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Guide · Open source

How to use Thinking-Claude: setup and reading Claude's thinking

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

Thinking-Claude is an open-source project with two parts: a set of written instructions, called a thinking protocol, that asks Claude to reason more thoroughly before answering, and a Chrome browser extension that organizes Claude's thinking into collapsible, copyable sections on claude.ai. This guide explains what each part does, how to install the extension and load an instruction set, and what the project's own README says about its status. Read the status section first, because the repository has been retired.

Thinking Clauderichards199999/Thinking-Claude · ★ 17k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Check the status. Read the retirement notice in the README. The project is no longer maintained, so plan to use it for reference or experiments only.
  2. 2Get the code. Run the clone command from the README or download the extension from the Releases Page.
  3. 3Load the extension. In Chrome, open chrome://extensions/, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked and select the dist folder.
  4. 4Create a custom style. On claude.ai, open the style selector and create a custom style using the advanced custom instructions option.
  5. 5Paste an instruction set. Copy the contents of a file from model_instructions/ into the custom instructions box and save the style.
  6. 6Chat and read the thinking. Start a chat and use the fold, unfold and copy controls on Claude's thinking sections.

Is Thinking-Claude still supported?

No. The README carries a caution notice saying the repository has been retired, because Claude is already a reasoning model with strong built-in thinking capabilities, so the project is no longer necessary.

The project is still useful to read about. It is a clear example of prompt-based reasoning for Claude 3.5 Sonnet, the model the README references.

What Thinking-Claude includes

The README describes two main components. The first is the Thinking Protocol, a comprehensive set of instructions that guides Claude to think deeply and systematically before responding. The second is a Browser Extension that makes Claude's thinking process easier to read and manage in the browser.

  • Thinking Protocol: instruction sets stored in the model_instructions/ folder, one file per version
  • Browser Extension: folds and unfolds parts of Claude's thoughts, copies any part with one click, and works automatically with new messages
thinking-claude/ ├── extensions/ │ ├── chrome/ │ ├── chrome_v0/ │ ├── firefox/ │ └── changelog.md ├── model_instructions/ ├── LICENSE └── README.md

Install the Chrome extension

You need Google Chrome or a Chromium-based browser and a Claude.ai account on the Free or Pro plan. The README says the project is meant to work with the Claude 3.5 Sonnet model on both plans.

The README lists two routes. The Chrome Web Store listing is marked as possibly outdated. The manual route is labelled as recommended in the README and uses the releases page. To get the source, the README gives this clone command.

  • Download the extension from the Releases Page on the repository and unzip the file
  • Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions/
  • Turn on Developer mode using the toggle in the top right corner
  • Click Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder named dist
git clone https://github.com/richards199999/Thinking-Claude

Load an instruction set into Claude.ai

The README says to apply the thinking protocol through Claude's custom style feature. Choose the instruction set you want from the model_instructions/ folder and paste its contents into the custom instructions field. The README lists the steps as a click path in the Claude interface.

  • Visit claude.ai and click the Choose style selector at the bottom of the input box
  • Click Create & Edit Styles, then Create Custom Style
  • Click Describe style manually, then Start from scratch
  • Click Use custom instructions (advanced) and paste the content of your chosen file from model_instructions/

Read Claude's thinking in the extension

Once the extension is installed and a style is set, start a normal chat. According to the README, the extension automatically turns Claude's thinking into sections you can fold, unfold and copy. The README includes demo videos, but the text does not describe settings beyond these basics.

  • Fold and unfold sections of Claude's thoughts
  • Copy any section with one click
  • Thinking appears in organized sections for new messages without extra steps

What Thinking-Claude does not do

The README is clear that the project is not aimed at benchmarks or large gains in math. Those results are set by the base model. The project's goal was to explore how far Claude's deeper thinking style could go in daily tasks.

The README only mentions Claude 3.5 Sonnet, so it does not say the protocol works on other Claude models.

What people use it for

  • Reading Claude's step-by-step reasoning in a tidier layout on claude.ai
  • Comparing how different instruction files in model_instructions/ change the visible thinking
  • Studying prompt-based reasoning for Claude 3.5 Sonnet as a historical approach
  • Copying individual parts of a long reasoning trace into your own notes

Frequently asked questions

Is Thinking-Claude free?

The project is released under the MIT License, which the README describes as free to use and modify as needed. The README says it works on both the Free and Pro versions of the Claude web app, but it does not give prices for either plan.

What are the requirements for Thinking-Claude?

The README lists Google Chrome or a Chromium-based browser and a Claude.ai account on the Free or Pro plan. It states the project is meant for the Claude 3.5 Sonnet model.

How do I install Thinking-Claude?

Download the extension from the Releases Page, open chrome://extensions/ in Chrome, turn on Developer mode, and click Load unpacked to select the dist folder. The README also points to a Chrome Web Store listing, which it marks as possibly outdated.

Is Thinking-Claude still maintained?

No. The README says the repository has been retired because Claude is already a reasoning model with strong built-in thinking. The project is kept for reference.

Will Thinking-Claude improve my math or benchmark scores?

No. The README states the project is not aimed at benchmarks or large gains in math, because those results come from the base model. Its focus is on how Claude's deeper thinking style works in daily tasks.

What are the alternatives to Thinking-Claude?

The analysis for this directory lists no comparable projects. For current Claude reasoning, the README's own point is that Claude already has strong built-in thinking, so you can start by using the model directly.

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Our verdict

Thinking-Claude is worth a look if you want to read Claude's reasoning in a neater format on claude.ai, or if you are studying how prompt instructions shape visible thinking. Do not choose it if you need active support, since the repository has been retired, or if you want better math or benchmark results, which the README says the project does not target.

Install options & downloads