[IMPORTANT] Use TaskCreate to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI may ask user whether to skip.

Quick Summary

Goal: Help users install, configure, troubleshoot, and extend Claude Code CLI (hooks, MCP, skills, commands).

Workflow:

1. Categorize — Identify problem type (Setup, Hooks, MCP, Context, Extensibility, Config)
2. Diagnose — Follow category-specific diagnostic steps
3. Fix & Verify — Apply solution and confirm it resolves the issue

Key Rules:

• Not for writing application code -- use feature/fix/refactor skills instead
• Never modify settings without user approval
• For hooks: check event type, script executability, and JSON output format

Claude Code

Purpose

Help users install, configure, troubleshoot, and extend Claude Code CLI -- Anthropic's agentic coding tool with skills, hooks, MCP servers, and slash commands.

When to Use

• Setting up Claude Code for the first time (installation, authentication)
• Troubleshooting hooks that don't fire or produce errors
• Diagnosing MCP server connection failures
• Understanding or resolving context window limits
• Creating or modifying slash commands and agent skills
• Configuring settings (model, allowed tools, output style)

When NOT to Use

• Writing application code -- use feature-implementation, fix, or refactoring skills
• Creating MCP servers from scratch -- use mcp-builder skill
• Managing existing MCP server connections -- use mcp-management skill
• AI prompt engineering -- use ai-artist skill

Prerequisites

• Access to .claude/ directory in the project root
• For hooks: read .claude/hooks/ directory structure
• For skills: read .claude/skills/ directory structure

Workflow

Step 1: Identify the Problem Category

Step 2A: Setup

1. Check prerequisites: Node.js 18+, npm
2. Verify authentication: claude auth status
3. IF auth fails: guide through claude auth login
4. Verify project detection: check for CLAUDE.md in project root

Step 2B: Hook Issues

1. Read the hook file causing issues
2. Check hook event type matches expected trigger (PreToolUse, PostToolUse, SessionStart, Stop, SubagentStop)
3. Verify hook script is executable and has correct shebang
4. Check .claude/settings.json for hook registration
5. Test hook in isolation: run the script directly with mock input
6. Check for syntax errors in hook output (must be valid JSON for PreToolUse/PostToolUse)

Common fixes:

• Hook not firing: wrong event name or tool matcher pattern
• Hook errors: script not finding dependencies (check relative paths)
• Hook blocks unexpectedly: PreToolUse returning { "decision": "block" } incorrectly

Step 2C: MCP Issues

1. Check .claude/settings.json for MCP server configuration
2. Verify the MCP server process can start: run the command manually
3. Check environment variables (API keys, tokens) are set
4. Test connectivity: claude mcp list to see registered servers
5. IF timeout: increase timeout in config or check network

Common fixes:

• "Connection refused": MCP server not running or wrong port
• "Authentication failed": expired or missing API token
• "Tool not found": MCP server registered but tool name mismatch

Step 2D: Context Issues

1. Check current context usage (Claude will report when near limit)
2. IF approaching limit: suggest /compact command
3. Review if large files are being read unnecessarily
4. Check for recovery files in /tmp/ck/swap/ after compaction
5. Verify post-compact-recovery hook is configured for session continuity

Step 2E: Extensibility

1. For skills: read references/agent-skills.md for structure
2. For custom slash commands: create skills in .claude/skills/{name}/SKILL.md
3. Verify SKILL.md frontmatter has required fields (name, version, description)
4. Test: invoke the skill/command and verify it loads

Step 2F: Configuration

1. Read references/configuration.md for settings hierarchy
2. Settings locations: .claude/settings.json (project), ~/.claude/settings.json (user)
3. IMPORTANT: Never modify settings without user approval
4. Common settings: model selection, allowed tools, output verbosity

Step 3: Verification

• Confirm the fix resolves the user's issue
• Document any configuration changes made
• Warn if changes affect other team members (project-level settings)

Output Format

## Claude Code: [Issue/Task Summary]

### Problem

[What was wrong or what was requested]

### Solution

[Step-by-step fix or setup instructions]

### Files Changed

[List any config files modified, with before/after]

### Verification

[How to confirm the fix works]

Examples

Example 1: Hook Not Firing

User: "My PreToolUse hook for blocking large file reads isn't triggering"

Diagnosis:

1. Read .claude/settings.json -- hook registered under hooks.PreToolUse
2. Check tool matcher: "matcher": "Read" -- correct
3. Run script directly: node .claude/hooks/block-large-reads.cjs -- works
4. Found: Hook command uses %CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR% but runs from wrong CWD

Fix: Update hook command to use absolute path or verify %CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR% resolves correctly. Check that the hook entry in settings uses the correct variable syntax for the platform (Windows vs Unix).

Example 2: Setting Up a New Slash Command

User: "I want a /deploy command that runs our staging deployment"

Steps:

1. Create .claude/skills/deploy/SKILL.md:

Deploy to staging environment.

Run the following steps:

1. Verify all tests pass: `npm test`
2. Build the project: `npm run build`
3. Deploy: `npm run deploy:staging`
4. Report deployment status

2. Test: type /deploy in Claude Code CLI
3. Verify: command appears in autocomplete and executes the workflow

Reference Files

Load these for detailed guidance on specific topics:

Related Skills

• mcp-builder -- for creating new MCP servers from scratch
• mcp-management -- for managing existing MCP server connections
• skill-creator -- for creating new agent skills with best practices

IMPORTANT Task Planning Notes (MUST FOLLOW)

• Always plan and break work into many small todo tasks
• Always add a final review todo task to verify work quality and identify fixes/enhancements