Every Claude Code user faces the same problem: context windows fill quickly, configurations scatter across projects, and framework-specific knowledge gets reinvented constantly. Claude Starter solves this with a production-ready .claude/ configuration you copy once and customize forever.

Key Takeaways

• 50+ optional components: 3 core agents, 9 core commands, specialized skills for Next.js, React, Stripe, Supabase, D3, and more.
• 98% token reduction: MCP optimization drops 150K tokens to 2K. TOON format cuts structured data by 40-60%.
• Zero configuration overhead: Minimal core works immediately. Copy optional features from examples/ as needed.
• Automated setup: Framework detection, 6 preset configurations, interactive wizard.

It scales to cover any technology stack by following the documented patterns for creating custom agents, commands, skills, and hooks.

Value Propositions

For Individual Developers:

• Start coding with Claude immediately using production-tested patterns
• Access framework-specific expertise (Next.js caching, React Server Components, Stripe payments)
• Automate quality checks with pre-built hooks (security scans, code quality, accessibility)
• Learn best practices from comprehensive skill documentation

For Teams:

• Standardize Claude Code configuration across projects
• Reduce onboarding time with documented workflows
• Customize components while maintaining a shared foundation
• Track code quality consistently with automated hooks

For AI/LLM Projects:

• Token-optimized patterns (MCP optimization: 150K → 2K tokens)
• TOON format for efficient structured data (40-60% reduction)
• Reference implementations for context management
• Production-ready prompting patterns

For Open Source Contributors:

• Well-documented component architecture
• Clear contribution guidelines and component standards
• Template system for creating new skills and agents
• Active issue tracker and community support

Features

Automated Setup Script

Framework detection, preset configurations, and interactive mode for guided installation.

./setup.sh --interactive           # Guided setup
./setup.sh --preset nextjs-full    # Instant config

Core Components (Always Enabled)

• Agents: Security auditor, database architect, API builder
• Commands: /commit, /create-pr, /release, /build-safe, /health-check, /enable-hook
• Minimal overhead: Framework-agnostic patterns that work with any stack

Optional Skills Library (50+ Components)

• Next.js (8): App Router, Pages Router, caching, streaming, config optimization, API routes, data rendering
• React (2): Server Components, form actions
• Stripe (11): Payments, billing, subscriptions, Connect, Terminal/Issuing, and more
• Supabase (2): Auth, database, storage, edge functions, RLS patterns
• D3 (5): Core data, shapes/paths, layouts/hierarchies, interactions/animation, geo
• Bun (5): Runtime, bundler, package manager, testing, quickstart
• Shelby (4): CLI helper, media player, quickstart, SDK integration
• Tools: 6 agents, 10 hooks, 7 commands
• DevOps: GitHub Actions, Vercel deployment, git hooks

Quality Automation Hooks

TypeScript-based post-tool hooks that run automatically after edits:

• Security scanning (hardcoded secrets, XSS, SQL injection)
• Code quality (TypeScript, linting, complexity)
• Architecture validation (layering, dependencies)
• React-specific checks (hooks, components, performance)
• Accessibility (ARIA, semantic HTML, keyboard nav)
• Bundle size monitoring

Git Workflow Automation

• /commit - Analyzes staged changes, generates conventional commit messages
• /create-pr - Auto-generates PR title/description from commits, links issues, adds labels
• /release - Semantic versioning, changelog generation, GitHub releases, npm publishing
• CI/CD workflows included for validation and deployment

Context

The Claude Code Configuration Challenge

Claude Code is powerful but requires thoughtful configuration to maximize its effectiveness.

Teams face several challenges:

1. Configuration Overhead: Setting up agents, commands, and workflows from scratch is time-consuming
2. Token Efficiency: Context windows fill quickly without optimization strategies
3. Framework Expertise: Generic AI assistance lacks deep knowledge of specific frameworks
4. Quality Control: Maintaining code standards requires systematic validation
5. Team Consistency: Each developer configuring Claude differently creates fragmentation

Claude Starter addresses these challenges with a minimal-by-default, maximum-flexibility approach.

