Claude Code Guidelines

Vedran Rudelj
Vedran Rudelj
Unchained Commerce GmbH — Developer Rules & Best Practices

Mindset

Claude Code is a pair programming partner, not a magic wand. You still need to understand what the code does. If you can't explain it, you shouldn't ship it.

Think of it as a very fast junior developer: it can write code quickly, but it needs your guidance and you need to review everything it produces.

✅ Do
  • Start small. Use Claude Code for well-scoped tasks: "fix this bug", "write a test for this function", "refactor this method".
  • Always read the output. Every line. Don't blindly accept suggestions — you own the code.
  • Give context. Tell Claude Code what framework you're in, what the function should do, what constraints exist. Better prompts = better results.
  • Use it for learning. Ask "explain what this code does" or "why would this approach be better?" — it's a great teacher.
  • Commit frequently. Small commits so you can roll back if Claude Code introduced something wrong.
  • Use git diff before committing. Review what actually changed. No surprises.
  • Write tests first, then let Claude Code implement. This keeps you in control of the spec and validates the output.

❌ Don't
  • Don't let it architect. Large structural decisions (folder structure, database schema, service boundaries) should be discussed with the team first.
  • Don't chain prompts endlessly. If after 2–3 attempts Claude Code doesn't get it right, stop and think. The problem is likely your prompt or your understanding of the task.
  • Don't use it for things you don't understand yet. If you haven't manually written a database migration or API endpoint before, do it by hand first. Learn the fundamentals.
  • Don't skip code review. Code written with Claude Code gets the same scrutiny as any other code. "Claude wrote it" is not a justification.
  • Don't paste entire codebases and say "fix it." Be specific about what's wrong and where.
  • Don't use it to bypass team conventions. Our linting rules, naming conventions, and patterns still apply.
  • Don't let it add dependencies without checking if we already have something for that, or if the dependency is maintained and trustworthy.

⏱ Budget Rules
  • Max ~1 hour of Claude Code per task. If it's taking longer, you're probably using it wrong — ask a colleague instead.
  • Flag it in PRs. Add a note when Claude Code was heavily involved so reviewers know to look more carefully.

🚩 Red Flags — Stop and Ask for Help
  • You accepted code you don't fully understand
  • The diff is way larger than expected
  • Claude Code suggested changing files you didn't ask it to touch
  • You're on your 5th attempt at the same prompt
  • The code works but you can't explain why

Last updated: February 2026