From a8d2563c88735b8243e3afa64da661f8bb2bcd17 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Patrick Honkonen Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:01:42 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] [AI-88] llm: Remove .claude/CONTRIBUTING.md The per-repo Claude context contribution guide is retired in favour of the org-level guide in contributing-docs. Pure deletion: no replacement file, no pointer. --- .claude/CONTRIBUTING.md | 101 ---------------------------------------- 1 file changed, 101 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 .claude/CONTRIBUTING.md diff --git a/.claude/CONTRIBUTING.md b/.claude/CONTRIBUTING.md deleted file mode 100644 index f60ab9c..0000000 --- a/.claude/CONTRIBUTING.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,101 +0,0 @@ -# Contributing Claude Context to This Repo - -Every time you catch Claude making the same mistake twice, explain the same convention in chat, or hand a teammate a mental map they didn't have — that's knowledge worth encoding. This guide covers what belongs in this repo's `.claude/`, where to put it, and how to land it alongside the code it describes. - -## When to contribute here vs. elsewhere - -Ask: **is this knowledge specific to this codebase, or generic enough to work across repos?** - -- **Specific to this codebase** → contribute here, in `.claude/`. - Example: "how we add a new module in this codebase," "how our feature-flag system works." -- **Generic, reusable across repos** → [`bitwarden/ai-plugins`](https://github.com/bitwarden/ai-plugins) — persona plugins (e.g., a code-review agent), tool integrations, or shared utilities. - -When unsure, keep it here. Promoting up to `ai-plugins` later is easier than pulling it back — see its [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/bitwarden/ai-plugins/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) when you're ready. - -## Choose scope, then shape - -### 1. Scope — where does it apply? - -Claude loads every `CLAUDE.md` and `CLAUDE.local.md` by [walking up from the working directory](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory#how-claude-md-files-load) — looking in each ancestor directly, not in a nested `.claude/` subdirectory. Files below the working directory (including nested `.claude/skills/`) are loaded lazily when Claude reads into that subtree. Use that hierarchy: - -- **Applies everywhere in this repo** → root `CLAUDE.md` or `.claude/skills/` -- **Applies only within one app, library, utility, or subtree** → nested `CLAUDE.md` or `.claude/skills/` in that directory - -Push rules as deep as they'll go — keeping app-specific rules local saves context for everyone else's sessions, not just yours. - -For rules that should apply only to certain file types, use [`.claude/rules/.md` with a `paths:` frontmatter glob](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory#organize-rules-with-claude/rules/) instead of a nested `CLAUDE.md`. - -### 2. Shape — how should Claude use it? - -| You want to… | Use | -| ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -| State a rule Claude must always follow in its scope | `CLAUDE.md` | -| State a rule that applies only to certain file globs | `.claude/rules/.md` with `paths:` frontmatter | -| Teach a procedure Claude invokes on demand | `.claude/skills//SKILL.md` | -| Give Claude a specialized subagent with its own context | `.claude/agents/.md` (YAML frontmatter; `name` + `description` required) | -| Add a user-invocable slash command | `.claude/commands/.md` | -| Trigger a shell script on a Claude Code event | _We have them, but no strict project enforcement yet — register yours in `settings.local.json`._ | - -Rule of thumb: **if Claude only needs it sometimes, it's a skill.** Once a `CLAUDE.md` loads, it stays in context for the rest of the session — keep each one lean, especially the root. - -## Security conventions - -Skills and agents that touch vault data, authentication, or cryptography must use Bitwarden's [Core Vocabulary](https://contributing.bitwarden.com/architecture/security/definitions) (Vault Data, Protected Data, Secure Channel, etc.) and re-state the zero-knowledge invariant inline. **Subagents run in a fresh context** and do not inherit this repo's `CLAUDE.md` — include the relevant definitions directly in the agent's system prompt. - -## What good contributions look like - -- **Grounded in the code.** Real files, real patterns, real commands. - If it could apply to any repo, it belongs in `ai-plugins`. -- **Describes the "what" and "why," not the "who."** - Avoid team-persona framing. Describe the domain and its constraints; the team is an implementation detail. -- **Short and specific.** - 2,000 words of general advice isn't a skill. -- **Active voice, direct language.** - "Invoke this skill when..." — not "This skill may be invoked when..." -- **Reviewed like code.** - Teams of domain experts own `.claude/` in their areas — they're the ones shaping how Claude behaves for everyone who works there, so treat changes with the same seriousness as source. - -## Anti-patterns - -- **Team-persona agents** ("Team ABC engineer"). - If a team's process is unique enough to warrant a persona, that's an SDLC signal to address, not a persona to encode. -- **Root-level rules that only matter in one subtree.** - If the rule only ever applies to a single subtree, then the rule belongs in a nested `CLAUDE.md` next to that subtree. -- **Duplicating `ai-plugins` content.** - Check existing plugin skills before writing a new one. -- **Generic advice disguised as repo-local knowledge.** - "Write good tests" isn't repo-specific. - "Our integration tests must hit a real database because…" is. - -## Building a contribution - -The Claude Code ecosystem moves fast — last session's habits may already be out of date. Here's the workflow we follow. - -### 1. Start with the canonical docs - -A quick refresh before you begin goes a long way — the rules shift more often than you'd think: - -- [How Claude Code Works](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/how-claude-code-works) — the mental model. -- [Best Practices for Claude Code](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/best-practices) — what Anthropic recommends. -- [Extend Claude Code](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/features-overview) — what you can build (skills, agents, commands, hooks). -- [The Complete Guide to Building Skills for Claude](https://resources.anthropic.com/hubfs/The-Complete-Guide-to-Building-Skill-for-Claude.pdf) - a must read for skill building - -### 2. Survey the landscape - -A quick skim of both goes a long way: - -- This repo's [`.claude/`](.) tree. -- [`bitwarden/ai-plugins`](https://github.com/bitwarden/ai-plugins). - -Try to match the voice you see. "Invoke when the user asks to X" — not "This skill may be invoked when X." Direct, active, specific. Your contribution should read like the neighbors. - -### 3. Build iteratively - -When you're authoring a skill, start with `/skill-creator:skill-creator`. It runs an iterative loop — draft → test against evals → review outputs → refine — with benchmark stats and a side-by-side reviewer. You end up with a skill that's been exercised against concrete inputs before you open the PR. - -For agents, commands, hooks, and `CLAUDE.md` entries, start from an existing one in the repo and adapt it. No need to invent a new structure when a neighbor already solves the shape problem. - -### 4. Validate before you push - -- Run a local Bitwarden Claude Code review with `/bitwarden-code-review:code-review-local` — it writes findings to files so you can fix them before pushing, without posting anything to GitHub. -- When you raise the PR, apply the `ai-review` label. Our reusable GitHub workflow watches for it and runs a Claude Code review automatically; without the label, the review doesn't fire.