
git worktree add ../feature-auth feature/auth
git worktree add ../feature-api feature/api
git worktree add ../bugfix-login bugfix/login
Fan-Out Pattern
For large migrations or analyses, fan out tasks across multiple Claude instances, then merge results. This is particularly effective for:
- Codebase-wide refactoring
- Security audits
- Documentation generation
- Test coverage improvement
Bonus: GitHub Integration
Install the GitHub app for powerful CI/CD integration:
/install-github-app
Once installed, Claude will automatically review your PRs, catching bugs and security issues that humans often miss. Configure the review behavior via claude-code-review.yml.
Sources
- Anthropic Engineering - Claude Code Best Practices
- Builder.io - How I Use Claude Code
- F22 Labs - 10 Claude Code Productivity Tips
- Eesel AI - 7 Essential Claude Code Best Practices
- Claude Code Official Documentation
- HTDocs - Claude Code Pro Tips
- GitHub - Awesome Claude Code
- Creator Economy - 20 Tips to Master Claude Code
This article is updated regularly with new tips from the community. Have a tip to share? Let us know!