Claude Code tips, run before they ship.
Every recipe here was run in a real Claude Code session first. The cost, the diff and the pass or fail of each check are published next to the advice, and re-tested when Claude Code updates.
| Model | All checks | Avg cost | Avg time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haiku | 3 of 3 | $0.009 | 28s |
| Sonnet | 3 of 3 | $0.105 | 27s |
| Opus | 3 of 3 | $0.221 | 42s |
Claude Code 2.1.296 · 13 Oct 2026 · full run data
Latest recipes
All recipes →- Verified
0 of 3runs edited the generated file with a CLAUDE.md (2 of 3 without)
What a short CLAUDE.md actually changes: 3 runs with, 3 without
We gave Claude Code the same task six times. Without a CLAUDE.md it edited a generated file in 2 of 3 runs. With seven lines of rules, 0 of 3, and it was cheaper too.
- Verified
17% cheaperto stay in one session, even with unrelated tasks
Unrelated tasks, same answer on /clear
Our last test found staying in one session cheaper for related tasks. We repeated it with three unrelated tasks in different parts of a codebase. Staying still won on cost, with one catch.
- Verified
28% cheaperto stay in one session than to clear between tasks
Is /clear worth it? Not for small, related tasks
Three small tasks in the same files, run in one long session or with a fresh session each time. Same results, but clearing cost more, because the long session's context was cached.
- Guide
How to set up a Claude Project so it works from the first message
What to link, what to write in the instructions, and what to hand over on day one, written by a Claude that works inside one. Each step says what you do and what Claude needs from you.
- Verified
4 of 4ways got the rule followed; one CLAUDE.md line was cheapest
Hook, skill or CLAUDE.md line? We ran all three (and nothing)
We asked Claude Code to follow a house formatting rule four ways, 3 runs each. All four worked. The cheapest was one CLAUDE.md line, and the hook cost more than we expected.
- Verified
24% morewith a subagent for searches, and no context saved
Subagents for codebase searches cost more and saved nothing
A three-step refactor in a 24-file API, with and without a CLAUDE.md line telling Claude to delegate searches to a subagent. Both got everything right. Delegating cost more, at least at this size.