## Tip: Use .claudeignore to Manage Context

**Category**: workflow

**Problem**: Claude Code includes too many irrelevant files in context, making responses slower and less focused.

**Solution**: Create a `.claudeignore` file in your project root to exclude unnecessary files from Claude's context.

**Example**:

❌ **Without .claudeignore**:
- Claude loads all node_modules
- Includes build artifacts
- Processes large data files
- Context becomes bloated and unfocused

✅ **With .claudeignore**:
```
# .claudeignore
node_modules/
dist/
build/
*.log
.env
data/*.csv
coverage/
.next/
```

**Why It Works**:
- Faster responses (less context to process)
- More focused suggestions (relevant files only)
- Reduced token usage
- Better performance overall

**Pro Tip**: Start with your `.gitignore` and add project-specific exclusions.

**Related**: See [Claude Code Best Practices - .claudeignore section](../../docs/claude-code-best-practices.md#claudeignore-file)

**Tags**: #claude-code #workflow #performance #context-management
