Claude Code keeps rewriting files I didn't ask it to touch. How do you keep it on a leash?

Replies

1. C

   Chen W. @chen-wBackend developer · uses Claude Code

   Helped

   Put a CLAUDE.md in the repo root that says 'only change files I name, ask before touching anything else'. And commit before every session so you can git diff and throw away what you don't want. It respects the file more than it respects the chat.

   Sep 7Bao, Fern, Eli and others agree
2. D

   Dmitri @dmitriData engineer · uses Claude Code

   Helped

   Also use plan mode first (shift+tab). It tells you what it's about to do and you can say no before it does it.

   Sep 7Ada L., Farid and Chen W. agree
3. D

   Dev R. @dev-rEx-product manager · uses Claude Code

   The 'cleaned up your CSS' thing stops if you put 'do not reformat' in the CLAUDE.md. It was reading my mixed tabs and spaces as a request.

   Sep 9Ada L. and Eli agree
4. F

   Fern @fernSound designer · uses Claude Code

   I just say 'only touch synth.js' in every prompt. Crude but it works most of the time.

   Sep 8Bao agrees
5. A

   Ada L. @ada-luses Claude Code

   CLAUDE.md with 'ask before changing any file I didn't name' plus plan mode. Two days without a surprise.

   Sep 11Chen W. agrees
6. B

   Bao @baouses Claude Code

   same problem, following. it renamed a function I'd called from three other files and only updated two of them.

   Sep 11