Why Your CLAUDE.md Isn't Working (And How to Fix It in 10 Minutes)

Why Your CLAUDE.md Isn't Working (And How to Fix It in 10 Minutes) The 5 most common mistakes that break Claude Code's memory system Your CLAUDE.md file is supposed to make Claude remember your preferences, follow your conventions, and stop asking the same questions every session. But it doesn't work. Claude keeps asking permission for things you've already approved. It forgets your coding standards. It ignores your project context. I've debugged hundreds of CLAUDE.md files. Here are the 5 mistakes that break them—and the fixes that work. Mistake #1: Your CLAUDE.md is Too Long The symptom: Claude "forgets" instructions partway through a session. The problem: Token pressure. Claude has limited context. A 5,000-word CLAUDE.md file eats into your working memory. By mid-session, early instructions get compressed or dropped. The fix: Keep CLAUDE.md under 500 words. Strip it down to: 3-5 critical rules (what Claude should ALWAYS do) 3-5 critical anti-patterns (what Claude should NEVER do) On