Configuration Guide

Configuration Files

Claude Code uses multiple configuration files to customize your development experience:

• Global Configuration: ~/.claude/config.json
• Project Configuration: ./claude.config.json or ./CLAUDE.md
• Environment Variables: For API keys and other sensitive information

Global Configuration

Basic Settings

{
  "apiKey": "your-api-key",
  "model": "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
  "outputStyle": "concise",
  "planMode": "auto",
  "maxTokens": 8192
}

Configuration Options Details

Option	Type	Default	Description
apiKey	string	-	Anthropic API key
model	string	claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022	Claude model to use
outputStyle	string	balanced	Output style: concise, balanced, verbose
planMode	string	manual	Plan mode: auto, manual, off
maxTokens	number	4096	Maximum token count
temperature	number	0.3	Creativity level (0-1)

Project Configuration

CLAUDE.md File

Create a CLAUDE.md file in the project root to configure project-specific settings:

# Project: My Web Application

## Project Description
This is a modern web application using React + TypeScript.

## Coding Standards
- Use ESLint + Prettier
- Follow Airbnb code style
- Use functional components + Hooks
- Prefer TypeScript

## File Structure
- `src/components/` - React components
- `src/hooks/` - Custom Hooks
- `src/utils/` - Utility functions
- `src/types/` - TypeScript type definitions

## Important Notes
- All API calls need error handling
- Components must include PropTypes or TypeScript types
- New features need corresponding unit tests

claude.config.json

Or use JSON format for project configuration:

{
  "project": {
    "name": "My Web Application",
    "type": "react-typescript",
    "framework": "vite"
  },
  "codeStyle": {
    "indentSize": 2,
    "quotes": "single",
    "semicolons": true,
    "trailingComma": "es5"
  },
  "testing": {
    "framework": "jest",
    "coverageThreshold": 80
  },
  "hooks": {
    "beforeCommit": ["npm test", "npm run lint"]
  }
}

Environment Variables

Required Environment Variables

# Anthropic API key
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

# Optional: specify model
export CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

# Optional: custom config file path
export CLAUDE_CONFIG_PATH=/path/to/config.json

.env File Support

Create a .env file in the project root:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
CLAUDE_OUTPUT_STYLE=concise
CLAUDE_PLAN_MODE=auto
CLAUDE_MAX_TOKENS=8192

Advanced Configuration

Custom Agents

{
  "agents": {
    "codeReviewer": {
      "prompt": "As a code review expert, focus on code quality, performance, and security",
      "model": "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
      "temperature": 0.1
    },
    "documentationWriter": {
      "prompt": "Specialize in writing clear, comprehensive technical documentation",
      "model": "claude-3-haiku-20240307",
      "temperature": 0.5
    }
  }
}

Output Styles

{
  "outputStyles": {
    "development": {
      "verbosity": "detailed",
      "includeReasoning": true,
      "showProgress": true
    },
    "production": {
      "verbosity": "minimal",
      "includeReasoning": false,
      "showProgress": false
    }
  }
}

Hooks Configuration

{
  "hooks": {
    "beforeEdit": "npm run format",
    "afterEdit": "npm run lint",
    "beforeCommit": ["npm test", "npm run build"],
    "onError": "echo 'Error occurred, please check logs'"
  }
}

Enterprise Configuration

Bedrock Integration

{
  "provider": "bedrock",
  "bedrock": {
    "region": "us-east-1",
    "modelId": "anthropic.claude-3-sonnet-20240229-v1:0",
    "credentials": {
      "accessKeyId": "your-access-key",
      "secretAccessKey": "your-secret-key"
    }
  }
}

Vertex AI Integration

{
  "provider": "vertex",
  "vertex": {
    "projectId": "your-gcp-project",
    "location": "us-central1",
    "modelName": "claude-3-sonnet@20240229",
    "credentials": "/path/to/service-account.json"
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Configuration Validation

Validate your configuration:

claude config validate

View Current Configuration

claude config show

Reset Configuration

claude config reset

Configuration Templates

Web Development Template

{
  "project": { "type": "web", "framework": "react" },
  "codeStyle": { "prettier": true, "eslint": true },
  "testing": { "framework": "jest", "coverage": true },
  "deployment": { "platform": "vercel" }
}

Backend Development Template

{
  "project": { "type": "backend", "framework": "express" },
  "database": { "type": "postgresql", "orm": "prisma" },
  "testing": { "framework": "mocha", "integration": true },
  "deployment": { "platform": "heroku" }
}

Best Practices

1. Version Control Configuration: Include claude.config.json in version control
2. Environment Separation: Use different configurations for different environments
3. Team Standardization: Team members should use the same project configuration
4. Regular Updates: Update configuration as the project evolves

Continue to Core Mechanics to dive deep into how Claude Code works.