.claude directory
The folder where reads its configuration. See what it is, how it works, how it is used and what to watch for, with pictures and examples.
What it is
The .claude is where looks for its configuration. There are two of them. .claude/ at the root of a project holds that project's setup, and you it to so your team shares it. ~/.claude/ in your home folder holds your personal setup for every project. Inside you can keep settings, rules, skills, and more, but most people only edit CLAUDE.md and settings.json and add the rest when they need it. ~/.claude/ also holds Claude Code writes as you work, such as transcripts, history and logs.
How it works
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Create .claude/ in your project
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Add settings.json or rules as needed
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Commit shared files to git
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Keep personal setup in ~/.claude/
How to use it
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.claude/settings.json, hooks, environment variables and defaults shared by the team.
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.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.mda reusable prompt you run with
/name, or uses on its own when it fits. -
.claude/agents/*.mdsubagent definitions, each with its own prompt and tools.
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~/.claude/projects/<project>/memory/auto , the notes Claude keeps for itself across sessions.
Watch out
Not everything lives in this folder. CLAUDE.md and .mcp.json can sit at the , managed-settings.json sits in a system folder, and ~/.claude.json is a separate file, not the folder, that stores app state. On ~/.claude means %USERPROFILE%\.claude, and setting CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR moves the home folder copy somewhere else.
Related terms
Original and official docs
This page explains the term in plain words. The original is the authority: if they differ, follow the original.
- See this term in the originalClaude Code Docs — Glossary Anthropic · checked 2026-10-19
- Anthropic — Claude Code docs: Explore the .claude directory — File reference(opens in a new window)
- Anthropic — Claude Code docs: Explore the .claude directory — Choose the right file(opens in a new window)
- Anthropic — Claude Code docs: Settings files and precedence — Settings files and who they affect(opens in a new window)
- Anthropic — Claude directory(opens in a new window)