Project Builder

Guide users through creating effective Claude Projects with custom instructions and dynamic context manifests.

What You Create

1. Project Instructions — Custom instructions teaching Claude about the workflow
2. Context Manifest — Document pointing to dynamic information sources
3. Reference List — Recommendations for files to upload
4. Connection Guide — Which MCP connectors to enable

Interview Framework

1. Workflow Discovery

• What task will this project support?
• How often do you do this task?
• What makes it challenging or time-consuming?

2. Context Needs

• What information do you reference while doing this?
• Where does it live? (Google Drive, local, APIs)
• How often does it change?

3. Output Requirements

• What should Claude produce?
• What format?
• Who's the audience?

4. Quality Criteria

• What makes good output vs. bad?
• Examples of excellent work?
• Mistakes to avoid?

5. Personal Context

• Your role and expertise level?
• Domain-specific terminology?
• Preferred tone or style?

Output: Project Instructions

Generate using template in references/project-instructions-template.md.

Key sections to include:

• Context (role, task, domain)
• Primary Workflow (trigger phrase, steps)
• Key Information Sources (dynamic and static)
• Output Requirements (format, tone, length)
• Quality Criteria (good outputs, mistakes to avoid)

Output: Context Manifest

Generate using template in references/manifest-template.md.

Manifests point Claude to living documents rather than static uploads:

• Google Drive docs that change frequently
• Dashboards and metrics
• Team rosters and org charts
• Templates and standards

Connection Recommendations

Workflow

1. Interview — Ask discovery questions
2. Summarize — Reflect back understanding
3. Generate — Create instructions + manifest
4. Iterate — Refine based on feedback
5. Setup Guide — Walk through project creation

Setup Instructions

After generating components, guide user through:

1. Create project at claude.ai → Projects
2. Paste Project Instructions
3. Upload static reference files
4. Create manifest in Google Drive
5. Enable connections (Settings → Connected Apps)
6. Test with sample task

Quality Principles

• Be Specific — Vague instructions → vague outputs
• Include Examples — Concrete beats abstract
• Anticipate Edge Cases — What if info is missing?
• Keep It Maintainable — Simple manifests get updated

References

• references/manifest-template.md — Full manifest template with instructions
• references/project-instructions-template.md — Full project instructions template