diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf4df00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# CLAUDE.md
+
+This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with code in this repository.
+
+## Commands
+- Run the backup script: `python3 backup.py`
+- No formal testing framework is used
+
+## Code Style Guidelines
+- **Imports**: Standard library imports first, then third-party libraries
+- **Formatting**: 4-space indentation, max line length ~100 characters
+- **Types**: Python type hints for function parameters and returns
+- **Naming**: Snake_case for variables and functions, CamelCase for classes
+- **Error Handling**: Prefer explicit error handling with try/except blocks
+- **Documentation**: Use docstrings for functions
+- **Config Files**: JSON format with "outputDir", "inputs", and "ignorePatterns" keys
+
+## Project Structure
+- `/configs/`: JSON configuration files for different backup jobs
+- `backup.py`: Main script for creating tar.gz archives of specified directories
\ No newline at end of file