Anthropic Releases Claude Code Intelligent Programming Best Practices Guide

Anthropic has recently released the Claude Code Best Practices Guide, aimed at helping developers use its command-line AI coding assistant, Claude Code, more efficiently and securely. The guide is based on real-world experiences from Anthropic’s internal teams and community users. It provides practical workflows and tips applicable to various codebases, programming languages, and development environments.

What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is a terminal-based intelligent programming tool that understands the full context of a project and assists developers with tasks such as code editing, testing, and Git operations through natural language commands. Its core philosophy is agentic coding, which emphasizes AI-human collaboration to improve development productivity.

Core Best Practices

Plan Before Coding
Before coding, ask Claude to create a detailed action plan. Confirm the plan before execution to ensure that the generated code meets expectations and avoids unnecessary rework.
Use Extended Thinking Mode
Include keywords like “think,” “think hard,” or “ultrathink” in your prompts to trigger Claude’s extended reasoning mode. This allocates more computation for deeper analysis and better solutions.
Configure a CLAUDE.md File
Create a CLAUDE.md file in your project root to include key information and context. Claude will automatically read this file to improve its understanding and responses.
Safely Handle Untrusted Content
When dealing with external or untrusted content, carefully review Claude’s suggestions before execution. Avoid running unverified commands directly and be cautious of potential security risks.
Use Shortcuts and Permission Management
Claude Code supports slash commands (e.g., /memory, /config) for quick setup and memory management. Use the .claude/settings.json file to define permission rules and control Claude’s execution scope.

Practical Features

Understand Code Structure
Ask Claude about the architecture, module functions, and project structure to quickly get an overview.
Automate Git Operations
Use natural language commands like “create a PR” or “commit my changes,” and Claude will execute the Git operations for you.
Code Editing and Refactoring
Instruct Claude with tasks like “add input validation to the registration form” or “refactor the logger to use a new API,” and it will modify your code accordingly.
Testing and Debugging
Run tests, fix bugs, and interpret test failures using Claude’s assistance to streamline debugging.

Additional Learning Resources

Claude Code Best Practices Guide (EN)

By following these best practices, developers can leverage Claude Code more effectively—boosting coding efficiency, maintaining code quality, and achieving smoother workflows with the help of AI.