Project Spec Skill
Core Principle: A good CLAUDE.md means Claude never has to guess.
Template Selection
| Project | Use |
|---|
| Quick build (<8h) | template-minimal.md |
| Complex / Calculator / Multi-page | template-full.md |
Defaults (Don't specify if these apply)
Code maturity: Production
Maintainer: Solo dev
Lifetime: Multi-year
Tech debt: Minimal, documented
Failure impact: Business-impacting
Code ownership: Shared
Review strictness: Standard
Error handling: Fail fast
Logging: Basic (errors)
Data sensitivity: Personal
UI tolerance: Visually close
Refactor permission: None
Dependency policy: Well-known only
Human review: Detailed
Output timing: Correctness first (not fast draft)
Partial completion: Not acceptable
Session: Expect interruptions, be resumable
Only specify deviations from defaults.
Required Sections (Every CLAUDE.md)
[CRITICAL] Critical Rules (stop-on-missing, non-goals)
[CRITICAL] Project Overview (type, goal, timeline)
[CRITICAL] Scope (in/out/future)
[CRITICAL] Constraints
[CRITICAL] Definition of Done
Critical Rules Block (Copy to every CLAUDE.md)
## ⚠️ Critical Rules
**If info missing:** STOP → List missing → Ask → Do NOT assume
**Claude must NOT:**
- Add features outside this document
- Add dependencies without approval
- Refactor unrelated code
- Make "improvements" outside scope
**Authority:** CLAUDE.md > skills > comments > chat > assumptions (FORBIDDEN)
Anti-Patterns
| ❌ Bad | ✅ Good |
|---|
| "Make it look professional" | "#1a1a1a text, Inter 700, 48px H1" |
| "Standard contact form" | "Fields: Name*, Email*, Phone, Message*" |
| "Similar to competitor" | "Hero: 60/40 split, CTA left" |
| "Client will provide" | "Copy pending by [date]" |
| "Modern design" | "Tailwind, rounded-lg, shadow-sm" |
Tier Markers
| Marker | Meaning |
|---|
[CRITICAL] | Read before coding |
[REFERENCE] | Read when needed |
[NO-IMPL] | Doesn't affect code |
References
