boris

Boris Cherny's Claude Code Workflow Tips

53 tips across 41 topics, sourced from Boris Cherny (creator of Claude Code) and the Claude Code team at Anthropic. All tips are contained in this file — do not fetch from the website. Remember: everyone's setup is different. Experiment to see what works for you!

Parts: The tips were shared across 7 threads:

• Part 1 (Jan 2, 2026, 13 tips): Sections 1–14 — parallel execution, web/mobile, Opus, CLAUDE.md, @.claude, plan mode, slash commands, subagents, hooks, permissions, MCP, long-running tasks, verification
• Part 2 (Jan 31, 2026, 10 tips): Sections 1, 3, 4, 5, 12, 10, 11, 6, 9, 15 — deeper dives on parallel work, plan mode, CLAUDE.md, skills, bug fixing, prompting, terminal setup, subagents, data/analytics, learning
• Part 3 (Feb 11, 2026, 12 tips): Sections 16–27 — terminal config, effort level, plugins, custom agents, permissions management, sandboxing, status line, keybindings, hooks (advanced), spinner verbs, output styles, customize everything
• Part 4 (Feb 20, 2026, 5 tips): Section 28 — built-in worktree support (CLI, Desktop, subagents, custom agents, non-git VCS)
• Part 5 (Feb 27, 2026, 2 tips): Sections 29–30 — /simplify and /batch
• Part 6 (Mar 7–10, 2026, 3 tips): Sections 31–33 — /loop for scheduled recurring tasks, code review agents, /btw for mid-task questions
• Part 7 (Mar 13, 2026, 8 tips): Sections 34–41 — /effort max, remote control sessions, voice mode, setup scripts, session naming, /color, PostCompact hook

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1. Parallel Execution

Run Multiple Claude Sessions in Parallel

The single biggest productivity unlock. Spin up 3-5 git worktrees at once, each running its own Claude session.

# Create a worktree
git worktree add .claude/worktrees/my-worktree origin/main

# Start Claude in it
cd .claude/worktrees/my-worktree && claude

Why worktrees over checkouts: The Claude Code team prefers worktrees - it's why native support was built into the Claude Desktop app.

Pro tips:

• Name your worktrees and set up shell aliases (za, zb, zc) to hop between them in one keystroke
• Have a dedicated "analysis" worktree just for reading logs and running BigQuery
• Use iTerm2/terminal notifications to know when any Claude needs attention
• Color-code and name your terminal tabs, one per task/worktree

Web and Mobile Sessions

Beyond the terminal, run additional sessions on claude.ai/code. Use:

• & command to background a session
• --teleport flag to switch contexts between local and web
• Claude iOS app to start sessions on the go, pick them up on desktop later

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2. Model Selection

Use Opus 4.5 with Thinking for Everything

Boris's reasoning: "It's the best coding model I've ever used, and even though it's bigger & slower than Sonnet, since you have to steer it less and it's better at tool use, it is almost always faster than using a smaller model in the end."

The math: Less steering + better tool use = faster overall results, even with a larger model.

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3. Plan Mode

Start Every Complex Task in Plan Mode

Press shift+tab to cycle to plan mode. Pour your energy into the plan so Claude can 1-shot the implementation.

Workflow: Plan mode -> Refine plan -> Auto-accept edits -> Claude 1-shots it

Team patterns:

• One person has one Claude write the plan, then spins up a second Claude to review it as a staff engineer
• The moment something goes sideways, switch back to plan mode and re-plan
• Explicitly tell Claude to enter plan mode for verification steps, not just for the build

"A good plan is really important to avoid issues down the line."

---

4. CLAUDE.md Best Practices

Invest in Your CLAUDE.md

Share a single CLAUDE.md file for your repo, checked into git. The whole team should contribute.

Key practice: "Anytime we see Claude do something incorrectly we add it to the CLAUDE.md, so Claude knows not to do it next time."

After every correction: End with "Update your CLAUDE.md so you don't make that mistake again." Claude is eerily good at writing rules for itself.

Advanced: One engineer tells Claude to maintain a notes directory for every task/project, updated after every PR. They then point CLAUDE.md at it.

@.claude in Code Reviews

Tag @.claude on PRs to add learnings to the CLAUDE.md as part of the PR itself. Use the Claude Code GitHub Action (/install-github-action) for this.

