Claude Code settings.json Configuration

Claude Code settings are JSON configuration files that control permissions, environment variables, hooks, and project defaults for Claude Code; c-ai.chat is independent of Anthropic, and this guide explains how to edit them safely alongside the broader Claude feature set.

• The short answer
• How it works
• Practical examples
• Claude Code settings vs alternatives
• FAQ
• The honest take
• Sources

The short answer

Claude Code settings are usually the settings.json files Claude Code reads to decide what it can do in your terminal: which tools it may run, which files it may read, which environment variables it sees, and which project defaults apply. They matter most for developers and teams who want Claude Code to help without giving it unnecessary access.

Anthropic publishes the official Claude Code settings reference at docs.claude.com. Use it as the source of truth for the full schema. Use this independent guide to decide what belongs in user settings, project settings, and local-only overrides.

The main files to know are ~/.claude/settings.json for personal defaults, .claude/settings.json inside a repository for shared project rules, and .claude/settings.local.json for machine-specific settings that should not be committed. Treat shared settings as part of the codebase, like linting, formatting, or test configuration.

If you are deciding whether Claude Code fits your workflow, start with our Claude features overview. If you need plan context before rolling it out to a team, see our Claude pricing guide.

How it works

Claude Code runs as a command-line coding assistant. When you start it in a repository, it reads configuration from multiple places and applies the relevant rule when settings overlap. That lets you keep broad personal preferences in your home directory, commit safe project defaults to the repository, and keep secrets or machine-specific paths out of version control.

The settings file is JSON. Small syntax errors can break loading. Use double quotes, avoid trailing commas, and edit the file in a JSON-aware editor. Review changes to .claude/settings.json like code changes. Keep them small and explain why each tool permission is allowed.

Permissions are the most important part for most teams. Claude Code can inspect files and request tool use, but you can constrain what it may do without approval. A common pattern is to allow safe, repeatable commands such as tests and linting, then deny secrets, environment files, deployment commands, and broad network calls unless a human approves them.

1. Start Claude Code in a repository

   Open your terminal at the project root and run Claude Code. Use the official installer and current commands from Anthropic’s Claude Code docs.

2. Open or create the settings folder

   Create .claude/ in the repository if it does not exist. Put shared team rules in .claude/settings.json.

3. Add one narrow permission rule first

   Start with a safe command such as npm test or npm run lint. Do not grant broad shell access on the first pass.

4. Keep local-only values out of Git

   Use .claude/settings.local.json for machine-specific paths or personal preferences. Add it to .gitignore if your tooling does not already ignore it.

5. Test the workflow

   Ask Claude Code to complete a normal task. Confirm it can do the expected work and still asks before risky actions.

A minimal shared settings file often starts with permissions. This example is not a complete schema. It shows the shape of a practical repository policy:

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(npm run lint)",
      "Bash(npm test)",
      "Bash(npm run test:*)"
    ],
    "deny": [
      "Read(./.env)",
      "Read(./.env.*)",
      "Read(./secrets/**)",
      "Bash(rm -rf:*)",
      "Bash(curl:*)"
    ]
  }
}

The exact permission strings and supported keys can change, so check Anthropic’s current settings reference before enforcing a large policy. If you also use Claude through the API, keep Claude Code settings separate from application runtime configuration; our Claude API docs guide covers that side of the stack.

Practical examples

Good Claude Code configuration is simple. It turns repeated approvals into predictable defaults while keeping risky actions behind a human decision. These examples show the settings teams usually care about.

Allow tests and linting without repeated prompts

If Claude Code helps with normal feature work, it needs to run the same checks a developer would run. Allow narrow test and lint commands, not every shell command.

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(npm run lint)",
      "Bash(npm test)",
      "Bash(npm run typecheck)",
      "Bash(pytest)",
      "Bash(ruff check .)"
    ]
  }
}

A realistic prompt after adding those rules:

Find why the user settings page fails validation, patch the smallest safe change,
then run the relevant test and lint commands.

Block secret files and risky shell patterns

Most repositories have files Claude Code should not read. Common examples include .env, cloud credentials, private keys, production config, and local database dumps. Deny rules give you a second layer of protection alongside normal file permissions and secret scanning.

