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Teaching Claude your setup: memory and skills

⏱ 20 min5 steps

Every time you explain the same thing to Claude twice, that's something to teach it once. There are three ways, from simplest to most powerful: files, and skills. You'll set up one of each.

Your first probably won't come out right. Nobody's does. You fix it the way you'd fix a recipe, one line at a time.

CLAUDE.md A note to Claude about how to work in this project. Claude Code reads it at the start of every session in that folder. All wordsauto memory Notes Claude Code saves for itself about you and your project, so it remembers them next time. All wordsskill A saved set of instructions for one kind of job. Claude uses it when the job comes up, or when you type its name. All words

Before this, you'll want:

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  1. Start Claude Code in your my-idea folder

    1. Open (Cmd+SpaceWindows key, type Terminal, press Enter).

    2. Go to your my-idea . Type this and press Enter:

      cd ~/Backyard/my-idea

      cd ~\Backyard\my-idea

    3. Check the says my-idea.

    4. Start . Type this and press Enter:

      claude
    Terminal An app on your Mac where you type instructions instead of clicking on things. Claude Code works inside it. All wordsfolder A place on your computer that holds files and other folders, like a drawer in a filing cabinet. All wordsprompt line The line in Terminal that ends with a % sign. The word right before the % is the folder you're in. All wordsClaude Code Claude, working inside Terminal. It can make files and run things on your Mac, with a safety checker watching what it does. All words

    You should see:

    Claude Code's name and version at the top, a line starting with ❯ where you type, and ⏵⏵ on in the bar at the bottom.

    auto mode Claude works without asking, and a separate safety checker blocks anything risky. All words
    That's not what I see
    It says "cd: no such file or directoryCannot find path … because it does not exist".
    The my-idea folder isn't there. It comes from Check the idea first and The three files, so do those first, then come back.
    It says "zsh: command not found: claudeThe term 'claude' is not recognized".
    This Terminal window doesn't know about Claude Code. Close the window with Cmd+WCtrl+Shift+W, open a new one and try again. If it still says that, go back to Claude Code and .install Put a new program on your computer so you can use it. All wordssign in Tell Claude Code which Claude account is yours, so it knows you've paid for it. All words

  2. Write the rules you want in every project

    CLAUDE.md files are notes Claude reads at the start of every . You already have one in your project. There's also a personal one, at ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md~.claude\CLAUDE.md, that Claude reads in every project.

    This asks Claude to interview you about how you like to work, then write your personal CLAUDE.md with a few safe rules already in it.

    1. Copy the prompt below.
    Create or update my personal CLAUDE.md at ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md, which you read in every project. Interview me, one question at a time, about how I like to work: how I want answers (short or detailed), what I'm still learning, and the rules I want everywhere. Include these: show me the plan before changing more than one file; say plainly what you did not check; never buy, subscribe or sign up for anything. Show me the file before you save it.
    1. Paste it into Claude Code with Cmd+VCtrl+V and press Enter.
    2. Answer the questions one at a time.
    3. Read the before Claude saves it.
    session One conversation with Claude Code, from when you start it until you leave. All wordsprompt What you type to Claude. A good one says what you want, how to work and what never to do. All wordsfile One document on your computer, like a letter or a photo. Files live inside folders. All words

    You should see:

    Claude asks you one question about how you like to work, and waits for your answer.

    That's not what I see
    I'm not sure what goes here versus the project's CLAUDE.md.
    Rules about you go in the personal one, like how you want answers. Rules about one project go in that project's CLAUDE.md, like "don't change the colors."

  3. See what Claude remembers, and change it

    Auto memory is notes Claude saves for itself as you work: your preferences, your corrections. Say "remember that…" and it writes it down.

    1. Type this and press Enter:

      /memory

    2. Press the down arrow to Open auto-memory folder and press Enter.

    3. Open a note and read it. If your Mac asks which app, choose TextEdit.If Windows asks which app, choose Notepad. It's plain text, and you can change or delete any of it.

    4. Back in Terminal, press Esc if the list is still open.

    You should see:

    A Memory list with Auto-memory at the top, then User instructions, Project instructions and Open auto-memory folder.

    That's not what I see
    The auto memory folder is empty.
    Claude only saves notes when there's something worth keeping. Tell it something, like: Remember that I always want prices checked on the company's own website. Then open /memory again.
    Claude remembered something wrong.
    Tell it what to forget, like: Forget that I use Outlook. That's not true. Or open the auto memory folder from /memory and delete or edit the note yourself. They're plain text files.

  4. Turn a job you repeat into a skill

    Skills are saved instructions for one kind of job. Like a recipe card in the kitchen drawer: you write it once, and every time that dish comes up, Claude follows the same steps.

    A prompt is something you paste in. A skill is something Claude finds and uses on its own when the job matches its description, or when you type its name. Good first skills are jobs you've already done with Claude three or more times, the same way each time.

    This prompt asks Claude to interview you about the job and write the skill. The job goes at the end.

    1. Copy the prompt below.
    Help me write a personal skill for a job I do over and over. I describe the job at the end. Save it at ~/.claude/skills/ in a folder with a short name you suggest, in a file called SKILL.md. Start with a description that says exactly when to use it, because that's how you'll decide. Then the steps you'd give a smart helper doing it for the first time, how to check the result, and a Never list. Interview me one question at a time for anything you'd be guessing. Show me the skill before you save it. The job:
    1. Paste it into Claude Code with Cmd+VCtrl+V.
    2. Type a space, then the job, like turn my notes from a call into a short list of what I promised to do.
    3. Press Enter, and answer the questions.

    The description matters most. Claude reads only the descriptions of your skills until a job matches one, so say exactly when to use it.

    You should see:

    Claude asks you one question about the job, and waits. At the end, it shows you the skill before it saves it.

    That's not what I see
    I don't have a job I've done three times yet.
    Then skip this step and come back. A skill written from a job you've only done once is a guess.

  5. Run your skill by name

    1. Leave Claude Code. Type this and press Enter:

      /exit

    2. Start it again. Type this and press Enter:

      claude

    3. Type / and the skill's short name, and press Enter. Claude follows your recipe card.

    Rules I follow for skills: write them only for jobs you've done by hand, keep them few, and add a line to the Never list every time a run goes wrong. A skill makes Claude consistent, not correct. You still check.

    You should see:

    As you type the / and the first letters, a list opens under the line where you type, with your skill's name and the start of its description.

    That's not what I see
    The slash command doesn't show up.
    Type , then start claude again. Check the skill's folder is inside ~/.claude/skills~\.claude\skills, and that the file is called SKILL.md exactly, in capitals./exit Typed in Claude Code, it ends the conversation and takes you back to Terminal. All words
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Your challenge

Pick one job you've done with Claude three times the same way. Turn it into a skill, then run it with its slash command next time instead of explaining it again.

Last checked 2026-10-20

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