Example PR comment:

nit: use a string literal, not ts enum

@claude add to CLAUDE.md to never use enums,
always prefer literal unions

This is "Compounding Engineering" - Claude automatically updates the CLAUDE.md with the learning.

---

5. Skills & Slash Commands

Create Your Own Skills

Create skills and commit them to git. Reuse across every project.

Team tips:

• If you do something more than once a day, turn it into a skill or command
• Build a /techdebt slash command and run it at the end of every session to find and kill duplicated code
• Set up a slash command that syncs 7 days of Slack, GDrive, Asana, and GitHub into one context dump
• Build analytics-engineer-style agents that write dbt models, review code, and test changes in dev

Slash Commands for Inner Loops

Use slash commands for workflows you do many times a day. Commands are checked into git under .claude/commands/ and shared with the team.

> /commit-push-pr

Power feature: Slash commands can include inline Bash to pre-compute info (like git status) for quick execution without extra model calls.

---

6. Subagents

Use Subagents for Common Workflows

Think of subagents as automations for the most common PR workflows:

.claude/
  agents/
    build-validator.md
    code-architect.md
    code-simplifier.md
    oncall-guide.md
    verify-app.md

Examples:

• code-simplifier - Cleans up code after Claude finishes
• verify-app - Detailed instructions for end-to-end testing

Leveraging Subagents

• Append "use subagents" to any request where you want Claude to throw more compute at the problem
• Offload individual tasks to subagents to keep your main agent's context window clean and focused
• Route permission requests to Opus 4.5 via a hook - let it scan for attacks and auto-approve the safe ones

---

7. Hooks

PostToolUse Hooks for Formatting

Use a PostToolUse hook to auto-format Claude's code. While Claude generates well-formatted code 90% of the time, the hook catches edge cases to prevent CI failures.

"PostToolUse": [
  {
    "matcher": "Write|Edit",
    "hooks": [
      {
        "type": "command",
        "command": "bun run format || true"
      }
    ]
  }
]

Stop Hooks for Long-Running Tasks

For very long-running tasks, use an agent Stop hook for deterministic checks, ensuring Claude can work uninterrupted.

---

8. Permissions

Pre-Allow Safe Permissions

Instead of --dangerously-skip-permissions, use /permissions to pre-allow common safe commands. Most are shared in .claude/settings.json.

For sandboxed environments, use --permission-mode=dontAsk or --dangerously-skip-permissions to avoid blocks.

---

9. MCP Integrations

Tool Integrations

Claude Code uses your tools autonomously:

• Searches and posts to Slack (via MCP server)
• Runs BigQuery queries with bq CLI
• Grabs error logs from Sentry

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://slack.mcp.anthropic.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Data & Analytics

Ask Claude Code to use the "bq" CLI to pull and analyze metrics on the fly. Have a BigQuery skill checked into the codebase.

Boris's take: "Personally, I haven't written a line of SQL in 6+ months."

This works for any database that has a CLI, MCP, or API.

---

10. Prompting Tips

Challenge Claude

• Say "Grill me on these changes and don't make a PR until I pass your test."
• Say "Prove to me this works" and have Claude diff behavior between main and your feature branch

After a Mediocre Fix

Say: "Knowing everything you know now, scrap this and implement the elegant solution."

Write Detailed Specs

Reduce ambiguity before handing work off. The more specific you are, the better the output.

Key insight: Don't accept the first solution. Push Claude to do better - it usually can.

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11. Terminal Setup

Recommended Tools

• Ghostty terminal - synchronized rendering, 24-bit color, proper unicode support
• Use /statusline to customize your status bar to always show context usage and current git branch

Voice Dictation

Use voice dictation! You speak 3x faster than you type, and your prompts get way more detailed as a result. Hit fn x2 on macOS.

---

12. Bug Fixing

Let Claude Fix Bugs

Enable the Slack MCP, then paste a Slack bug thread into Claude and just say "fix." Zero context switching required.

Or just say "Go fix the failing CI tests." Don't micromanage how.

Pro tip: Point Claude at docker logs to troubleshoot distributed systems - it's surprisingly capable at this.

