Configuration Guide: {Product Name}

Configuration Guide: {Product Name}

Client: {client-name} Version: {version} Date: {date}

1. Overview

This guide explains how to customize and maintain your {product-name} digital talent. It covers updating references, adjusting conventions, modifying skills, managing templates, and controlling costs.

2. Updating Reference Materials

Reference materials live in content-in/. The talent reads these files to inform its outputs.

Adding New References

  1. Place the new document in the appropriate subdirectory:
    • content-in/{domain}/ -- {description of what goes here}
    • content-in/{tools}/ -- {description of what goes here}
    • content-in/{additional}/ -- {description of what goes here}
  2. Use descriptive file names following the pattern: {naming-pattern}
  3. No restart needed -- the talent picks up new files automatically on next invocation

Updating Existing References

  1. Edit the file directly in content-in/
  2. The talent will use the updated content on its next invocation

Removing References

  1. Delete or move the file out of content-in/
  2. Verify no skills explicitly reference the removed file by checking .claude/commands/*.md

Reference Format Requirements

  • Markdown (.md) preferred for text documents
  • {Any format requirements for diagrams, schemas, etc.}
  • Keep files under {size-recommendation} for optimal performance

3. Adjusting Conventions

Conventions are defined in CLAUDE.md Section 6. To change them:

File Naming Conventions

Edit the naming patterns table in CLAUDE.md Section 6:

| Artifact Type | Pattern | Example |
|--------------|---------|---------|
| {Type} | {new-pattern} | {new-example} |

Request Numbering

Update the request numbering pattern in CLAUDE.md Section 6 under "Request Numbering."

Decision Record Format

Update the decision pattern in CLAUDE.md Section 6 under "Decision Records."

Language

To change the working language, update:

  1. CLAUDE.md Section 1 -- Working Language field
  2. CLAUDE.md Section 2 -- Language Rules subsection
  3. Any hardcoded text in .claude/commands/templates/ files

4. Modifying Skills

Skills live in .claude/commands/. Each skill is a single Markdown file.

Editing a Skill

  1. Open .claude/commands/{skill-name}.md
  2. Modify the desired section (processing steps, output format, quality checks, etc.)
  3. Update the corresponding entry in CLAUDE.md Section 4 (Skills Table) if the change affects the skill's interface
  4. Test the modified skill with a sample input

Adding a New Skill

  1. Copy .claude/commands/{existing-skill}.md as a starting point (or use the skill template)
  2. Edit all sections: frontmatter, input, processing steps, output, quality checks
  3. Save as .claude/commands/{new-skill-name}.md
  4. Add a row to CLAUDE.md Section 4 (Skills Table)
  5. Test the new skill

Removing a Skill

  1. Delete .claude/commands/{skill-name}.md
  2. Remove the corresponding row from CLAUDE.md Section 4 (Skills Table)
  3. Update any workflow references in CLAUDE.md Section 5

Skill File Structure

Every skill must have these sections:

  • Frontmatter -- description, allowed-tools, model
  • Input -- what the skill expects
  • Processing Steps -- numbered steps
  • Output -- file name pattern, format, destination
  • Quality Checks -- validation before writing output
  • Model Recommendation -- which model to use

5. Managing Templates

Output templates live in .claude/commands/templates/.

Editing a Template

  1. Open .claude/commands/templates/{template-name}
  2. Modify the structure, placeholders, or formatting
  3. Test by running a skill that uses this template

Adding a New Template

  1. Create the template file in .claude/commands/templates/
  2. Use {placeholder} syntax for dynamic values
  3. Reference the template path in the relevant skill's processing steps

Template Conventions

  • Use {curly-braces} for placeholders that skills fill in
  • Include all required sections even if they may be empty for some outputs
  • Maintain consistent formatting with existing templates

6. Cost Management

Model Selection

Model costs are controlled via CLAUDE.md Section 7 and individual skill frontmatter.

Model Relative Cost Best For
Haiku Lowest Simple lookups, template filling, file operations
Sonnet Medium Analysis, writing, standard skill execution
Opus Highest Complex reasoning, orchestration, critical tasks

Reducing Costs

  • Change individual skill models in their frontmatter (model: field)
  • Update the default model in CLAUDE.md Section 7
  • Downgrade skills that are performing well to a lighter model
  • Keep Opus reserved for orchestration and complex analysis only

Monitoring Usage

  • {Describe any cost monitoring approach -- e.g., "Track model usage through Claude Code session logs"}
  • {Any client-specific cost tracking}

7. Adding New Reference Documents

When your {methodology/framework/domain} changes and you need to add new reference materials:

  1. Determine the right subdirectory in content-in/:

    • {Subdirectory 1}: {what belongs here}
    • {Subdirectory 2}: {what belongs here}
    • {Subdirectory 3}: {what belongs here}

  2. Format the document:

    • Convert to Markdown (.md) if possible -- the talent reads Markdown natively
    • For binary files (.pdf, .docx), provide a Markdown summary alongside the original
    • Keep individual files under {size-recommendation} for optimal context usage

  3. Verify the talent uses it:

    • Run a skill that should reference the new material
    • Check that outputs reflect the new content

  4. Update the skill if needed:

    • If a skill explicitly lists reference files in its processing steps, add the new file to the list
    • If skills use Glob/Grep to discover references, no skill changes are needed

8. Workspace Maintenance

Regular Maintenance Tasks

  • Review and update reference materials when {methodology/framework} changes
  • Remove outdated outputs from {output-directory}/ periodically
  • Check for skill updates from Talent Factory (contact {support-contact})
  • Verify CLAUDE.md accuracy after any manual changes

Backup

  • The workspace is a git repository -- commit changes regularly
  • Tag stable configurations: git tag v{version}-config-{description}