Open-Source AI Configuration

The ethos of open-source collaboration is deeply embedded in modern development workflows, and AI tooling should be no exception.

Claude Starter directly supports this by providing a transparent, community-driven platform for discovering and sharing Claude Code patterns.

Just as developers benefit from open-source libraries and frameworks, they can benefit from shared AI configuration patterns that encode best practices, domain expertise, and workflow automation.

The repository structure makes it easy to:

• Audit exactly what prompts and patterns are being used
• Contribute improvements back to the community
• Fork and customize for specific use cases
• Learn from production-tested implementations

Component Quality vs Quantity

The project maintains strict component size limits to ensure quality and maintainability:

• Agents: <500 lines (operational patterns only, reference docs separate)
• Skills: <900 lines (comprehensive but focused)
• Commands: <250 lines (concise workflows)

These limits ensure components remain:

• Fast to load into context
• Easy to understand and modify
• Focused on a single purpose
• Well-documented with examples

Quality is enforced through:

• Automated CI/CD validation of component sizes
• Self-testing workflows that verify setup across presets
• GitHub Actions checks for structure and syntax
• Community review process for new components

Architecture

Two-Tier Structure: Core vs Examples

The architecture follows an opt-in philosophy:

.claude/
├── core/              # Active by default
│   ├── agents/        # Security, database, API
│   └── commands/      # Build, git, validation
├── examples/          # Copy as needed (50+ features)
│   ├── skills/        # Framework expertise
│   ├── hooks/         # Quality automation
│   └── agents/        # Specialized helpers
└── settings.json

# Minimal config

Users have three setup paths:

1. Automated - Run ./setup.sh --interactive for guided setup
2. Preset - Run ./setup.sh --preset <name> for instant configuration
3. Manual - Copy .claude/ and configure by hand

Component Types

Agents (.claude/core/agents/*.md):

• YAML frontmatter defines name, description, and triggers
• Auto-invoked based on description keywords
• Markdown files with procedural instructions
• 3 core agents (always enabled) + 6 example agents (optional)

Commands (.claude/core/commands/*.md):

• Invoked as /command-name by users
• Procedural instructions for Claude to execute
• Step-by-step bash commands with validation
• 9 core commands + 7 example commands

Skills (.claude/examples/skills/*/skill.md):

• Specialized knowledge domains with YAML frontmatter
• Auto-invoked when user mentions framework/library
• Organized by technology stack
• 50+ components across multiple categories

Hooks (.claude/examples/hooks/*.ts):

• TypeScript files that run after tool use (PostToolUse event)
• Quality automation: linting, security, architecture checks
• Configured in .claude/settings.json
• 10 hooks + 2 utility files (cache, config)

Token Optimization

MCP Optimization (98%+ reduction: 150K → 2K tokens):

• Based on Anthropic's engineering blog
• Progressive tool loading instead of sending all tools upfront
• Context-efficient filtering and privacy-preserving workflows
• Production patterns documented in .claude/examples/skills/tools/mcp-optimization/

TOON Format (40-60% reduction for structured data):

• Schema hoisting (declare once, not per row)
• Minimal syntax optimized for LLM parsing
• Streaming support for 10K+ records
• Complete implementation in .claude/utils/toon/

Preset Configurations

Production-ready presets for instant setup:

1. minimal - Core only (default)
2. nextjs-full - Next.js full stack
3. react-app - React focused
4. stripe-ready - Payments integration
5. fullstack-saas - Everything included

Implementation

Tech Stack

• Configuration: Markdown + YAML frontmatter
• Hooks: TypeScript + Node.js ≥18
• Setup Script: Bash with framework detection
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions for validation
• Documentation: Comprehensive markdown guides

File Organization

claude-starter/
├── setup.sh                  # Automated setup script
├── .env.example              # Environment template
├── .claude/
│   ├── core/                 # Active by default
│   │   ├── agents/           # Security, database, API
│   │   └── commands/         # Build, git, validation
│   ├── examples/             # Copy as needed
│   │   ├── skills/           # Framework expertise
│   │   ├── hooks/            # Quality automation
│   │   └── agents/           # Specialized helpers
│   ├── presets/              # Preset configurations
│   ├── docs/                 # Documentation files
│   └── settings.json         # Minimal config
└── .github/
    └── workflows/            # 3 CI/CD workflows

