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Repo Onboarding Workflow

How to bring Claude Code into a new codebase without losing the plot

A practical onboarding path for large or unfamiliar repositories, built around context capture, file discovery, and a stable working plan.

Begin with the rules of the repo

Claude Code becomes more useful faster when the codebase gives it collaboration guidance up front. That is where CLAUDE.md and initial context gathering pay off.

Build a map before asking for solutions

In an unfamiliar repository, early value comes from finding entrypoints, dependency boundaries, and relevant commands, not from premature implementation.

This is exactly where plan mode and read-heavy tool use make the most sense.

Lock the first implementation scope

Once the repo map is clear, turn the first real task into a small, decision-complete plan before switching to editing.

Learn next

These guides are adjacent to the current topic and make the learning path easier to follow.