---

13. Long-Running Tasks

Handle Long-Running Tasks

For very long-running tasks, ensure Claude can work uninterrupted:

Options:

• (a) Prompt Claude to verify with a background agent when done
• (b) Use an agent Stop hook for deterministic checks
• (c) Use the "ralph-wiggum" plugin (community idea by @GeoffreyHuntley)

For sandboxed environments, use --permission-mode=dontAsk or --dangerously-skip-permissions to avoid blocks.

---

14. Verification (The #1 Tip)

Give Claude a Way to Verify Its Work

"Probably the most important thing to get great results out of Claude Code - give Claude a way to verify its work. If Claude has that feedback loop, it will 2-3x the quality of the final result."

Verification varies by domain:

• Bash commands
• Test suites
• Simulators
• Browser testing (Claude Chrome extension)

The key is giving Claude a way to close the feedback loop. Invest in domain-specific verification for optimal performance.

---

15. Learning with Claude

Use Claude for Learning

• Enable "Explanatory" or "Learning" output style in /config to have Claude explain the why behind changes
• Have Claude generate visual HTML presentations explaining unfamiliar code
• Ask Claude to draw ASCII diagrams of new protocols and codebases
• Build a spaced-repetition learning skill: explain your understanding, Claude asks follow-ups to fill gaps

Key takeaway: Claude Code isn't just for writing code - it's a powerful learning tool when you configure it to explain and teach.

---

16. Terminal Configuration

Configure Your Terminal

A few quick settings to make Claude Code feel right:

• Theme: Run /config to set light/dark mode
• Notifications: Enable notifications for iTerm2, or use a custom notifs hook
• Newlines: If you use Claude Code in an IDE terminal, Apple Terminal, Warp, or Alacritty, run /terminal-setup to enable shift+enter for newlines (so you don't need to type \)
• Vim mode: Run /vim

---

17. Effort Level

Adjust Effort Level

Run /model to pick your preferred effort level:

• Low — less tokens & faster responses
• Medium — balanced behavior
• High — more tokens & more intelligence

Boris uses High for everything.

---

18. Plugins

Install Plugins, MCPs, and Skills

Plugins let you install LSPs (now available for every major language), MCPs, skills, agents, and custom hooks.

Install a plugin from the official Anthropic plugin marketplace, or create your own marketplace for your company. Then, check the settings.json into your codebase to auto-add the marketplaces for your team.

Run /plugin to get started.

---

19. Custom Agents

Create Custom Agents

Drop .md files in .claude/agents. Each agent can have a custom name, color, tool set, pre-allowed and pre-disallowed tools, permission mode, and model.

Little-known feature: Set the default agent used for the main conversation. Just set the "agent" field in your settings.json or use the --agent flag.

Run /agents to get started.

---

20. Permissions Management

Pre-Approve Common Permissions

Claude Code uses a sophisticated permission system with prompt injection detection, static analysis, sandboxing, and human oversight.

Out of the box, we pre-approve a small set of safe commands. To pre-approve more, run /permissions and add to the allow and block lists. Check these into your team's settings.json.

Wildcard syntax: We support full wildcard syntax. Try "Bash(bun run *)" or "Edit(/docs/**)".

---

21. Sandboxing

Enable Sandboxing

Opt into Claude Code's open source sandbox runtime to improve safety while reducing permission prompts.

Run /sandbox to enable it. Sandboxing runs on your machine, and supports both file and network isolation.

Modes:

• Sandbox BashTool, with auto-allow
• Sandbox BashTool, with regular permissions
• No Sandbox

---

22. Status Line

Add a Status Line

Custom status lines show up right below the composer. Show model, directory, remaining context, cost, and anything else you want to see while you work.

Everyone on the Claude Code team has a different statusline. Use /statusline to get started — Claude will generate one based on your .bashrc/.zshrc.

---

23. Keybindings

Customize Your Keybindings

Every key binding in Claude Code is customizable. Run /keybindings to re-map any key. Settings live reload so you can see how it feels immediately.

Keybindings are stored in ~/.claude/keybindings.json.

---

24. Hooks (Advanced)

Set Up Hooks

Hooks are a way to deterministically hook into Claude's lifecycle. Use them to:

• Automatically route permission requests to Slack or Opus
• Nudge Claude to keep going when it reaches the end of a turn (you can even kick off an agent or use a prompt to decide whether Claude should keep going)
• Pre-process or post-process tool calls, e.g. to add your own logging

Ask Claude to add a hook to get started.

