Claude Code's 4-Level Instruction Hierarchy Revealed
Claude Code uses a four-level instruction hierarchy consisting of system prompts, user instructions, task context, and runtime constraints to process and
Someone figured out Claude Code loads instructions in a 4-level hierarchy that basically acts as a security checkpoint for every project.
The order:
/etc/claude-code/CLAUDE.md(company-wide rules)~/.claude/CLAUDE.md(your personal defaults)./CLAUDE.md(project team settings)./CLAUDE.local.md(local overrides)
The global ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md is pretty powerful since it applies to every single project automatically. Smart move is putting security rules there - stuff like “never commit API keys” or “always add tests before merging.”
Project-level files inherit everything from global, so you set standards once and they follow you everywhere. The local file is gitignored, perfect for machine-specific paths or personal preferences that shouldn’t affect teammates.
Turns out this hierarchy prevents the “oops, different rules per project” problem. Set your non-negotiables in ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md and override only when projects actually need different behavior.
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