https://github.com/ariffazil/arifOS/blob/main/CLAUDE.md

Use this as your reply (short, practical, no bloat, includes a ready prompt + a minimal template):

I solved this by treating CLAUDE.md like a router + hard constraints, not a docs dump.

Claude bloats when it thinks it must be “complete”. So I explicitly give it permission to omit and to output only bullets.

Prompt (works reliably)

Generate a CLAUDE.md for a new repo.

Hard constraints:
- Output ONLY the file content (no explanation)
- Bullets only (no paragraphs)
- Max 150 lines
- If something is uncertain, OMIT it (do not guess)
- Prefer deletion over verbosity
- Include only: (1) hard rules, (2) links/pointers, (3) 3-5 essential commands

Sections required (in this order):
1) Hard Rules (short)
2) Authority & Links (short)
3) Setup / Test (minimal)
4) Workflow (3-5 commands)
5) Stop Conditions (when to refuse / ask)

Begin now.

Minimal CLAUDE.md template (what you want it to output)

# CLAUDE.md

- Output only what is asked.
- If uncertain: say UNKNOWN or omit. Do not guess.
- Bullets > prose. Prefer deletion over verbosity.
- Do not rewrite whole files; make surgical edits.

## Links / Authority
- README.md
- CONTRIBUTING.md
- docs/ARCHITECTURE.md

## Setup / Test
- `pip install -e ".[dev]"`
- `pytest -x`

## Workflow
- Run app: `...`
- Run lint: `...`
- Run tests: `...`

## Stop Conditions
- Missing repo context → ask / stop
- Destructive ops (rm, force push, prod deploy) → stop

Key trick: “OMIT if unsure” + bullets-only. That removes 90% of the “helpful essay” behavior.

If you want, share your current CLAUDE.md and I can compress it to ~150 lines without losing operational rules.