Claude Code Best Practices
Language Rule
- Always respond in the same language the user is using. If the user asks in Chinese, respond in Chinese. If in English, respond in English.
Context Management Rules
| Rule |
Why |
| One window = one task |
Mixing tasks pollutes context and degrades output quality |
Use /clear over /compact |
Clean start is more reliable than compressed context |
/clear after complex tasks |
Prevents old context from interfering with new work |
| Copy key info to new windows |
Don't rely on context persistence — paste critical details |
Task Execution Strategy
| Task Type |
Recommended Approach |
| Small bug fix (few lines) |
Describe directly, let Claude modify in-place |
| Large feature / refactor |
/plan → review approach → /clear → paste plan → execute step by step |
| Multi-file changes |
Must use /plan workflow — never modify multiple files without a plan |
| Code analysis / learning |
Ask Claude to analyze directly — no plan needed |
| Debugging |
Provide error message + file path + relevant code — ask for root cause |
Prompt Techniques
Do This
- Give specific paths: "Modify the
_transfer function in src/MyToken.sol"
- Give examples: "Input: 100 tokens, Expected: 95 tokens after 5% fee"
- Set boundaries: "Only modify this function, don't touch other code"
- Reference tests: "The fix should make
test_transfer_feeDeduction pass"
Avoid This
- Vague references: "Modify that transfer function" — which one? Where?
- Open-ended requests without constraints: "Make it better"
- Multiple unrelated tasks in one message
Meta-Prompting — When Things Go Wrong
When Claude's response misses the mark, don't just rephrase and retry. Use Meta-Prompting (reverse prompting) to let Claude diagnose the gap, then re-ask with complete context.
Four Prompt Types
| Type |
When to Use |
Template |
| Diagnose |
Answer was wrong or incomplete |
"What key information was missing from my previous question that prevented you from giving the correct answer in one go? Please list them one by one." |
| Rewrite |
You don't know how to improve the question |
"Please help me rewrite the previous question and fill in the context you think is missing so that you can give the correct answer in one go." |
| Template |
Prevent same mistake next time |
"For this type of question, what information should I provide so that you can solve it in one go? Please give me a question template." |
| Pre-check |
Before Claude starts working |
"Before you start writing code, list all the information you still need from me." |
Recommended Flow
Step 1: Ask your question
↓ (answer is wrong or incomplete)
Step 2: Use [Diagnose] — "我的问题中缺少了什么？"
↓ (Claude lists missing info)
Step 3: Use [Rewrite] — "帮我重写这个问题"
↓ (Claude outputs a complete, self-contained prompt)
Step 4: Copy the rewritten prompt, `/clear`, paste and send
↓ (clean context + complete prompt = correct answer)
Practical Example
# Round 1 — incomplete question
User: "帮我写一个 staking 合约"
Claude: (generates a basic staking contract, but missing reward logic)
# Round 2 — diagnose
User: "我刚才的提问中缺少了哪些信息？"
Claude: "你没有说明：
1. 质押代币和奖励代币是否相同
2. 奖励分发机制（按时间/按区块/固定APR）
3. 是否需要锁仓期
4. 是否需要紧急提取功能
5. 管理员权限范围"
# Round 3 — rewrite
User: "帮我重写这个问题"
Claude: "请帮我写一个 Staking 合约，要求如下：
- 质押代币：ERC20 TOKEN_A，奖励代币：ERC20 TOKEN_B
- 奖励机制：按质押时长线性释放，年化 12%
- 锁仓期：7 天最短锁仓
- 紧急提取：支持，但扣除 10% 罚金
- 管理员：可更新奖励率，不可触碰用户质押资金
- 安全：使用 ReentrancyGuard + SafeERC20
请基于 OpenZeppelin 5.x，Solidity ^0.8.20，Foundry 项目结构。"
# Round 4 — /clear, paste rewritten prompt, get correct result
Key Principle
Don't guess what you missed — let Claude tell you. One round of meta-prompting saves multiple rounds of trial and error.
Git Operation Rules
- Always run
git diff before committing to review changes
- Only commit — do not push unless explicitly requested
- Never push directly to main/master branch
- Stage specific files — never use
git add . in Solidity projects (risk of committing .env)
Foundry-Specific Workflow
| Action |
Command |
| Before committing |
forge fmt && forge test |
| After modifying contracts |
forge build to check compilation |
| Before PR |
forge test --gas-report to check gas impact |
| Debugging failed test |
forge test --match-test <name> -vvvv for full trace |
Quick Command Reference
| Command |
Purpose |
/clear |
Clear context, start fresh |
/plan |
Enter planning mode — analyze before modifying |
/help |
View all available commands |
/compact |
Compress context (prefer /clear instead) |
Project-level Configuration
Create .claude/instructions.md in the project root with project-specific rules. Claude automatically reads it at the start of every conversation — no manual loading needed.