Current Platform

Full Repository Inventory:

• Core: 3 agents (security, database, API) + 9 commands (build, git, validation, release)
• Optional: 50+ features including framework skills + 10 quality hooks + 6 example agents + 7 commands
• Infrastructure: Preset configurations + comprehensive documentation + CI/CD workflows

Implementation Details:

• Frontend: Claude Code CLI ≥0.8.0
• Backend: Markdown + YAML configuration
• Automation: TypeScript hooks + Bash scripts
• Deployment: Copy .claude/ directory to any project
• Version Control: GitHub with automated CI/CD

Next Steps

Immediate Priorities

1. Community Feedback: Gather input on most-needed skills and improvements
2. Documentation Expansion: Add more examples and use-case guides
3. Preset Refinement: Optimize existing presets based on user feedback
4. Hook Performance: Profile and optimize hook execution times

Planned Features

1. Skill Marketplace: Community-contributed skills with ratings and reviews
2. Visual Configuration: Web UI for browsing and selecting components
3. Analytics Integration: Track which skills and agents are most effective
4. Framework Detection v2: Smarter detection with package.json analysis
5. Component Generator: Interactive CLI for creating new skills/agents

Future Vision

Community Building

• Skill of the Week: Highlighting valuable community contributions
• Best Practices Blog: Regular posts on effective Claude Code patterns
• Template Gallery: Curated collection of real-world configurations
• Video Tutorials: Walkthroughs of advanced customization

Enterprise Features

• Team Workspaces: Shared component libraries for organizations
• Access Control: Role-based permissions for sensitive hooks/agents
• Usage Analytics: Track AI assistance effectiveness across teams
• Custom Skill Builder: GUI for non-technical team members to create skills

Integration Ecosystem

• IDE Plugins: VSCode/JetBrains integration for component management
• CI/CD Plugins: Automated testing of Claude Code configurations
• Slack/Discord Bots: Community support and announcements
• GitHub App: One-click installation for new repositories

Getting Started

Recommended: Clone and Inspect (Most Secure)

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/raintree-technology/claude-starter
cd claude-starter

# 2. Inspect the setup script (optional but recommended)
cat setup.sh

# 3. Run setup from your project directory
cd /path/to/your/project
/path/to/claude-starter/setup.sh --interactive

One-Line Install (Convenient)

# From your project directory
bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/raintree-technology/claude-starter/main/quick-install.sh)

Security Note: Review the installation script before running.

The clone method above is more secure.

All Available Presets

./setup.sh --preset minimal        # Core only (default)
./setup.sh --preset nextjs-full    # Next.js full stack
./setup.sh --preset react-app      # React focused
./setup.sh --preset stripe-ready   # Payments integration
./setup.sh --preset fullstack-saas # Everything included
./setup.sh --help                  # All options

Full documentation available at github.com/raintree-technology/claude-starter

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Key Takeaways
• Value Propositions
  • For Individual Developers
  • For Teams
  • For AI/LLM Projects
  • For Open Source Contributors
• Features
  • Automated Setup Script
  • Core Components (Always Enabled)
  • Optional Skills Library (50+ Components)
  • Quality Automation Hooks
  • Git Workflow Automation
• Context
  • The Claude Code Configuration Challenge
  • Open-Source AI Configuration
  • Component Quality vs Quantity
• Architecture
  • Two-Tier Structure: Core vs Examples
  • Component Types
  • Token Optimization
  • Preset Configurations
• Implementation
  • Tech Stack
  • File Organization
• Current Platform
• Next Steps
  • Immediate Priorities
  • Planned Features
• Future Vision
  • Community Building
  • Enterprise Features
  • Integration Ecosystem
• Getting Started

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License: MIT Repository: github.com/raintree-technology/claude-starter Support: GitHub Issues

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