Five blocks. 300–500 words. The doc that tells Claude what THIS workspace does — separate from your global Instructions for Claude. Copy it, fill the brackets, paste into your project's settings.
The template · copy & fill
# WHAT THIS WORKSPACE IS
This project is [the deliverable it produces — e.g. "weekly content + launch
emails for Client X"]. Everything here exists to make that output faster and
sharper. It is NOT a general assistant.
# WHOSE VOICE / WHO IT SERVES
All output is written for/as [name]. The voice lives in [voice-file.md] —
check it before any client-facing copy. [One line on the audience.]
# PRIORITY FILES (read these first)
- Always check [brand-voice.md] before writing anything client-facing.
- Every [output type] follows [gold-sample.md] — match its structure.
- Pull testimonials/quotes ONLY from [testimonials-distilled.md], verbatim.
# STANDING RULES (project-specific only)
- Format: [length cap, structure].
- Banned: [words/moves specific to this project].
- [Any always-true rule — citation style, output template, etc.]
(Do NOT repeat your global Instructions for Claude here.)
# WHAT THIS PROJECT DOES NOT DO
This workspace does not [the anti-goal — e.g. "write for any other client,"
"handle anything outside content + launches"]. If asked, flag it and stop.
The 5 blocks · why each one earns its place
1
What this workspace is
Two or three sentences naming the DELIVERABLE. Not "tell me about the business" — what comes OUT of this room. This single answer scopes everything else.
2
Whose voice / who it serves
Point at the voice file by name. This is where "context over prompts" becomes real — you name the source instead of re-describing it every chat.
3
Priority files
The lever. Instructions are read every prompt; files are only searched when relevant. If a file must apply EVERY time, name it here. That's how you make a template win.
4
Standing rules
Project-specific format and banned moves only. Don't repeat your globals — that's the instruction clash that breaks projects.
5
What it does NOT do
The anti-goal. This is your insurance against the one-bloated-brain failure: a project that knows its edges stays one project, one job.
The length rule300–500 words. Same token discipline as your Instructions for Claude. If it's longer than this, you're writing a manual, not instructions — and Claude skims long instructions.
Global = how Claude talks to you. Project = what this workspace does. Don't mix them.