{
  "permissions": {
    "deny": [
      "Read(./.env)",
      "Read(./.env.*)",
      "Read(./config/production.*)",
      "Read(./private/**)",
      "Read(./*.pem)",
      "Bash(aws:*)",
      "Bash(gcloud:*)",
      "Bash(kubectl:*)"
    ]
  }
}

This does not replace access control. It makes Claude Code less likely to touch sensitive areas during normal coding sessions. For regulated teams, pair it with repository permissions, audit controls, and Anthropic’s trust resources at trust.anthropic.com.

Set local environment variables for Claude Code

Use environment settings for Claude Code behavior, not for application secrets. A developer might use local settings for a telemetry preference, an internal proxy value, or tool-specific configuration that should not be shared across the team.

{
  "env": {
    "EXAMPLE_TOOL_MODE": "local",
    "EXAMPLE_PROXY_PROFILE": "office"
  }
}

Keep this kind of file in .claude/settings.local.json unless the whole team needs the same value. If the value is secret, do not store it here.

Create a shared project baseline

For a team repository, the shared settings file should define the safe path through the project. Allow the commands that validate work. Deny the files and commands that could expose secrets or change infrastructure. Leave unusual operations for explicit approval.

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(pnpm install)",
      "Bash(pnpm lint)",
      "Bash(pnpm test)",
      "Bash(pnpm build)"
    ],
    "deny": [
      "Read(./.env*)",
      "Read(./ops/secrets/**)",
      "Bash(terraform apply:*)",
      "Bash(kubectl delete:*)",
      "Bash(git push:*)"
    ]
  }
}

The shared baseline should be reviewed by someone who understands the repository’s risk profile. A frontend app, a payments service, and an infrastructure repository should not share the same permissions.

Use prompts that match your settings

Settings work better when your prompt is specific about allowed work. If tests are allowed but deployment commands are denied, ask Claude Code to stop at a pull-request-ready patch instead of asking it to ship the change.

Update the billing form validation for the new VAT field.
Use the existing test style.
Run lint and the relevant unit tests.
Do not modify deployment files or run production commands.

That prompt gives Claude Code a clear boundary. It also gives reviewers a simple checklist: code changed, tests ran, deployment untouched.

Claude Code settings vs alternatives

Claude Code settings are most useful if you want a terminal-first agent with repository-level guardrails. They are not the same as IDE preferences in Cursor, GitHub Copilot, or Sourcegraph Cody. Those tools can be a better fit if your team mainly wants inline completions, editor chat, or code search inside an existing IDE.

Tool	Primary interface	Configuration style	Good fit	Main trade-off
Claude Code	Terminal	JSON settings, permissions, project rules, CLI workflow	Agentic coding tasks that need tests, file edits, and controlled shell use	Requires careful permissions and comfort with command-line workflows
Cursor	IDE	Editor settings, rules, model selection, workspace context	Developers who want chat and edits inside a VS Code-like editor	Less terminal-native; team governance depends on editor and workspace setup
GitHub Copilot	IDE and GitHub surfaces	Organisation policies, IDE settings, repository context	Teams already standardised on GitHub and supported IDEs	Strong for completion and common workflows, but not the same local agent model
Sourcegraph Cody	IDE and code search workflows	Enterprise and editor configuration around code context	Large codebases where code search and repository context are central	Value depends heavily on Sourcegraph adoption and indexing setup
Direct Claude API	Application code	SDKs, API keys, model parameters, app-level controls	Building custom coding tools or internal automation	More flexible, but you own the product, safety layer, and maintenance

The right choice depends on the job. Use Claude Code when you want a local agent that can inspect a repo, edit files, and run approved commands. Use an IDE assistant when you want suggestions while typing. Use the API when you are building a custom workflow.

If you are comparing Claude’s broader capabilities rather than terminal configuration, our Claude models guide and Claude features overview are better starting points.

FAQ

The honest take

Claude Code settings are worth configuring if Claude Code is part of your regular development workflow. The highest-value settings are simple: allow trusted checks, deny sensitive files, and keep shared rules separate from local preferences. Do not try to encode every possible decision in JSON. Use settings to make the safe path easy and the risky path explicit.

If you only use Claude Code occasionally, a minimal configuration is enough. If a team uses it daily, treat .claude/settings.json as a reviewed engineering policy. That gives developers speed without giving an agent unrestricted access to the repository.

Independent guide. Not affiliated with Anthropic. For the official Claude product, visit claude.ai.

Last updated: 2026-05-12

This article is part of the Claude Code hub on c-ai.chat.