# AILmanac

> The always-current, community-built almanac for getting the most out of Claude — and every AI. From your first prompt to production agents, level-tagged and kept honest about freshness. Independent project, not affiliated with Anthropic; when AILmanac and the official docs disagree, the official docs win.

Site: https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/  ·  Source: https://github.com/derob98/ailmanac

## Start Here

- [Welcome & Why This Exists](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/start-here/welcome): What AILmanac is, who it's for, and what it deliberately does not try to replace.
- [Which Claude Should I Use?](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/start-here/which-claude): Chat vs Claude Code vs the API — plus mobile and voice. A quick decision guide.
- [Your First 5 Minutes](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/start-here/your-first-5-minutes): From zero to a genuinely useful answer with Claude — the fastest possible first win.
- [Learning Paths (Choose Your Track)](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/start-here/learning-paths): Sequenced reading orders for four kinds of reader, with time estimates.
- [How Levels & Freshness Work](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/start-here/levels-and-freshness): How to read the level badges and the 'last verified' date stamps.
- [The Landscape Map](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/start-here/landscape-map): Annotated index of official and community AI resources — and when to use each.
- [Glossary](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/start-here/glossary): 40+ AI and Claude terms in plain English.

## AI Foundations

- [What Is an LLM?](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/what-is-an-llm): Next-token prediction in plain language — and what an LLM is not.
- [Tokens, Context & Memory](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/tokens-and-context): How models read and remember text, and why long chats drift.
- [System, User & Assistant Roles](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/roles): The anatomy of a conversation and why the system prompt is your best lever.
- [Sampling Controls: Temperature & Friends](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/sampling-controls): Temperature, top-p and stop sequences — when to run hot vs cold.
- [Hallucinations & How to Reduce Them](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/hallucinations): Why models fabricate, the high-risk zones, and a concrete verification toolkit.
- [Embeddings & Vector Search](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/embeddings): Meaning as a vector, and how semantic search works.
- [Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/rag): Make any model answer about your data — and the failure modes to avoid.
- [Fine-tuning vs Prompting vs RAG](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/finetune-vs-prompt-vs-rag): The decision framework people get wrong, with a try-in-this-order rule.
- [Evaluating AI Quality (Evals)](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/evals): Build a golden set, pick metrics, and catch regressions before users do.
- [Privacy & Data Handling](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/privacy): What's safe to paste, training on your data, and when to run local.
- [Cost & Latency Tradeoffs](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/cost-and-latency): The cost/quality/speed triangle, model tiering, caching and batching.
- [Choosing a Model & Provider](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/choosing-a-model-provider): A vendor-neutral way to pick a model — and read benchmarks skeptically.
- [Claude vs ChatGPT, Gemini & Copilot](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/claude-vs-others): An honest, evergreen way to compare the major assistants for your needs.
- [AI Media Generation (Images, Audio, Video)](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/foundations/ai-media-generation): Where image/audio/video generation fits — and where Claude does and doesn't.

## Frontiers

- [The Freshness Half-Life](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/frontiers/freshness-half-life): Every AI fact decays at a different rate. A lens for deciding what to memorize, what to re-check, and what to never trust your memory on.
- [The Trust Ladder](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/frontiers/the-trust-ladder): Five rungs of autonomy you can grant an AI agent, tied to how reversible and how big a mistake would be — and the guardrail that makes each rung safe.
- [Context Engineering](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/frontiers/context-engineering): The shift from prompt engineering to treating the model's context window as a curated, scarce workspace — and why what you put in, where you put it, and what you leave out all matter.
- [The Capability-Reliability Gap](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/frontiers/the-capability-reliability-gap): A model doing something once in a demo is not the same as it doing it correctly every time in production. Understanding this gap is the foundation of building trustworthy AI systems.
- [Prompt Caching Economics](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/frontiers/prompt-caching-economics): Reusing a stable prefix across API calls can meaningfully cut both cost and latency. Here's the mental model, when it actually helps, and when it doesn't.
- [Frontiers](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/frontiers): AILmanac's own mental models for working with AI — plus the real-but-underused ideas most guides skip.

