Claude Memory Template

Claude Code Memory Template

A ready-to-use system that makes Claude Code remember your project across sessions — rules, preferences, decisions, and context.

The problem

Every new Claude Code session starts from zero. Claude doesn't remember what you decided yesterday, what bugs you fixed, or how your project is structured. You end up repeating yourself, correcting the same mistakes, and losing time.

What this template gives you

How it's organized

The key idea: CLAUDE.md stays short (under 100 lines). Detailed instructions go into rules/ files that load automatically based on what files you're editing.

Quick start

1. Copy the template into your project:

2. Rename template files:

3. Edit CLAUDE.md — replace the placeholder comments with your project's conventions.

4. Edit .claude/rules/ — adapt the example rules to your tech stack. Each rule file has a globs: header that controls when it loads.

5. Start a Claude Code session. Everything works automatically from here.

That's it. The memory system, handover hook, and rules loading are all pre-configured.

How each piece works

Rules (load only when needed)

Instead of cramming everything into CLAUDE.md, put detailed instructions in .claude/rules/. Each file has a header that tells Claude when to load it:

This file loads only when Claude edits something in src/. Your styling guide, component conventions, API patterns — all loaded contextually, not always.

Memory (persists across sessions)

Claude Code has a built-in memory system at ~/.claude/projects/. You don't need to create it — Claude manages it automatically.

This template teaches Claude how to use memory well:
- Write entries immediately when discovering something useful (don't wait)
- Use the format: 2026-03-05: what happened — why it matters
-…