---
id: 2bab8434-946a-4426-8a45-f64e30e63d78
type: workflow
title: "CLAUDE.md audit and optimization workflow"
tags: [claude-code, optimization, workflow, claude-md]
importance: 0.7
confidence: 0.8
created: "2026-02-13T20:35:39.650106+00:00"
updated: "2026-02-13T20:35:39.650106+00:00"
---

When CLAUDE.md files get bloated, audit by category: (1) Historical changelogs for completed work - remove entirely, (2) Content redundant with parent or sub-directory CLAUDE.md files - remove, (3) Things Claude already does by default - remove, (4) Verbose examples where a 2-line rule suffices - compress with file reference. Target ~50-80 lines. Keep only gotchas that prevent real mistakes. A 775-line file was reduced to 67 lines (91%) with no loss of actionable guidance.