## Prompting

- [Prompting Basics](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/prompting/basics): The clear-and-direct framework that gets you 80% of the way, on any AI.
- [Prompt Patterns Library](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/prompting/pattern-library): Copy-paste pattern cards that work on any AI.
- [Few-Shot Examples Done Right](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/prompting/few-shot): Choosing, ordering, and formatting examples that actually teach the task.
- [Structuring Prompts with XML Tags](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/prompting/xml-tags): Claude's favored convention for delimiting inputs, instructions, and examples.
- [Prompting Claude Specifically](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/prompting/prompting-claude): What's genuinely Claude-specific vs universal.
- [Cross-AI Prompt Translation](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/prompting/cross-ai-translation): The same concept across Claude, GPT and Gemini — and what transfers.

## Claude.ai & Apps

- [Getting Started with Claude.ai](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/getting-started): Accounts, the interface, and your first useful conversation.
- [Talking to Claude (Voice Mode)](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/voice-mode): Hands-free, multilingual voice conversations on the Claude apps.
- [Claude on Mobile](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/mobile): The iOS and Android apps as a first-class surface.
- [Custom Instructions & Styles](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/custom-instructions): Account-wide instructions and response styles, and how they stack.
- [Projects: Persistent Workspaces](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/projects): A workspace with its own knowledge base and instructions.
- [Memory Across Chats](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/memory): How cross-chat memory works and its availability by plan.
- [Artifacts: Live, Runnable Outputs](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/artifacts): Build interactive apps, dashboards and docs in the side panel.
- [Generating Real Files (docx/pptx/xlsx/pdf)](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/generating-files): Produce downloadable, styled documents straight from chat.
- [AI in Your Existing Tools (M365 / Workspace / Slack)](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/ai-in-your-tools): Where you actually meet Claude inside the tools you already use.
- [Claude in Chrome & Computer Use](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/chrome-and-computer-use): The browser agent and desktop control — and the safety model.
- [Connectors (MCP) in the Apps](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/connectors): Reach external tools and data from the Claude apps.
- [Plans, Limits & Billing](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-app/plans-and-billing): Free vs Pro vs Max vs Team, usage limits, and what happens at quota.

## Claude Code

- [What Claude Code Is](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/what-is-claude-code): The agentic CLI/IDE tool explained — the session loop, install, and where everything lives.
- [CLAUDE.md & Memory Files](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/claude-md): The highest-leverage Claude Code customization: persistent project memory.
- [Plan Mode](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/plan-mode): Read-only investigate-and-propose before any edits run — the safest way to tackle big changes.
- [IDE Integrations](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/ide-integrations): VS Code and JetBrains extensions, inline diffs, and shared settings.
- [settings.json: The Config System](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/settings): File tiers and precedence, key sections, and project vs personal config.
- [Permissions & Permission Modes](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/permissions): allow/ask/deny rules and modes — cut prompts without losing safety.
- [Custom Slash Commands](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/slash-commands): Turn a repeatable workflow into one word.
- [Output Styles](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/output-styles): Change Claude Code's tone, verbosity, and teaching behaviour.
- [Statusline Customization](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/statusline): Surface model, cwd, context budget and git state with a custom script.
- [Context Management](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/context-management): /compact vs /clear, auto-compaction, and staying effective as sessions grow.
- [Hooks: Deterministic Automation](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/hooks): Run commands at lifecycle events to enforce formatting, gates, and safety.
- [Skills: On-Demand Expertise](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/skills): SKILL.md, progressive disclosure, and Skill vs command vs subagent vs MCP.
- [Subagents & Parallel Agents](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/subagents): Delegate to isolated-context agents with scoped tools — and when not to.
- [MCP Servers in Claude Code](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/mcp): Connect databases, GitHub, browsers and more via the Model Context Protocol.
- [Background Tasks, /loop & Scheduling](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/background-tasks): Long-running commands, recurring loops, and scheduled cloud agents.
- [Plugins & Marketplaces](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/plugins-marketplaces): Bundle skills, agents, commands, hooks and MCP into one installable unit.
- [Git Worktrees & Parallel Workstreams](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/worktrees): Run multiple isolated Claude sessions on one repo without them colliding.
- [Headless Mode & the Agent SDK](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/claude-code/headless-and-agent-sdk): Run Claude Code in CI, and build production agents on the same harness.

