claude-skills-reference/standards/CLAUDE.md

Standards Library - Claude Code Guidance

This guide explains how to use the standards library for consistent quality across all skills and agents.

Standards Overview

Location: standards/

Available Standards:

1. communication/ - Communication principles and response protocols
2. quality/ - Code quality, testing, and validation standards
3. git/ - Git workflow, conventional commits, branching strategy
4. documentation/ - Markdown quality, structure consistency, living docs
5. security/ - Secret detection, dependency security, input validation

When to Reference Standards

Communication Standards

Reference when:

• Writing agent documentation
• Creating SKILL.md files
• Drafting user-facing content
• Providing technical guidance

Key Principles:

• Absolute honesty - Direct assessments without cushioning
• Zero fluff - Eliminate vague statements
• Pragmatic focus - Actionable suggestions only
• File economy - Edit existing files vs creating new ones

Location: communication/communication-standards.md

Quality Standards

Reference when:

• Creating Python automation tools
• Writing agent workflows
• Implementing skill features
• Testing integration points

Key Areas:

• Python tool quality (PEP 8, type hints, docstrings)
• Agent workflow clarity (minimum 3 workflows documented)
• Testing requirements (functional, integration, documentation)
• Completion criteria (zero defect handoff, validation requirements)

Location: quality/quality-standards.md

Git Workflow Standards

Reference when:

• Committing code changes
• Creating feature branches
• Tagging releases
• Writing commit messages

Commit Format:

<type>[optional scope]: <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer(s)]

Types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, perf, test, chore, ci

Examples:

feat(agents): implement cs-content-creator agent
fix(seo-optimizer): correct keyword density calculation
docs(README): add agent catalog section

Location: git/git-workflow-standards.md

Documentation Standards

Reference when:

• Writing SKILL.md files
• Creating agent documentation
• Updating README files
• Writing reference guides

Best Practices:

• Max 200 lines per CLAUDE.md file
• Markdown formatting standards (headings, lists, code blocks)
• Living documentation (README, CLAUDE, AGENTS updated regularly)
• Link validation (no 404s, no broken references)

Location: documentation/documentation-standards.md

Security Standards

Reference when:

• Writing Python scripts
• Handling user input
• Managing dependencies
• Committing code

Critical Checks:

• No hardcoded API keys, passwords, or tokens
• Environment variables for sensitive data
• Input validation for all user input
• Dependency security audits

Location: security/security-standards.md

Standards Application Workflow

For New Skills

# 1. Reference communication standards
cat standards/communication/communication-standards.md

# 2. Review quality standards for Python tools
cat standards/quality/quality-standards.md

# 3. Follow documentation standards for SKILL.md
cat standards/documentation/documentation-standards.md

# 4. Apply security standards to scripts
cat standards/security/security-standards.md

# 5. Use git standards for commits
cat standards/git/git-workflow-standards.md

For New Agents

# 1. Communication: Write clear, actionable agent docs
# 2. Quality: Minimum 3 workflows, tested relative paths
# 3. Documentation: Follow agent template structure
# 4. Git: Conventional commit with feat(agents) scope

Standards Hierarchy

Priority Order:

1. Security - Non-negotiable, always enforced
2. Quality - Zero defect handoff required
3. Git - Conventional commits for all changes
4. Documentation - Living docs stay current
5. Communication - Clear, pragmatic, actionable

Standards Compliance Checklist

Before Committing Code

• Communication: Documentation is clear and actionable
• Quality: All tests passing, code reviewed
• Git: Conventional commit message format
• Documentation: Living docs updated if needed
• Security: No secrets, input validated, dependencies secure

Before Creating PR

• All standards compliance checks passed
• Related documentation updated
• Examples tested and working
• No broken links or references

Related Documentation

• Main CLAUDE.md: ../CLAUDE.md
• Agent Development: ../agents/CLAUDE.md
• Domain Skills: See navigation map in main CLAUDE.md

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Last Updated: November 5, 2025 Standards Count: 5 comprehensive standards Enforcement: Required for all skills and agents