5 FILES EVERY CLAUDE CODE USER NEEDS // 2026

01 / CLAUDE.md

The brain

// The master instruction file

The Master File

CLAUDE
.md

The operating system for every session

This is the first file Claude reads. It sets the rules for how Claude behaves — and tells it exactly where to find everything else. Think of it as the command center, not the encyclopedia.

// Keep it short. It doesn't hold your whole life story — it points to where your story lives.
// Write your operating rules here. How you like outputs formatted. What to always do. What to never do.
// Include explicit "when to read" rules for each file — not just a list of what they contain. "Read voice.md before writing any copy" is an instruction. A table is a reference. Claude follows instructions.
// Claude re-reads this every session. Every rule you write here is applied automatically — no reminders required.

// Prompt — fill in the placeholders, then paste into Claude Code

Create my CLAUDE.md file using the rules below. Just output the file — no explanation.

---

# [YOUR NAME] — Claude Operating System

## Who I Am
I am [YOUR NAME]. I [ONE SENTENCE: what you do and who you do it for].

## Operating Rules
- Give me a direct recommendation, not a list of options
- Keep responses tight — I'll ask for more if I need it
- Don't add features or sections I didn't ask for
- When something is ambiguous, make a reasonable assumption and flag it
- Verify before calling anything done
- [ADD YOUR OWN RULE]

## Never
- [WORD OR BEHAVIOR YOU HATE — e.g. "never use em dashes"]
- [ANOTHER ONE]

## When to Read Each File

**Read soul.md when:**
- Writing anything personal, biographical, or that requires my perspective
- Telling my story, referencing my background, or making a values-based judgment call

**Read voice.md when:**
- Writing any copy, caption, post, script, email, or DM in my name
- Unsure whether a word, phrase, or tone sounds like me

**Read design.md when:**
- Generating any visual output — carousels, graphics, slides, infographics, UI
- Choosing colors, fonts, or layout for anything

**Read audience.md when:**
- Writing content for my audience, not just about a topic
- Crafting CTAs, pitch copy, or anything meant to convert
- Unsure what language or framing will land with my people

02 / soul.md

Who you are

// Your story, your beliefs, your core

Your Origin

soul
.md

The human behind the work

This is not your resume. This is you. Your origin story, your beliefs, the moments that changed your direction. Claude needs to know the human before it can sound like one.

// Write your origin story. Where you started, what you walked away from, what changed. Specific moments land harder than summary statements.
// Write your actual beliefs — not the safe ones. The opinions you hold about your industry, your craft. These make content feel like you.
// soul.md is NOT where your offer or audience lives. This file is about the operator. Keep it personal.
// Claude draws on this when it writes in your voice, tells your story, or needs to make a judgment call that reflects your values.

// Prompt — Claude interviews you to generate this file

I want to build my soul.md file — the document that tells Claude who I am at a human level. Not my offer. Not my audience. Me.

Interview me. Ask one question at a time. Do not ask the next question until I've answered the current one. Do not summarize or restate my answers — just move to the next question.

Questions, in order:

1. How did you end up doing what you do? Short version — 3-4 sentences, before state to now.
2. What did you walk away from to get here — job, career path, lifestyle? What was the moment you decided to leave it?
3. What's the opinion you hold about your industry that most people in it would push back on?
4. Who do you most want to help, and why that specific person?
5. What are you still figuring out? (Not a weakness. Something real and honest.)
6. What would you tell someone who's where you were 3 years ago?
7. Finish this out loud: "I built this because I was sick of ___."

Once I've answered all seven, write my soul.md file. Use my answers directly — don't paraphrase into polished language. Keep my voice. Structure it as: origin story, beliefs, philosophy, defining moments.

03 / design.md

How you look

// Colors, fonts, and visual rules

Visual Identity

design
.md

The file that makes Claude output look like you

Every color. Every font. Every visual rule. When Claude generates a carousel, an infographic, or any piece of design output, it checks here first. Without this file, everything comes out generic.