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25. Spinner Verbs

Customize Your Spinner Verbs

It's the little things that make CC feel personal. Ask Claude to customize your spinner verbs to add or replace the default list with your own verbs.

Check the settings.json into source control to share verbs with your team.

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26. Output Styles

Use Output Styles

Run /config and set an output style to have Claude respond using a different tone or format.

• Explanatory — great when getting familiar with a new codebase, to have Claude explain frameworks and code patterns as it works
• Learning — have Claude coach you through making code changes
• Custom — create your own output styles to adjust Claude's voice the way you like

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27. Customize Everything

Customize All the Things

Claude Code is built to work great out of the box. When you do customize, check your settings.json into git so your team can benefit, too.

We support configuring for your codebase, for a sub-folder, for just yourself, or via enterprise-wide policies.

By the numbers: 37 settings and 84 env vars. Use the "env" field in your settings.json to avoid wrapper scripts.

---

28. Built-in Git Worktree Support

Use claude --worktree for Isolation

Claude Code now has built-in git worktree support. Each agent gets its own worktree and can work independently, without interfering with other sessions.

# Start Claude in its own worktree
claude --worktree my_worktree

# Optionally launch in its own Tmux session too
claude --worktree my_worktree --tmux

Desktop app: Head to the Code tab in the Claude Desktop app and check the worktree checkbox.

Subagents Support Worktrees

Subagents can also use worktree isolation to do more work in parallel. This is especially powerful for large batched changes and code migrations. Available in CLI, Desktop app, IDE extensions, web, and Claude Code mobile app.

Example prompt: "Migrate all sync io to async. Batch up the changes, and launch 10 parallel agents with worktree isolation. Make sure each agent tests its changes end to end, then have it put up a PR."

Custom Agents with Worktree Isolation

Make subagents always run in their own worktree by adding isolation: worktree to your agent frontmatter:

# .claude/agents/worktree-worker.md
---
name: worktree-worker
model: haiku
isolation: worktree
---

Non-Git Source Control

Mercurial, Perforce, or SVN users can define WorktreeCreate and WorktreeRemove hooks in settings.json to benefit from isolation without Git.

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29. /simplify — Improve Code Quality

Use parallel agents to improve code quality, tune code efficiency, and ensure CLAUDE.md compliance. Append /simplify to any prompt after making changes.

> hey claude make this code change then run /simplify

Boris uses this daily to shepherd PRs to production. The skill runs parallel agents that review changed code for reuse, quality, and efficiency — all in one pass.

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30. /batch — Parallel Code Migrations

Interactively plan out code migrations, then execute in parallel using dozens of agents. Each agent runs with full isolation using git worktrees, testing its work before putting up a PR.

> /batch migrate src/ from Solid to React

You plan the migration interactively, then /batch fans out the work to parallel agents — each in its own worktree, each testing and creating a PR independently.

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31. /loop — Schedule Recurring Tasks

Use /loop to schedule recurring tasks for up to 3 days at a time. Claude runs your prompt on an interval, handling long-running workflows autonomously.

> /loop babysit all my PRs. Auto-fix build issues and when comments come in, use a worktree agent to fix them

> /loop every morning use the Slack MCP to give me a summary of top posts I was tagged in

Use it for PR babysitting, Slack summaries, deploy monitoring, or any repeating workflow.

Learn more: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/scheduled-tasks

32. Code Review — Agents Hunt for Bugs

When a PR opens, Claude dispatches a team of agents to hunt for bugs. Anthropic built it for themselves first — code output per engineer is up 200% this year, and reviews were the bottleneck.

Each agent focuses on a different concern — logic errors, security issues, performance regressions — then posts inline comments directly on the PR. Boris personally used it for weeks before launch; it catches real bugs he wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

Source: https://x.com/bcherny/status/2031089411820228645

33. /btw — Ask Questions While Claude Works

A slash command for side-chain conversations while Claude is actively working. Single-turn, no tool calls, but has full context of the conversation.

> /btw what does the retry logic do?

Claude responds inline without stopping its work. Built by @ErikSchluntz as a side project — 1.5M views on the launch tweet.

Source: https://x.com/trq212/status/2031506296697131352

34. /effort — Max Reasoning Mode

Set effort to 'max' and Claude reasons for longer, using as many tokens as needed. Burns through usage limits faster, so you activate it per session.

