CLAUDE.md Progressive Disclosure Optimizer

Analyze and optimize user CLAUDE.md files to reduce context overhead while preserving functionality.

Quick Start Backup the original file first Audit the current state (list all sections with line counts) Classify each section using the criteria below Propose optimizations with before/after comparison table Verify information completeness checklist before executing Execute approved changes Test that moved content remains discoverable Section Classification

Analyze each section and classify:

Category Criteria Action Keep in CLAUDE.md Core principles, short rules (<10 lines), frequently needed Keep as-is Move to references/ Detailed procedures, code examples, troubleshooting guides Create ~/.claude/references/.md Extract to skill Reusable workflows, scripts, domain-specific knowledge Create skill in skills repository Remove Duplicates existing skills, outdated, or unnecessary Delete after confirmation Exceptions to Size Guidelines

Even if a section is >50 lines, KEEP in CLAUDE.md if any of these apply:

Exception Reason Example Safety-critical Consequences of forgetting are severe Deployment protocols, "never force push to main" High-frequency Referenced in most conversations Core development patterns, common commands Easy to violate Claude tends to ignore when not visible Code style rules, permission requirements Security-sensitive Must be always enforced Production access restrictions, data handling rules

Rule of thumb: If forgetting the rule could cause production incidents, data loss, or security breaches, keep it visible regardless of length.

Optimization Workflow Step 0: Backup Original File

CRITICAL: Always create a backup before any changes.

Create timestamped backup

cp ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md.bak.$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)

For project-level CLAUDE.md

cp CLAUDE.md CLAUDE.md.bak.$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)

If issues found after optimization:

Restore from backup

cp ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md.bak.YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md

Step 1: Audit Current State Task Progress: - [ ] Create backup (Step 0) - [ ] Read ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md - [ ] Count total lines - [ ] List all ## sections with line counts - [ ] Identify sections >20 lines

Step 2: Classify Each Section

For each section >20 lines, determine:

Frequency: How often is this information needed? Complexity: Does it contain code blocks, tables, or detailed steps? Reusability: Could other users benefit from this as a skill? Step 3: Propose Changes

Present optimization plan in this format:

Optimization Proposal

Current: X lines After: Y lines (Z% reduction)

|---------|-------|--------|-------------|

| Section C | 5 | Keep | - |

Step 3.5: Pre-execution Verification Checklist

CRITICAL: Before executing any changes, verify information completeness.

For each section being moved or modified:

Extract key items to verify:

Credentials/passwords/API keys Critical rules ("never do X", "always do Y") Specific values (ports, IPs, URLs, paths) Code snippets that are frequently referenced Cross-references to other sections

Create verification checklist:

Verification Checklist for [Section Name]

|----------|-------------------|--------------|----------|

Check cross-references:

If Section A references Section B, ensure links work after moving Update any relative paths to absolute paths if needed Step 4: Execute Changes

After user approval AND verification checklist complete:

Create reference files in ~/.claude/references/ Update CLAUDE.md with pointers to moved content Create skills if applicable Verify each checklist item exists in new location Report final line count Step 5: Post-optimization Testing

Verify that Claude can still discover moved content:

Test discoverability - Ask questions that require moved content:

Test queries to run: - "How do I connect to the production database?" - "What are the deployment steps for [service]?" - "Show me the credentials for [system]"

Verify pointer functionality - Each "See reference.md" link should work:

Check all referenced files exist

grep -oh '~/.claude/references/[^]*' ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md | \ sed 's///g' | while read f; do eval test -f "$f" && echo "✓ $f" || echo "✗ MISSING: $f" done

Compare with backup - Ensure no unintended deletions:

diff ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md.bak.* ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md | grep "^<" | head -20

Document results:

Optimization Results

| Metric | Before | After |

|--------|--------|-------|

| Total lines | X | Y |

| Reduction | - | Z% |

| References created | - | N files |

| Skills extracted | - | M skills |

Verification: All N checklist items verified ✓ Testing: All K test queries returned correct information ✓

Reference File Format

When moving content to ~/.claude/references/:

[Section Title]

[Full original content, possibly enhanced with additional examples]

CLAUDE.md Pointer Format

Replace moved sections with:

[Section Title]

[One-line summary]. See ~/.claude/references/[filename].md

Best Practices Keep core principles visible: Rules like "never do X" should stay in CLAUDE.md Group related references: Combine small related sections into one reference file Preserve quick commands: Keep frequently-used command snippets in CLAUDE.md Test after optimization: Ensure Claude can still find moved information Common Patterns Pattern: Infrastructure/Credentials

Before: Full API examples, deployment scripts, server lists After: One-line pointer to ~/.claude/references/infrastructure.md

Pattern: Code Generation Rules

Before: 50+ lines of coding standards with examples After: Keep bullet-point rules, move examples to references

Pattern: Reusable Workflows

Before: Complete scripts embedded in CLAUDE.md After: Extract to skill with scripts/ directory

Project-Level vs User-Level CLAUDE.md

This skill handles both types, but strategies differ:

User-Level (~/.claude/CLAUDE.md) Aspect Approach Reference location ~/.claude/references/ Scope Personal preferences, global rules Sharing Not shared, personal only Size target 100-200 lines ideal Project-Level (/path/to/project/CLAUDE.md) Aspect Approach Reference location docs/ or .claude/ in project root Scope Project-specific patterns, architecture Sharing Committed to git, shared with team Size target 300-600 lines acceptable (more project context needed) Key Differences Reference paths: Use relative paths for project-level (docs/best-practices/) Git considerations: Project references are versioned with code Team alignment: Project CLAUDE.md should reflect team consensus Update frequency: Project-level changes more often as code evolves Project-Level Pointer Format

[Section Title]

[Summary]. See docs/06-best-practices/[topic].md

Note: For project CLAUDE.md, prefer docs/ over hidden directories for discoverability by human team members.

claude-md-progressive-disclosurer

安装

Create timestamped backup

For project-level CLAUDE.md

Restore from backup

Optimization Proposal

Verification Checklist for [Section Name]

Check all referenced files exist

Optimization Results

[Section Title]

[Section Title]

[Section Title]