Working with Claude Code

Overview

This skill provides complete, authoritative documentation for Claude Code directly from docs.claude.com. Instead of guessing about configuration paths, API structures, or feature capabilities, read the official docs stored in this skill's references directory.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Creating or configuring Claude Code plugins
• Setting up MCP servers
• Working with hooks (pre-commit, session-start, etc.)
• Writing or testing skills
• Configuring Claude Code settings
• Troubleshooting Claude Code issues
• Understanding CLI commands
• Setting up integrations (VS Code, JetBrains, etc.)
• Configuring networking, security, or enterprise features

Quick Reference

Documentation Organization

All documentation is stored as individual markdown files in references/. Use the Read tool to access specific documentation:

references/
├── overview.md              # Claude Code introduction
├── quickstart.md           # Getting started guide
├── setup.md                # Installation and setup
├── plugins.md              # Plugin development
├── plugins-reference.md    # Plugin API reference
├── plugin-marketplaces.md  # Plugin marketplaces
├── skills.md               # Skill creation
├── mcp.md                  # MCP server integration
├── hooks.md                # Hooks overview
├── hooks-guide.md          # Hooks implementation guide
├── slash-commands.md       # Slash command reference
├── sub-agents.md           # Subagent usage
├── settings.md             # Configuration reference
├── cli-reference.md        # CLI command reference
├── common-workflows.md     # Common usage patterns
├── interactive-mode.md     # Interactive mode guide
├── headless.md             # Headless mode guide
├── output-styles.md        # Output customization
├── statusline.md           # Status line configuration
├── memory.md               # Memory and context management
├── checkpointing.md        # Checkpointing feature
├── analytics.md            # Usage analytics
├── costs.md                # Cost tracking
├── monitoring-usage.md     # Usage monitoring
├── data-usage.md           # Data usage policies
├── security.md             # Security features
├── iam.md                  # IAM integration
├── network-config.md       # Network configuration
├── terminal-config.md      # Terminal configuration
├── model-config.md         # Model configuration
├── llm-gateway.md          # LLM gateway setup
├── amazon-bedrock.md       # AWS Bedrock integration
├── google-vertex-ai.md     # Google Vertex AI integration
├── vs-code.md              # VS Code integration
├── jetbrains.md            # JetBrains integration
├── devcontainer.md         # Dev container support
├── github-actions.md       # GitHub Actions integration
├── gitlab-ci-cd.md         # GitLab CI/CD integration
├── third-party-integrations.md  # Other integrations
├── legal-and-compliance.md # Legal information
├── troubleshooting.md      # Troubleshooting guide
└── migration-guide.md      # Migration guide

Workflow

For Specific Questions

1. Identify the relevant documentation file from the list above
2. Use Read tool to load: @references/filename.md
3. Find the answer in the official documentation
4. Apply the solution

Example:

User: "How do I create a Claude Code plugin?"
→ Read @references/plugins.md
→ Follow the official plugin creation steps

For Broad Topics

When exploring a topic, start with the overview document, then drill into specific files:

• Extending Claude Code: Start with plugins.md, skills.md, or mcp.md
• Configuration: Start with settings.md or setup.md
• Integrations: Check relevant integration file (vs-code.md, github-actions.md, etc.)
• Troubleshooting: Start with troubleshooting.md

For Uncertain Topics

Use Grep tool to search across all documentation:

pattern: "search term"
path: ~/.claude/skills/working-with-claude-code/references/

Updating Documentation

The skill includes scripts/update_docs.js to fetch the latest documentation from docs.claude.com.

Run when:

• Documentation seems outdated
• New Claude Code features are released
• Official docs have been updated

node ~/.claude/skills/working-with-claude-code/scripts/update_docs.js

The script:

1. Fetches llms.txt from docs.claude.com
2. Extracts all Claude Code documentation URLs
3. Downloads each page to references/
4. Reports success/failures

Common Patterns

Plugin Development

Read plugins.md for overview, then plugins-reference.md for API details.

MCP Server Setup

Read mcp.md for configuration format and examples.

Hook Configuration

Read hooks.md for overview, then hooks-guide.md for implementation details.

Skill Creation

Read skills.md for the complete skill authoring guide.

What This Skill Does NOT Do

• This skill provides documentation access, not procedural guidance
• For workflows on how to build plugins/skills, use the extending-claude-code skill (when available)
• This skill is a reference library, not a tutorial

Red Flags

If you find yourself:

• Guessing about configuration file locations → Read settings.md
• Speculating about API structures → Read relevant reference doc
• Unsure about hook names → Read hooks.md
• Making assumptions about features → Search the docs first

Always consult the official documentation before guessing.