[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "I%20think%20claude%20code%20looks%20in%20%7E%2F.claude%2FCLAUDE.md%20for%20general%20instructions.%20Can%20we%20place%20these%20instructions%20in%20files%20named%20something%20else%3F"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Good question! Based on Anthropic\u2019s documentation, the file name *does* matter\u2014 `CLAUDE.md` (or `CLAUDE.local.md`) is the standard name that Claude Code looks for when loading general or project-specific instructions (\u201cmemory\u201d files). ([docs.anthropic.com](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/settings?utm_source=openai))  \n\nHere are the relevant details and whether you *can* use alternate names:\n\n---\n\n## \ud83d\udcc2 What the official docs say\n\n- Claude Code supports memory files in Markdown format with names like `CLAUDE.md` or `CLAUDE.local.md`. These hold instructions or context that Claude loads at startup. ([docs.anthropic.com](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/settings?utm_source=openai))  \n- Placement of `CLAUDE.md` matters: It can live in any of the following locations, and Claude will pull them into context:  \n  * At the root of your repo (or wherever you run `claude`) ([anthropic.com](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/claude-code-best-practices?utm_source=openai))  \n  * Any parent directory of where you run `claude`, useful for monorepos ([anthropic.com](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/claude-code-best-practices?utm_source=openai))  \n  * Any child directory (if working with deeply nested directories) ([anthropic.com](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/claude-code-best-practices?utm_source=openai))  \n  * In your home folder: `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md`, which applies globally to all projects ([anthropic.com](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/claude-code-best-practices?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## \u26a0\ufe0f Can you name the file something else?\n\nFrom what the docs and community discussions show, it appears that **you cannot use arbitrary alternate names** for this general memory file and still have Claude Code automatically detect and use it. The system is hardcoded to look for `CLAUDE.md` (or the local variant) in the places above. ([docs.anthropic.com](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/settings?utm_source=openai))  \n\n- Some users have tried things like `claude.local.md` or placing memory/context files elsewhere. While these might work for certain purposes (manual referencing or tricks), they won\u2019t reliably be picked up by Claude\u2019s automatic memory-loading system unless named `CLAUDE.md` or `CLAUDE.local.md`. ([anthropic.com](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/claude-code-best-practices?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\nIf you tell me more about *why* you want a different name (team convention? avoiding conflicts? etc.), I can suggest possible workarounds\u2014for example, you might maintain `CLAUDE.md` with a symlink, or duplicate contents in your preferred-named file and include it from `CLAUDE.md`."
    }
]