---
title: Where you start Claude — Claude basics, lesson 4
description: Claude reads its instructions from the folder where you start it: what loads from the instibrain button, what loads inside a code folder, and /context.
url: https://instibrain.ai/guides/claude-basics/where-you-start-claude
updated: 2026-10-28
site: https://instibrain.ai/llms.txt
---

lesson 4 of 7 · claude basics

# Where you start Claude, and what it loads.

Claude reads its instructions from the folder where you start it. Start in the right folder, and the right instructions load.

## new words

**Folder**
A place for files on your computer. `~` means your home folder.

**CLAUDE.md**
A file of instructions Claude reads at the start of every session.

## the lesson

At the start, Claude loads the `CLAUDE.md` in the folder you start in, and the one in every folder above it. It also loads `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md`, your own file. The instibrain button loads `~/.instibrain/claude/CLAUDE.md` in its place.

Start Claude from the instibrain button. It opens Claude in `~/instibrain`. There, instibrain, your spaces and your specialists load.

Claude started inside a folder of code reads that code's own `CLAUDE.md`, and none of your spaces. For work that needs both, start from the button and name the code's folder in your task.

The starting folder decides every row.

## try it

Open a fresh session from the instibrain button. Type this and press Enter:

```
/context
```

## you should see

- Under Memory files: `~/.instibrain/claude/CLAUDE.md` and the files it imports, `~/instibrain/CLAUDE.md` among them.

---

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