## Claude API & Building

- [Choosing a Claude Model](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/choosing-a-model): The Opus/Sonnet/Haiku tradeoff and how to pick — without guessing.
- [Tokens, Context & Pricing](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/tokens-and-pricing): Count tokens correctly, max_tokens vs context window, and estimating cost.
- [Your First API Call](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/first-call): Install the SDK, authenticate, and make a real call to Claude in Python, TypeScript, or cURL.
- [Streaming & Multi-Turn Conversations](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/streaming): Stream responses and manage history on a stateless API.
- [Tool Use / Function Calling](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/tool-use): Define tools, run the agentic loop, and handle results.
- [Vision, PDF & File Input](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/vision-pdf-files): Send images and documents, and reuse uploads by file_id.
- [Structured Output](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/structured-output): Get schema-conforming JSON you can rely on — not prompt-and-pray.
- [Extended Thinking & Effort](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/thinking-and-effort): Adaptive reasoning and the effort control — choosing depth by workload.
- [Prompt Caching & Cost Optimization](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/prompt-caching): Reuse a stable prompt prefix to cut cost and latency — and the gotcha that breaks it.
- [Building Agents on the API](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/building-agents): Single call vs workflow vs custom agent — the decision test and loop design.
- [Managed Agents](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/managed-agents): Anthropic-hosted agent loop: sessions, environments, memory, scheduling.
- [Cowork & Agent Teams](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/cowork-and-agent-teams): The agentic desktop workspace and multi-agent collaboration as products.
- [MCP & Connecting to Tools](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/mcp): Declare MCP servers on requests, and where MCP fits vs other tool types.
- [Safety, Refusals & Fallbacks](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/refusals-and-safety): Handle refusals gracefully and distinguish them from classifier blocks.
- [Errors, Rate Limits & Reliability](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/api/errors-and-rate-limits): The error map, retries with backoff, rate-limit tiers, and model migration.

## Playbooks

- [Everyday Productivity](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/playbooks/productivity): Your first five high-value uses of Claude for daily work — with copy-paste prompts.
- [Writing & Content Creation](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/playbooks/writing): Brief, draft, edit in passes, match your voice — without fabricating facts.
- [Coding & Software Development](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/playbooks/coding): Generate, explain, refactor, debug and test — verify, run, never paste secrets.
- [Research & Synthesis](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/playbooks/research): Summarize, compare sources and build a landscape — with citation-checking.
- [Data Analysis](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/playbooks/data-analysis): Generate SQL/formulas and interpret results — and verify against hallucinated stats.
- [Learning & Studying](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/playbooks/learning): Socratic tutoring and teach-back — learning with AI, not cheating with it.
- [Business, Marketing & Strategy](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/playbooks/business): Research, copy, support drafts and planning for non-technical owners — with caveats.
- [Accessibility: Claude as an Assistive Tool](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/playbooks/accessibility): Using Claude for dyslexia, low vision, neurodivergence and language learning.

## Walkthroughs

- [Customize Claude Code for a Real Repo](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/walkthroughs/customize-claude-code): From blank repo to a tuned setup: CLAUDE.md + permissions + a hook + a command.
- [Write Your First Skill End-to-End](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/walkthroughs/first-skill): Give Claude a new capability with a SKILL.md and a helper script.
- [Build & Wire Your First MCP Server](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/walkthroughs/first-mcp-server): Connect Claude to your data via a guided MCP build.
- [Design a Multi-Subagent Workflow](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/walkthroughs/multi-subagent-workflow): Orchestrate research/implement/review agents with handoffs and review gates.
- [Your First Production API Call (Cost-Aware)](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/walkthroughs/first-production-call): A real, streamed, error-handled, cost-budgeted call.
- [GitHub Action that Reviews Every PR](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/walkthroughs/pr-review-action): Run Claude Code headless in CI to review and comment on pull requests.

