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Guide · Open source

How to use claude-howto: a guide to Claude Code features

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

claude-howto is a third-party, example-driven guide to Claude Code, Anthropic's coding assistant. It walks through features such as slash commands, memory files, skills, hooks, MCP servers, subagents and plugins, roughly in order from beginner to advanced. This page explains how to get the repository and copy its starter templates, so you can start using them in your own project.

Claude How Toluongnv89/claude-howto · ★ 46.4k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Clone the repository. Run git clone on the claude-howto repository and change into the claude-howto folder.
  2. 2Copy a slash command. Create .claude/commands in your project and copy optimize.md into it.
  3. 3Try the command. Open Claude Code in your project and type /optimize to run it.
  4. 4Add project memory. Copy project-CLAUDE.md from 02-memory to your project root as CLAUDE.md and edit it for your project.
  5. 5Install a skill. Copy the code-review-specialist folder from 03-skills into ~/.claude/skills.
  6. 6Work through the modules. Follow the 10 modules in order and run /lesson-quiz on each topic to find gaps.

What you need before you start

The guide assumes Claude Code is already installed and working. The README recommends the native installer. It does not teach basic terminal use or setup of coding tools, so if those are new to you, learn them first.

The repository is MIT licensed and written in Python, and you get it by cloning it with git.

  • Claude Code installed (the README recommends the native installer)
  • git, to clone the repository
  • A project folder where you want to try the templates

Clone the guide

Run the clone command below in a terminal, then move into the new folder. Everything you need is in the repository, including the module folders such as 01-slash-commands and 03-skills.

git clone https://github.com/luongnv89/claude-howto.git cd claude-howto

Add your first slash command

Slash commands are Markdown files stored in a .claude/commands folder. Copy the optimize.md template from the first module into your project, then type /optimize inside Claude Code to try it.

Check the template against your own project before relying on it, because the guide's templates are examples and are not meant to work unchanged everywhere.

mkdir -p /path/to/your-project/.claude/commands cp 01-slash-commands/optimize.md /path/to/your-project/.claude/commands/

Set up project memory with CLAUDE.md

A CLAUDE.md file gives Claude Code standing context about your project. The guide provides a starter template called project-CLAUDE.md in the memory module. Copy it to the root of your project and edit it to match your codebase.

cp 02-memory/project-CLAUDE.md /path/to/your-project/CLAUDE.md

Install a skill

The skills module includes example skill folders. The README's example is code-review-specialist, which is copied into your user skills folder so it is available across projects.

cp -r 03-skills/code-review-specialist ~/.claude/skills/

Follow the learning path and check your understanding

The guide lists 10 modules in a suggested order, with time estimates from 30 minutes to about 2 to 3 hours each. Beginners can start with slash commands, while intermediate readers can start at skills and advanced readers at advanced features. The guide's README says the full path takes 11 to 13 hours.

To test yourself, run /lesson-quiz with a topic name after a module, such as /lesson-quiz hooks, or run /self-assessment to get a personalized roadmap.

  • Slash Commands (30 min) and Memory (45 min) come first
  • Hooks, MCP and Subagents follow in the intermediate stage
  • Advanced Features and Plugins come last
/lesson-quiz hooks /self-assessment

What people use it for

  • Automated code review that combines slash commands, subagents, memory and MCP, as the README describes
  • Team onboarding using memory, slash commands and plugins
  • Security audits that combine subagents, skills and hooks in a read-only mode
  • Complex refactoring that uses checkpoints, planning mode and hooks

Frequently asked questions

Is claude-howto free?

Yes. The repository is MIT licensed and the README says it is free to use in personal projects, at work and in teams, with the license notice included.

What do I need before using claude-howto?

You need Claude Code installed, which the README recommends installing with the native installer, plus git to clone the repository. The guide assumes Claude Code is already set up and does not teach basic terminal use.

How do I install claude-howto?

There is no separate install step. You clone the repository with git clone https://github.com/luongnv89/claude-howto.git, then copy the templates you want into your project or into your ~/.claude folder.

Is claude-howto an official Anthropic guide?

No. It is a third-party guide. The README says it is not a feature reference, so use the official documentation for authoritative details.

Can I use the templates without changing them?

Not reliably. The templates are examples, so check each one against your own project before using it. Adjust commands, CLAUDE.md content and hook scripts to fit your setup.

What are the alternatives to claude-howto?

The source does not name comparable projects. Its README contrasts the guide with the official docs, which describe features but offer less on combining them and on learning order.

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Our verdict

claude-howto suits developers who already have Claude Code installed and want a guided path, copy-paste templates and quizzes beyond basic prompts. Skip it if you have never used a terminal or need an official, authoritative reference, and check every template against your own project before relying on it.

Install options & downloads