Welcome! This guide will help you set up and start using this template in minutes.

• VS Code installed
• Claude Code extension installed and configured
• Git installed (for cloning)
• Node.js installed (if using the example JavaScript setup)

Option A: Use Template on GitHub

1. Click "Use this template" button
2. Name your new repository
3. Clone it to your local machine

Option B: Clone Directly

git clone https://github.com/kpmg-us/claude-code-template.git my-project
cd my-project
rm -rf .git  # Remove template's git history
git init      # Start fresh

Edit package.json:

{
  "name": "my-awesome-project",
  "description": "My project description",
  "author": "Your Name"
}

Edit .claude/CLAUDE.md with your project specifics:

# My Project

## Tech Stack
- List your technologies
- Frameworks used
- Key libraries

## Coding Standards
- Your conventions
- Style guidelines
- Best practices

## Project Structure
- Explain your layout
- Important directories
- Key files

Edit .claude/PLAN.md to create a comprehensive project roadmap. The template includes:

• Project overview and goals
• Technical architecture and tech stack
• Development phases with milestones
• Feature requirements with acceptance criteria
• Coding standards and conventions
• API design and database schema
• Security and performance requirements
• Deployment strategy

The PLAN.md helps Claude understand your complete project context and make consistent architectural decisions throughout development.

Quick start: The template already includes a detailed example. Review it and customize for your needs, or delete sections that aren't relevant.

1. Replace template content with your project info
2. Keep the parts about skills if still relevant
3. Add your specific setup instructions

# If using Node.js
npm install

# Or with Yarn
yarn install

# Or with pnpm
pnpm install

1. Open your project folder in VS Code
2. Ensure Claude Code extension is active
3. Start a conversation with Claude!

Try these commands to test Claude Code with the template:

You: "Explain the project structure"
Claude: [Will read and explain based on your setup]

You: "Review the example code"
Claude: [Will use the code-review skill]

You: "Generate tests for src/index.js"
Claude: [Will use the testing skill]

1. Review example skills in .claude/skills/
2. Decide which to keep, modify, or remove
3. Create your own project-specific skills

Replace the example code with your actual stack:

# Remove example files
rm src/index.js tests/index.test.js

# Set up your framework
# For React:
npx create-react-app .

# For Next.js:
npx create-next-app .

# For Express API:
npm init -y && npm install express

# etc.

git add .
git commit -m "feat: initialize project from claude-code-template"
git remote add origin <your-repo-url>
git push -u origin main

npm start          # Start the application
npm test           # Run tests
npm test:coverage  # Run tests with coverage
npm run lint       # Lint code

• Open chat: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "Claude: Open Chat"
• Use skills: Just ask naturally, Claude will match skills
• Reload skills: Restart VS Code after skill changes

• Solution: Restart VS Code
• Check: .claude/skills/*/SKILL.md files exist and have valid frontmatter

• Solution: Update .claude/CLAUDE.md with more explicit instructions
• Tip: Be specific and include examples

• Solution: Delete the example files in src/ and tests/
• Note: They're just placeholders to demonstrate structure

1. ✅ Read docs/SKILLS_GUIDE.md for deep dive into skills
2. ✅ Explore docs/EXAMPLES.md for workflow ideas
3. ✅ Create your first custom skill
4. ✅ Start building with Claude Code!

• Claude Code Documentation
• Template README
• Contributing Guide

• Check docs/EXAMPLES.md for common scenarios
• Review existing skills for inspiration
• Open an issue if you find a problem with the template

You're all set! Start building amazing things with Claude Code! 🚀

Tip: Keep this file for reference, or delete it once you're comfortable with the setup.