When you're working with Claude Code, you'll want to give Claude exactly the right context to succeed. The better you can reference files, manage your prompts, and provide visual context, the better results you'll get.
This lesson covers several practical techniques to improve how you communicate with Claude in the terminal.
When you want Claude to focus on specific files, use the @ symbol to reference them directly.
@ and start typing a filenameYou'll see autocomplete suggestions appear. For example, typing @routes might show you routes.ts.
Use the up and down arrow keys to browse available files.
Tab to select a fileOnce you've found the file you want, press Tab to add it to your prompt.
You can reference as many files as you need in a single prompt. Type @ again and repeat the steps above for each additional file.
Tell me about @routes.ts and @schema.ts
When you run this prompt by pressing Return, Claude automatically reads both files into the context window. This saves Claude from having to find them manually, and gives it exactly what it needs to help you.
Sometimes you're working on a complex prompt, but you realize you need to ask Claude something else first. Instead of losing your work, you can stash it.