// List every brand color with its hex code and when to use it. Don't describe colors in words — give Claude the exact codes.
// Name your fonts: display font, body font, any specialty fonts. Include when each one gets used.
// Describe your visual aesthetic in 2-3 adjectives, then explain what that means in practice. "Minimal" means different things to different people.
// Include the things you never want to see. No gradients. No stock photos. No rounded corners. The no-list is just as important as the yes-list.

// Prompt — drop in a screenshot, then paste this

turn this into a design system in an html file and a design md file

04 / voice.md

How you talk

// Tone, phrasing, and word rules

Communication Rules

voice
.md

Your words. Your tone. Your rules.

This is where Claude learns how you actually talk. Not a generic brand voice doc — your specific phrases, your specific rules, the words you never say and the patterns you always use.

// List the words you never use. These are often more useful than what you do use. "Solopreneur" — never. "Leverage" as a verb — never. Be specific.
// The prompt works from memory and conversation history — no samples required. Bonus: paste in a post, caption, or email and it extracts the rules directly from your actual language.
// Break down your voice by format. How you write DMs is different from how you write posts. Both belong here.
// Write your communication philosophy in one or two sentences. Why do you talk the way you do? The reason behind a rule helps Claude apply it correctly.

// Prompt — works from memory, conversation, or samples

Create my voice.md file. Follow these steps in order.

Step 1 — Mine what you already know.
Look at everything I've written in this conversation. Pull out any patterns you can already see: sentence length, vocabulary, what I avoid, how I phrase things. Use this as your starting point.

Step 2 — Check for writing samples.
If I've attached or pasted any samples (posts, captions, emails, scripts, DMs) — treat those as your primary source. Extract the rules directly from the text, not from assumptions.

Step 3 — Fill gaps with two questions only if needed.
If steps 1 and 2 don't give you enough, ask me:
1. What words or phrases do you NEVER want written in your name?
2. What does a piece of writing that sounds nothing like you look like?

Then generate my voice.md file with: tone in 3-5 adjectives (with what each means in practice), word rules (always/never list), sentence structure, platform-specific rules, and 2 example lines written in my voice as a reference anchor.

Output just the file.

05 / audience.md

Who you serve

// ICP, pain points, offer, their language

Your People

audience
.md

Their pain, their language, your offer

This is everything Claude needs to write for your audience — not about your audience. Their fears. Their wins. The exact words they use to describe their problem. And your offer, explained in plain terms.

// Describe their daily reality. Not demographics — what a Tuesday looks like for them. What frustrations they carry. What they're quietly afraid of.
// Paste real language from real people. Comments, DMs, reviews. The exact phrases your audience uses are gold. Claude mirrors this language — and it's what makes content feel like it was written for them specifically.
// Name their dream outcome. Not what you think they want — what they actually say they want. Write it in their words, not yours.
// Include your offer here. What it is, why they buy it, who it's not for. Claude needs this to write CTAs, pitch copy, and anything that converts.

// Prompt — Claude interviews you, then researches your audience on Reddit and the web

Build my audience.md file. Follow this process in order.

Step 1 — Interview me.
Ask these questions one at a time. Wait for my answer before moving on.

1. Who are you trying to reach? Describe them in plain terms — what they do, where they are in life, what they're trying to figure out.
2. What's the main problem you help them solve?
3. What do you sell or offer, and what does it cost?
4. Where does your audience hang out online? (Reddit, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, forums?)

Step 2 — Research their actual language.
Once I've answered, search Reddit and the web for threads where people like my audience talk about this problem. Find the most-engaged posts and pull exact quotes. Also search reviews of similar products or communities in my space.

Extract specifically:
- Pain points — what they complain about, what's broken, what frustrates them daily
- Fears — what they're afraid of, what holds them back, what keeps them stuck
- Dreams and goals — what they say they want, what success looks like to them
- Exact language — the phrases that repeat, the words they reach for, the way they describe their situation

Step 3 — Generate the file.
Combine my answers with the real language you found. Output a complete audience.md file with real quotes embedded throughout — not invented personas.