# Effective Claude Code Usage

Author: Indrajeet Patil
Format: Quarto RevealJS presentation
Canonical URL: https://www.indrapatil.com/effective-claude-code-usage/
Source: https://github.com/IndrajeetPatil/effective-claude-code-usage/
License: CC0 1.0 Universal
Publication date: 2026-06-20
Language: English

## Summary

This slide deck presents practical patterns for using Claude Code effectively as a CLI agent. Its core framing is that Claude Code is not just a chatbot in a terminal: it can read, write, search, execute, use tools, run workflows, and iterate through software engineering tasks.

The talk is aimed at software developers who want to use Claude Code for complex engineering work. It explains how to treat the tool as a capable cognitive partner while keeping workflows auditable, validated, and grounded in project context. It covers skills (reusable playbooks), multi-agent workflows with deterministic orchestration, and the auto-memory system.

## Learning goals

- Understand the difference between chatbots, autocomplete, and CLI agents.
- Learn how Claude Code uses tools and why tool access changes the interaction model.
- Use skills for repeatable actions and slash commands for session control.
- Manage the context window deliberately and avoid filling it with low-signal content.
- Use CLAUDE.md files and auto-memory as durable project memory.
- Apply subagents when parallel exploration or independent subtasks are valuable.
- Use workflows for deterministic multi-agent orchestration with budget control.
- Use planning mode to explore before editing.
- Use hooks and validation steps to make agentic work safer.
- Prompt with intent and constraints rather than brittle step-by-step instructions.
- Understand when MCP is useful and when CLI tools are more token-efficient.
- Use Git worktrees for parallel Claude Code sessions.

## Core recommendations

- Treat Claude Code as an agent that loops through perception, planning, action, observation, and revision.
- Keep project instructions explicit and close to the codebase.
- Give agents enough context to make good decisions, but avoid dumping unnecessary context.
- Prefer validated workflows where commands, tests, linting, and review checks provide feedback.
- Use subagents for bounded, independent work rather than as a substitute for clear task design.
- Use workflows when you need deterministic control flow, budget awareness, or structured output across multiple agents.
- Use planning mode when the cost of premature edits is high.
- Use worktrees to isolate concurrent agent sessions.

## Retrieval notes

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