tomevault-io Claude Sync Skill
Synchronize Claude Code configuration files from a source template to existing codebases. Ensures projects stay up-to-date with the latest skills, configurations, and best practices.
Triggers
Use this skill when:
- Syncing Claude Code configuration to an existing project
- Updating a codebase with the latest Claude settings
- Ensuring a project has all standard Claude Code files
- Migrating configurations between projects
- Keywords: claude sync, sync configuration, update claude config, sync skills, configuration sync
Core Mission
Synchronize Claude Code configuration files from a template repository to existing codebases, ensuring every project has:
- Latest Claude Code skills
- Updated CLAUDE.md instructions
- Current settings and configurations
- Automatic backups of existing files
What Gets Synced
| Category | Files/Folders | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Skills | .claude/skills/ |
All custom Claude Code skills |
| Settings | .claude/settings.json |
Claude Code configuration |
| Instructions | CLAUDE.md |
Project-level Claude instructions |
| MCP Config | .claude/mcp.json |
MCP server configurations |
| Commands | .claude/commands/ |
Custom slash commands |
| Templates | .claude/templates/ |
Code and document templates |
| Pre-commit | .pre-commit-config.yaml |
Secret detection hooks |
| Git Attributes | .gitattributes |
File handling config |
Workflow
Step 1: Validate Target Codebase
Before syncing, validate the target:
# Check if path exists
test -d "<target_path>"
# Check if it's a Git repository
test -d "<target_path>/.git"
Validations:
- Path exists and is a directory
- Path is an initialized Git repository
- User has write permissions
Step 2: Gather Information
Collect the following:
1. **Source Path** - Template repository with source configurations
- Must contain .claude/ directory
- Example: E:\Repos\Templates\claude-code-base
2. **Target Path** - Full path to the codebase to sync
- Must be an existing Git repository
- Example: E:\Repos\MyOrg\my-project
3. **Dry Run?** - Preview changes without applying
- Default: No (apply changes)
- Recommended for first-time sync
4. **Create Backups?** - Backup existing files
- Default: Yes
- Backups stored in .claude-backup/
Step 3: Preview Changes (Dry Run)
If dry run requested, show what would happen:
## Dry Run Preview
### Files to Create (New)
- .claude/skills/new-skill/SKILL.md
- .claude/commands/new-command.md
### Files to Update (Overwrite)
- CLAUDE.md
- .claude/settings.json
- .claude/skills/existing-skill/SKILL.md
### Summary
- New files: 5
- Updated files: 12
- Total files: 17
Step 4: Execute Sync
Perform the sync with backups:
import shutil
import os
from datetime import datetime
# Create backup directory
backup_dir = os.path.join(target_path, ".claude-backup", datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S"))
os.makedirs(backup_dir, exist_ok=True)
# For each file to sync
for source_file in sync_files:
target_file = os.path.join(target_path, source_file)
# Backup if exists
if os.path.exists(target_file):
backup_file = os.path.join(backup_dir, source_file + ".backup")
os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(backup_file), exist_ok=True)
shutil.copy2(target_file, backup_file)
# Copy from source
shutil.copy2(os.path.join(source_path, source_file), target_file)
Step 5: Post-Sync Customization
After sync, guide user to customize:
Review CLAUDE.md
- Add project-specific context
- Update technology stack references
- Add custom rules for this codebase
Check for conflicts
- Review any customizations that may have been overwritten
- Restore from backups if needed:
.claude-backup/
Commit changes
git add .claude CLAUDE.md git commit -m "chore: sync Claude Code configuration"
Step 6: Provide Summary
Output a summary of the sync:
# Claude Sync Complete!
## Sync Details
| Metric | Count |
|--------|-------|
| **Files Synced** | 150 |
| **New Files** | 45 |
| **Updated Files** | 105 |
| **Backups Created** | 105 |
## Target Codebase
- **Path:** E:\Repos\MyOrg\my-project
- **Backups:** E:\Repos\MyOrg\my-project\.claude-backup
## What Was Synced
- 80+ Claude Code skills
- CLAUDE.md instructions
- Settings and MCP configuration
- Custom commands
- Pre-commit configuration
## Next Steps
1. Review `CLAUDE.md` and add project context
2. Check `.claude-backup/` for any files you need to restore
3. Commit: `git add .claude CLAUDE.md && git commit -m "chore: sync Claude config"`
Error Handling
| Error | Resolution |
|---|---|
| Path doesn't exist | Ask for correct path |
| Not a Git repository | Ask to initialize with git init or choose different path |
| Permission denied | Check write permissions |
| Source path not found | Verify source template location |
| Backup failed | Check disk space, try without backup |
Options Reference
| Option | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Source Path | Path to source configuration | Required |
| Target Path | Path to target codebase | Required |
| Dry Run | Preview changes only | False |
| No Backup | Skip creating backups | False |
| Force | Skip confirmation prompts | False |
Backup & Recovery
Backup Location
<target_path>/.claude-backup/
├── 20260122_143052/
│ ├── CLAUDE.md.backup
│ ├── .claude/
│ │ ├── settings.json.backup
│ │ ├── skills/
│ │ │ └── my-custom-skill/
│ │ │ └── SKILL.md.backup
│ │ └── ...
│ └── ...
└── ...
Restore a File
# Find backups
find <target>/.claude-backup -name "*.backup"
# Restore a specific file
cp "<backup_file>" "<original_location>"
Clean Up Backups
# Remove old backups (optional)
rm -rf <target>/.claude-backup
Example Session
User: Sync Claude configuration to my project
Claude: I'll help you sync Claude Code configuration files.
Q1: What is the path to the source template?
> E:\Repos\Templates\claude-code-base
Q2: What is the path to the target codebase?
> E:\Repos\MyOrg\customer-api
Q3: Would you like to preview changes first (dry run)?
> Yes
Checking prerequisites... Done
Validating source path... Done
Validating target path... Done
Target is a Git repository... Done
## Dry Run Preview
Would create: .claude/skills/new-skill/SKILL.md
Would update: CLAUDE.md
... (more files)
Summary:
Would sync: 150 files
New files: 45
Would update: 105
Q4: Apply these changes?
> Yes
Syncing files... Done
Creating backups... Done
Claude Sync Complete!
- Path: E:\Repos\MyOrg\customer-api
- Backups: E:\Repos\MyOrg\customer-api\.claude-backup
Next steps:
1. Review CLAUDE.md
2. Commit: git add .claude CLAUDE.md && git commit -m "chore: sync Claude config"
Selective Sync
For partial syncs, you can specify categories:
## Sync Options
- [ ] All (default)
- [ ] Skills only
- [ ] Settings only
- [ ] CLAUDE.md only
- [ ] Commands only
- [ ] Custom selection
Skills Only
# Sync only the skills directory
rsync -av --backup --suffix=.backup \
"<source>/.claude/skills/" \
"<target>/.claude/skills/"
CLAUDE.md Only
# Sync only CLAUDE.md
cp "<source>/CLAUDE.md" "<target>/CLAUDE.md"
Best Practices
- Always backup first: Enable backups on first sync
- Dry run first: Preview changes before applying
- Review CLAUDE.md: Add project-specific context after sync
- Commit promptly: Commit synced changes before making modifications
- Regular syncs: Schedule periodic syncs to stay current
- Check for conflicts: Some skills may need project customization
Related Skills
- project-wizard - For creating new projects
- archon-workflow - For task management
- git-workflow - For Git operations
Converted and distributed by TomeVault — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.