claude-md-improver

What the source does

• FilesystemNone observedNo reads or writes in the source
• NetworkNone observedNo outbound calls in the source
• ShellNone observedNo commands run in the source
• DependenciesPinnedNothing floats
• SecretsNone foundNo keys in source

Five audit layers

Gates applied: no behavioural pass.

Audit 0.4.1 · source sha 159d63a7c255 · 31 Oct 2026Report an issue or request a re-scan

• Publisheranthropics GitHub organizationOwner of the repository this skill is read from
• Source folderanthropics/claude-plugins-official/plugins/claude-md-management/skills/claude-md-improverThe exact folder we audited
• LicenceApache-2.0As the repository states it
• Commit pinned for this verdict159d63a7c255A new audit runs when the source changes
• Repository statusNot archivedPushed today
• Sandboxed runNot runSkills are read, not executed; layer L4 is skipped

Its description: Audit and improve CLAUDE.md files in repositories. Use when user asks to check, audit, update, improve, or fix CLAUDE.md files. Scans for all CLAUDE.md files, evaluates quality against templates, outputs quality report,…

---
name: claude-md-improver
description: Audit and improve CLAUDE.md files in repositories. Use when user asks to check, audit, update, improve, or fix CLAUDE.md files. Scans for all CLAUDE.md files, evaluates quality against templates, outputs quality report, then makes targeted updates. Also use when the user mentions "CLAUDE.md maintenance" or "project memory optimization".
tools: Read, Glob, Grep, Bash, Edit
---

# CLAUDE.md Improver

Audit, evaluate, and improve CLAUDE.md files across a codebase to ensure Claude Code has optimal project context.

**This skill can write to CLAUDE.md files.** After presenting a quality report and getting user approval, it updates CLAUDE.md files with targeted improvements.

## Workflow

### Phase 1: Discovery

Find all CLAUDE.md files in the repository:

```bash
find . -name "CLAUDE.md" -o -name ".claude.md" -o -name ".claude.local.md" 2>/dev/null | head -50
```

**File Types & Locations:**

| Type | Location | Purpose |
|------|----------|---------|
| Project root | `./CLAUDE.md` | Primary project context (checked into git, shared with team) |
| Local overrides | `./.claude.local.md` | Personal/local settings (gitignored, not shared) |
| Global defaults | `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` | User-wide defaults across all projects |
| Package-specific | `./packages/*/CLAUDE.md` | Module-level context in monorepos |
| Subdirectory | Any nested location | Feature/domain-specific context |

**Note:** Claude auto-discovers CLAUDE.md files in parent directories, making monorepo setups work automatically.

### Phase 2: Quality Assessment

For each CLAUDE.md file, evaluate against quality criteria. See [references/quality-criteria.md](references/quality-criteria.md) for detailed rubrics.

**Quick Assessment Checklist:**

| Criterion | Weight | Check |
|-----------|--------|-------|
| Commands/workflows documented | High | Are build/test/deploy commands present? |
| Architecture clarity | High | Can Claude understand the codebase structure? |
| Non-obvious patterns | Medium | Are gotchas and quirks documented? |
| Conciseness | Medium | No verbose explanations or obvious info? |
| Currency | High | Does it reflect current codebase state? |
| Actionability | High | Are instructions executable, not vague? |

**Quality Scores:**
- **A (90-100)**: Comprehensive, current, actionable
- **B (70-89)**: Good coverage, minor gaps
- **C (50-69)**: Basic info, missing key sections
- **D (30-49)**: Sparse or outdated
- **F (0-29)**: Missing or severely outdated

### Phase 3: Quality Report Output

**ALWAYS output the quality report BEFORE making any updates.**

Format:

```
## CLAUDE.md Quality Report

### Summary
- Files found: X
- Average score: X/100
- Files needing update: X

### File-by-File Assessment

#### 1. ./CLAUDE.md (Project Root)
**Score: XX/100 (Grade: X)**

| Criterion | Score | Notes |
|-----------|-------|-------|
| Commands/workflows | X/20 | ... |
| Architecture clarity | X/20 | ... |
| Non-obvious patterns | X/15 | ... |
| Conciseness | X/15 | ... |
| Currency | X/15 | ... |
| Actionability | X/15 | ... |

**Issues:**
- [List specific problems]

**Recommended additions:**
- [List what should be added]

#### 2. ./packages/api/CLAUDE.md (Package-specific)
...
```

### Phase 4: Targeted Updates

After outputting the quality report, ask user for confirmation before updating.

**Update Guidelines (Critical):**

1. **Propose targeted additions only** - Focus on genuinely useful info:
   - Commands or workflows discovered during analysis
   - Gotchas or non-obvious patterns found in code
   - Package relationships that weren't clear
   - Testing approaches that work
   - Configuration quirks

2. **Keep it minimal** - Avoid:
   - Restating what's obvious from the code
   - Generic best practices already covered
   - One-off fixes unlikely to recur
   - Verbose explanations when a one-liner suffices

3. **Show diffs** - For each change, show:
   - Which CLAUDE.md file to update
   - The specific addition (as a diff or quoted block)
   - Brief explanation of why this helps future sessions

**Diff Format:**

```markdown
### Update: ./CLAUDE.md

**Why:** Build command was missing, causing confusion about how to run the project.

```diff
+ ## Quick Start
+
+ ```bash
+ npm install
+ npm run dev  # Start development server on port 3000
+ ```
```
```

### Phase 5: Apply Updates

After user approval, apply changes using the Edit tool. Preserve existing content structure.

## Templates

See [references/templates.md](references/templates.md) for CLAUDE.md templates by project type.

## Common Issues to Flag

1. **Stale commands**: Build commands that no longer work
2. **Missing dependencies**: Required tools not mentioned
3. **Outdated architecture**: File structure that's changed
4. **Missing environment setup**: Required env vars or config
5. **Broken test commands**: Test scripts that have changed
6. **Undocumented gotchas**: Non-obvious patterns not captured

## User Tips to Share

When presenting recommendations, remind users:

- **`#` key shortcut**: During a Claude session, press `#` to have Claude auto-incorporate learnings into CLAUDE.md
- **Keep it concise**: CLAUDE.md should be human-readable; dense is better than verbose
- **Actionable commands**: All documented commands should be copy-paste ready
- **Use `.claude.local.md`**: For personal preferences not shared with team (add to `.gitignore`)
- **Global defaults**: Put user-wide preferences in `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md`

## What Makes a Great CLAUDE.md

**Key principles:**
- Concise and human-readable
- Actionable commands that can be copy-pasted
- Project-specific patterns, not generic advice
- Non-obvious gotchas and warnings

**Recommended sections** (use only what's relevant):
- Commands (build, test, dev, lint)
- Architecture (directory structure)
- Key Files (entry points, config)
- Code Style (project conventions)
- Environment (required vars, setup)
- Testing (commands, patterns)
- Gotchas (quirks, common mistakes)
-

Excerpt, first 6,000 characters of SKILL.md, verbatim from the audited commit. It is text from someone else’s repository, quoted so you can judge it before your agent reads it.

1. 2026-10-31
   ✓SAFE B 89 / 100

   first audit · source 159d63a7c255

Questions about claude-md-improver

• github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/tree/main/plugins/ — the audited source at commit 159d63a7c255 and every finding aboveObserved · 31 Oct 2026

Spotted something wrong? Report a correction · Methodology