Ask for the smallest change that works
One button turned into 14 files and a plugin system. A prompt, a CLAUDE.md rule and plan mode that keep the change small.
The prompt
Claude can infer intent but cannot read your mind. State the scope, and say what you do not want. If you want more than the task strictly needs, you ask for it.
Add a Save button to src/Form.tsx that calls onSave.
Smallest change that works: one file, no new abstractions,
no config, no new dependencies. Follow the existing code.
If you think more is needed, tell me. Do not build it.Say it once in CLAUDE.md
CLAUDE.md is read at the start of every conversation. Anthropic's prompting guide has a longer sample prompt against over-engineering. This is a short version in the same spirit.
# CLAUDE.md
- Only make changes that are directly requested.
- No features or configurability beyond the ask.
- No helpers or abstractions for one-time operations.Review the scope first with plan mode
In plan mode Claude reads and proposes, and edits stay blocked until you approve. Press Shift+Tab until the status bar shows plan mode, start with the flag, or put /plan before one prompt. Press Ctrl+G to edit the plan in your editor and cut steps you did not ask for.
claude --permission-mode plan
# or, inside a session:
/plan add a Save button to src/Form.tsxCheck it worked
Read the size of the change before you accept it. One button should not touch 14 files. git diff lists only tracked files, so mark new files first with intent-to-add.
git add -N .
git diff --stat
git diff --shortstatPro tip: undo the overbuild
If it already built too much, press Esc twice on an empty prompt or run /rewind to restore the conversation, the code, or both. Checkpoints only cover edits made by Claude's file tools, not shell commands, and are not a replacement for git. Commit before big tasks.
Common mistake
Planning everything, or approving a plan unread. Anthropic's rule of thumb: if you could describe the diff in one sentence, skip the plan and ask directly. For anything bigger, cut the steps you did not ask for before you approve.
Official docs
One fix of twenty: the whole Claude Code survival kit.
Follow @whyshouldaicareA new disaster and its fix every day. Comment the word under a reel to get its guide.