init-claude-md

Read the project. Write a CLAUDE.md that gives Claude accurate context from the first message.

Steps

1. Read the project

ls -la
cat package.json 2>/dev/null
cat README.md 2>/dev/null | head -60
cat .env.example 2>/dev/null
ls src/ app/ lib/ backend/ frontend/ api/ 2>/dev/null

Identify: language, framework, entry points, project type (web app, API, CLI, library, mobile).

2. Detect the stack

Read the dependency manifests:

package.json — Node/React/Next.js. Note major versions. Next.js 15 vs 14 is a breaking difference.
Cargo.toml — Rust
requirements.txt / pyproject.toml — Python
go.mod — Go
src-tauri/ — Tauri (Rust + web frontend)

List framework, ORM/database client, auth provider, and key external services.

3. Verify the commands

Do not assume npm run dev. Check package.json scripts, Makefile, justfile, or README:

cat package.json | grep -A 20 '"scripts"'
cat Makefile 2>/dev/null | grep "^[a-z]"

For each command, note the expected port, any required environment variables, and whether a venv or specific runtime version is needed.

4. Map key files

Walk the directory structure. Note:

Main entry point
Core business logic
Config files that change behavior (auth config, DB schema, billing)
Files that are easy to break (migrations, webhooks, payment handlers)
Non-obvious locations (e.g. src-tauri/src/lib.rs for Tauri backend)

5. Find the gotchas

Look for:

Comments like // DO NOT MODIFY, // IMPORTANT, or // WARNING
Non-standard conventions or patterns unique to this project
Monorepo or multi-package structure
External services that require API keys to run locally
Known issues, TODOs, or WIP branches

6. Write CLAUDE.md

# Project Name

One sentence on what this is.

## Commands
\`\`\`bash
# dev (runs on port XXXX)
command here

# build
command here

# test
command here
\`\`\`

## Key Files
- `path/to/entry.ts` — what it does
- `path/to/config.ts` — what it controls

## Stack
- Framework + version
- Database + ORM
- Auth provider
- Key external services

## Gotchas
- Non-obvious things that would trip someone up
- What not to touch without reading X first
- Any invariants the code depends on

Keep it under 60 lines. Leave out sections that don't apply. A short accurate CLAUDE.md beats a long padded one every time.