> /effort max

Four levels: low, medium (default), high, max. Use 'max' for hard debugging, architecture decisions, or tricky code where you want Claude to really think it through.

Source: https://x.com/trq212/status/2032632596572811575

35. Remote Control — Spawn New Sessions

Run claude remote-control and spawn a new local session from the mobile app. Available on Max, Team, and Enterprise (v2.1.74+).

$ claude remote-control
# Open Claude mobile app → tap "Code" → start new session

Walk away from your desk, think of something, kick off a task from mobile — Claude runs on your machine.

Source: https://x.com/trq212/status/2032632597843779861

36. Voice Mode

Voice mode is now rolled out to 100% of users, including Claude Code Desktop and Cowork. Click the microphone icon and talk naturally.

Useful for hands-free coding, dictating complex requirements, or when you think faster than you type.

Source: https://x.com/trq212/status/2032632599429136753

37. Setup Scripts for Cloud Environments

Add a setup script in Claude Code on web and desktop. It runs before Claude Code launches on a cloud environment — install dependencies, configure settings, set env vars.

# Setup script (runs on new session start, skipped on resume):
#!/bin/bash
yarn install

Particularly useful for installing dependencies, settings, and configs before Claude starts working.

Source: https://x.com/trq212/status/2032632601064907037

38. claude --name — Name Your Sessions

Name your session at launch with the --name flag.

claude --name "auth-refactor"

Especially useful when juggling multiple worktrees or sessions — you can tell at a glance which session is doing what.

Source: https://x.com/trq212/status/2032632602629386348

39. Auto Session Naming After Plan Mode

After plan mode, Claude automatically names your session based on what you're working on. No manual naming needed.

Pairs well with claude --name — use --name when you know what you're doing upfront, let auto-naming handle it when you start by planning.

Source: https://x.com/trq212/status/2032632602629386348

40. /color — Customize Prompt Color

Change the color of the prompt input with /color. When you have 3-5 sessions open in different terminals, color-coding them makes it instantly clear which is which.

> /color

Source: https://x.com/trq212/status/2032632602629386348

41. PostCompact Hook

A new hook event that fires after Claude compresses its conversation context. Use it to re-inject critical instructions that might get lost during compaction, log when compaction happens, or trigger automation.

"hooks": {
  "PostCompact": [{
    "matcher": "",
    "hooks": [{ "type": "command", "command": "echo 'Context was compacted'" }]
  }]
}

Source: https://x.com/trq212/status/2032632602629386348

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Quick Reference

Tip	Key Action
Parallel work	Use git worktrees, 3-5 sessions
Model	Opus with thinking
Planning	Start in plan mode for complex tasks
CLAUDE.md	Update after every correction
Skills	Create for repeated workflows
Subagents	Offload to keep context clean
Hooks	Auto-format, lifecycle hooks, logging
Permissions	Pre-allow safe commands, wildcards
MCP	Integrate Slack, BigQuery, Sentry
Long-running	Use Stop hooks, background agents
Verification	Always give Claude a way to verify
Learning	Use Claude to explain and teach
Terminal	/config, /terminal-setup, /vim
Effort	/model to set Low/Medium/High
Plugins	/plugin for LSPs, MCPs, skills
Agents	.claude/agents, custom defaults
Sandboxing	/sandbox for file & network isolation
Status line	/statusline for custom info display
Keybindings	/keybindings to re-map any key
Spinners	Customize spinner verbs in settings
Output styles	Explanatory, learning, or custom
Customize	37 settings, 84 env vars
Worktrees	claude --worktree, subagent isolation
/simplify	Parallel agents for code quality review
/batch	Parallel code migrations with worktree isolation
/loop	Schedule recurring tasks for up to 3 days
Code Review	Agent-powered PR reviews that catch real bugs
/btw	Ask questions mid-task without breaking flow
/effort	Max reasoning mode for deeper thinking
Remote Control	Spawn new sessions from mobile
Voice Mode	Talk to Claude Code on Desktop
Setup Scripts	Automate cloud environment setup
--name	Name sessions at launch
Auto Naming	Plan mode auto-names sessions
/color	Color-code prompt input per session
PostCompact	Hook for context compression events

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Source: howborisusesclaudecode.com - Tips from Boris Cherny's January 2026, February 2026, and March 2026 threads