33 Claude Code Tips You NEED to Know (2025)

A summarized list of all major Claude Code tips from the Morning Maker Show tutorial.

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1. Cycle Through Modes

• Use Shift+Tab to cycle between input modes:
  • Auto-accepted mode (writes files without permission)
  • Plan mode (researches and creates an action plan without code changes)
  • Default edit mode (requires approval for file changes)

2. Add to IDE

• Install Claude Code as an extension in Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, or JetBrains IDEs.

3. Terminal Setup

• Use the /terminal setup command to configure Shift+Enter for multi-line prompts.

4. Connect IDE

• Run the /ide command to connect Claude Code to your IDE for context sharing.

5. Auto Connect IDE

• Set autoconnect to id to true in /config for seamless IDE integration.

6. Open from Keyboard

• Use Command+Escape to quickly open Claude Code.

7. Images

• Drag, drop, or paste images directly into the prompt window.

8. Cost Analysis with ccusage

• Use npx ccusage to view detailed usage reports (input/output tokens, costs).

9. Custom Commands

• Add your own commands by creating files in include/commands.

10. Thinking Prompts

• Prompt Claude Code to “think,” “think harder,” or “ultrathink” for more reasoning power.

11. Subagent Prompts

• Use subagents for complex tasks; Claude Code will spin up as many as needed.

12. Loops

• Instruct Claude Code to run processes in a loop and handle errors as they appear.

13. Clear Context

• Use /clear to reset the context after long tasks.

14. Resume Session

• Use /resume to recover previous sessions after interruptions.

15. Long Prompts & Clipboard

• Compose large, formatted prompts in a new file, then copy-paste into Claude Code.

16. Task Management with TaskMaster AI MCP

• Break projects into manageable tasks and subtasks for better execution.

17. Browser Integration with Playwright MCP

• Enable Claude Code to interact with browsers for automated testing and web tasks.

18. Look Up Docs with Context7 MCP

• Use for up-to-date documentation lookup, especially after library/framework upgrades.

19. Review with Another AI

• Use a second AI (e.g., CodeRabbit) to review Claude Code’s changes for higher quality.

20. Initialize in Existing Codebase

• Use /init to generate a claude.md file with conventions from your codebase.

21. Add a Memory or Rule with Claude.md

• Add rules (memories) by typing # followed by your rule in claude.md.

22. Nesting Claude.md Files

• Place claude.md files in different directories to keep rules contextual.

23. Referencing Rules

• Reference files within claude.md to avoid duplicating rules.

24. Version Control Rule (Cursor Checkpoint Alternative)

• Add/commit automatically after tasks, use descriptive commit messages, and rely on Git for rollback.

25. IDE Diagnostics Rule

• Run IDE diagnostics (type checks, linters) after each task to catch issues early.

26. Documentation Rule

• Use Context7 MCP for generating and referencing documentation on demand.

27. Dependencies Rule

• Document dependencies to avoid redundant installations and save time/tokens.

28. Project Structure Rule

• Define project structure rules to help Claude Code understand and navigate the codebase.

29. Self-Improve Rule

• Let Claude Code create its own rules when it detects patterns or bugs that could be prevented.

30. Bell Sound with Claude Code Hooks

• Use hooks (e.g., afplay in the stop hook) to play a sound when tasks complete.

31. Post Tool Code Formatter

• Set up a post-tool-use hook to auto-format code after changes.

32. Always Works Hook

• Use a pre-tool-use hook to force Claude Code to test and verify outputs before assuming success.

33. Other Hooks You Could Use

• Run scripts or call webhooks (e.g., send Discord notifications) when tasks complete.

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For more details and advanced setup, visit the Morning Maker Show.