Two Levels of Memory: What Goes Where

CLAUDE.md does not only live in your project folder.

There are two separate places you can create one, and Claude reads both of them every session. They do not cancel each other out. They combine. Together they give Claude a full picture of who you are and what you are doing.

Understanding the two levels tells you exactly what to put where and why.

Level 1: Your Global CLAUDE.md

This is a personal preferences file that applies to every project you ever open.

Where it lives:

On Mac: /Users/yourname/.claude/CLAUDE.md

On Windows: C:\Users\yourname.claude\CLAUDE.md

On Linux: /home/yourname/.claude/CLAUDE.md

The .claude folder may be hidden on your computer since hidden folders start with a dot. We will cover how to create this file in the next lesson.

Every time you open any project with Claude Code, this file gets read first. It tells Claude who you are and how you like to work regardless of which project you are in.

What to put here:

• Your communication style, for example "I am not a developer, explain things in plain language."
• Your general work preferences, for example "always prefer simple solutions over complex ones."
• Rules that apply everywhere, for example "ask me before adding any new tools, libraries, or files."
• Lessons you have learned across all projects, for example "if something is not working, start simple before trying complex fixes."
• Think of this as your personal handbook. It travels with you into every project automatically.

Level 2: Your Project CLAUDE.md

This is a project-specific briefing that only applies to one project.

Where it lives: in the root folder of your project, the same folder as your main files such as index.html.

Every project gets its own file. It tells Claude the specific details of what you are building right now.

What to put here:

• What the project is and who it is for.
• What has already been built so Claude does not build it again.
• The specific design decisions for this project including your colours, fonts, and style direction.
• What tools and technologies are being used.
• Any project-specific rules or things to be careful about.
• Think of this as a project brief. It changes with every project.

How the two levels work together

When you start a session on a project, Claude reads both files in order. First your global file covering who you are and your preferences. Then your project file covering what this project