# Claude Code: What Works and What Doesn't

> Practical rules and common mistakes for working with AI coding assistants.

A field-tested workflow guide by a daily practitioner outlining best practices for AI-assisted coding. It covers a structured Plan-Code-Review workflow and highlights common pitfalls like context dumping and vague prompting.

## How it works

From u/Intelligent\_Goat5960 on r/ClaudeAI: 'After months of running Plan → Code → Review every day, here's what works and what doesn't'

WHAT REALLY WORKS

- State GOALS in clear plain words — AI can't read your mind; write 1-2 lines on what and why before handing over the task (better to make points).

- PLAN before touching code — add a deeper planning layer, break work into concrete, file-level steps before you edit anything.

- Keep CONTEXT small — point to file paths (/src/auth/token.ts, better with line numbers too like 10:20) instead of pasting big blocks — never dump full files or the whole codebase.

- REVIEW every commit, twice — give it your own eyes first, then let AI reviewer catch the tiny stuff.

NOISE THAT HURTS

- Expecting AI to guess intent — vague prompts yield vague code (garbage in garbage out); architect first, then let the LLM implement. E.g. 'Make button blue', wtf? Which button? Properly target it like 'Make the 'Submit' button on /contact page blue'.

- Dumping the whole repo — (the worst mistake) huge blobs make the model lose track; models don't have great attention even with large context, even with MILLION token context.

- Letting AI pick — be clear with packages you want to use or are already using, otherwise AI ends up using any random package from its training data.

- Asking AI to design the whole system — don't ask AI to make your next 100M $ SaaS itself. (Do things in pieces)

## What it is for

- Structure prompts and context before generating code with Claude Code
- Reduce hallucination and code drift by keeping AI context tight and specific
- Establish a consistent code review workflow for AI-generated commits

## Key points

- Clear goal-setting guidance using plain language and 1-2 line objectives
- Plan-first strategy that breaks work into file-level steps prior to editing
- Context optimization advice recommending exact file paths and line ranges
- Two-step commit review process combining human verification with secondary AI review
- Breakdown of common mistakes including repo dumping and unconstrained package selection

## Pricing

Free

## Details

- Type: Tip
- Category: [Development](https://xiry.app/topics/development.md)
- Open source: no
- For: Software developers using Claude Code or similar AI coding agents
- Tags: claude code, ai coding, prompt engineering, developer tips, code review

## Why it was saved

- [@boringmarketer, 2 July 2025](https://x.com/boringmarketer/status/1940493360424538162): Concrete, field-tested guidance on the Plan → Code → Review workflow with AI coding

## Related

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- [andrej-karpathy-skills](https://xiry.app/resources/andrej-karpathy-skills): A CLAUDE.md template fixing common LLM coding pitfalls using four principles. (GitHub repo, Open source)
- [Boris Cherny's Claude Code Setup](https://xiry.app/resources/boris-cherny-s-claude-code-setup): Battle-tested Claude Code workflow tips directly from the tool's creator (Tip, Free)
- [Cursor PRD Template for AI Coding](https://xiry.app/resources/cursor-prd-template-for-ai-coding): Structured PRD rule template to prevent AI hallucinations in code editors (Prompt, Free)
- [getdesign.md](https://xiry.app/resources/getdesign-md): Markdown design system analyses of popular websites for AI coding assistants. (Website, Freemium)
- [Kisuke](https://xiry.app/resources/kisuke): Mobile and cross-platform IDE with terminal, browser devtools, and AI agents. (Mobile app, Free)

Updated 11 October 2026. Page: https://xiry.app/resources/claude-code-what-works-and-what-doesn-t

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