## Templates & Recipes

- [CLAUDE.md Starters](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/templates/claude-md): Annotated, copy-paste CLAUDE.md templates by project type.
- [Skill Packs & SKILL.md Templates](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/templates/skills): Ready-to-use Agent Skills by user type, plus how to write your own.
- [MCP Config & Server Scaffolds](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/templates/mcp-config): .mcp.json plus minimal stdio and remote server starters.
- [Hooks & settings.json Recipes](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/templates/hooks-settings): Copy-paste formatter, quality-gate, and safety-guard hooks plus starter settings.
- [Slash Command Library](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/templates/slash-commands): Useful custom slash commands you can drop in today.
- [Reusable Prompt Templates](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/templates/prompts): Task-mapped, XML-structured prompts with expected output and failure notes.
- [Production API Snippets](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/templates/api-snippets): Request wrappers with retries, streaming, and tool loops — Python and TypeScript.

## Security & Responsible Use

- [Prompt Injection Explained](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/security/prompt-injection): Direct and indirect injection — malicious instructions hidden in content the AI reads.
- [Securing Agents & Tools](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/security/securing-agents): Least privilege, sandboxing, the confused-deputy problem, and human-in-the-loop.
- [Hardening Autonomous Runs](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/security/hardening-autonomous-runs): Lock down headless/CI runs so an agent can't touch secrets or production.
- [Reviewing Third-Party Code](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/security/reviewing-third-party-code): Plugins, skills and MCP servers can ship executable code — review before you trust.
- [Responsible Use, Ethics & Verification](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/security/responsible-use): The autonomy ladder, the verification mindset, bias, and keeping humans in the loop.

## What's New

- [Freshness Dashboard](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/whats-new/freshness): A live, self-auditing ledger of every AILmanac page — what's fresh, what's aging, and what needs a human to re-verify. Pick a page and contribute a fix.
- [This Month in Claude](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/whats-new/this-month): A plain-English digest of recent model, Claude Code and API changes.
- [Current Models & Pricing](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/whats-new/models-and-pricing): The single, verified source of truth for current Claude models — and how we keep it fresh.
- [Deprecation & Migration Watch](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/whats-new/deprecations): Retired models, renamed flags, and breaking changes with migration notes.
- [Site Changelog](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/whats-new/site-changelog): AILmanac's own edits in Keep a Changelog format.

## Contribute

- [Contribute in 10 Minutes](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/contribute/contribute-in-10-minutes): How to add or fix a page via a pull request — the fast path.
- [Content Style Guide](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/contribute/style-guide): Voice, level badges, the opinion-vs-official line, and the citation rule.
- [Fact Verification & Freshness](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/contribute/fact-verification): How to date volatile facts and respond to needs-verification issues.
- [Troubleshooting: Why Did Claude Do That?](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/contribute/troubleshooting): Common surprises and how to fix them — refusals, wrong facts, lost context.
- [Translation Playbook (i18n)](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/contribute/translation-playbook): How to localize a section and own a locale via PR.
- [How Our Automation Works](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/contribute/automation): Link checks, the release watcher, and the model-table verifier, explained.
- [Code of Conduct & Governance](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/contribute/governance): Licensing split, the code of conduct, labels and triage.

## Tools

- [CLAUDE.md Generator](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/tools/claude-md-generator): Build a tuned CLAUDE.md for your project in 60 seconds — copy or download.
- [MCP Config Builder](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/tools/mcp-config-builder): Tick the servers you want and get a ready-to-use .mcp.json.
- [API Cost Calculator](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/tools/cost-calculator): Estimate your monthly Claude API cost — and see what prompt caching saves.
- [Prompt Doctor](https://derob98.github.io/ailmanac/docs/tools/prompt-doctor): Paste any prompt and get an instant best-practice scorecard, specific fixes, and an improved scaffold — all in your browser.