You have asked Claude Code to build something. It worked. Then you asked it to change something and spent the afternoon wondering what on earth it had done. Welcome to the next stage. Learning advanced Claude Code means getting useful work out of it consistently, with a clear brief, the right context and checks you understand.
Learn advanced Claude Code by completing one small project from brief to tested result. Practise project instructions, planning, reusable skills, tool connections and review in that order. Keep a working copy, define what success looks like and inspect the changes before you use them.
- 01Define the jobOne useful output. Clear pass or fail.
- 02Add contextYour project rules, saved in one place.
- 03Agree a planInspect first. Make the change manageable.
- 04Save a skillRepeat the method that already works.
- 05Connect carefullyGive it the access the job needs.
- 06Prove it worksInspect changes. Run checks. Save the recipe.
How to learn advanced Claude Code step by step
1. Choose a Claude Code project you can actually check
Pick a small job with an obvious result: a quotation calculator, a landing page or a script that tidies a sample spreadsheet. Avoid starting with the entire business. It has enough problems already.
For this exercise, build a simple quotation calculator using fictional prices. Write three expected outcomes before you ask for any work: two items at £50 should total £100; a blank quantity should prompt the user; a negative quantity should be rejected. Save a copy of the starting files.
You now have a brief and a way to judge the result. A screenshot that looks promising is only the beginning.
Check your progress
2. Write a useful CLAUDE.md project brief
A CLAUDE.md file gives Claude Code project instructions it can use across sessions. Keep it short: what the project does, how it is organised, how to check it and the conventions that matter. Anthropic explains the approach in its Claude Code best practices.
For the quotation calculator, include the pricing source, currency, rounding rule and the instruction to flag missing prices. Put passwords and customer records somewhere else. A project brief is a poor place for either.
Ask Claude to summarise the instructions before it starts. Correct any misunderstanding while the work is still cheap to change.
Claude Code prompt to try
Read the project and its CLAUDE.md. Explain the purpose, the existing structure and the checks available. Identify missing information. Do not edit files yet.
Check your progress
3. Use planning before a complex change
Ask Claude to inspect the relevant files and propose a short plan before a substantial change. Use Plan Mode where available. Read which files it expects to change, what assumptions it has made and how it will verify the result.
Break a larger request into useful stages. First calculate a total. Then validate quantities. Then improve the layout. This makes it easier to spot the point where something went wrong.
For a tiny wording edit, a planning ceremony is unnecessary. The skill is choosing how much structure the job deserves.
Check your progress
4. Turn a repeated task into a Claude Code skill
Once a manual workflow produces good results, save its instructions as a reusable skill. Claude Code supports SKILL.md files inside named folders under .claude/skills/. See Anthropic’s skills documentation for the current format.
A useful first skill might review the calculator against your three examples and produce a short findings report. Define its input, sequence, output and stopping conditions. A skill called ‘make everything brilliant’ will be exactly as useful as it sounds.
Try it on a second sample with a deliberately missing price. If the skill quietly invents one, improve the instructions and repeat the test.
Check your progress
5. Connect tools with MCP and keep the scope clear
MCP, or Model Context Protocol, lets Claude Code connect to external tools and information. A connection could let it read an approved project tracker or reference a document system. Follow the provider’s setup instructions and Anthropic’s MCP guidance.
For practice, use a test source and read-only access where available. Ask Claude to retrieve one known item, show where it came from and explain whether anything is missing. Add write access only when the workflow requires it and you understand the effect.
Written instructions help guide behaviour; actual access controls decide what a tool can reach. Configure both.
Check your progress
6. Review, test and make the workflow repeatable
Ask for a summary of changed files, checks run and unresolved issues. Open the result yourself. Try the ordinary case, the blank field and the awkward input you wrote down at the start.
Once the basics are reliable, an independent review task can help find omissions. Give the reviewer a precise question such as ‘Which input can produce an incorrect total?’ Another AI review is useful evidence, but it still needs your judgement.
Save the successful brief, skill and test examples together. Run the workflow on a fresh sample next week and record time spent correcting it. That is a much better measure of progress than how impressive the first demo looked.
Claude Code prompt to try
Compare the result with our acceptance checks. Show what passed, what failed and what you could not test. Explain the changes in plain English. Do not publish or deploy anything.
Check your progress
A practical advanced Claude Code learning exercise
Build the quotation calculator, add your project brief, save one review skill and repeat the job with different fictional prices. Ask a colleague to use it without your explanation. Note where they get stuck. Improve that part and test again. You are learning to supervise a small system, including the dull bits that decide whether anybody can use it.
Put the skills to work with us
For guided practice, explore Advanced Claude Code. The module covers context, shortcuts, tool connections, reusable skills and supervised workflows. If the setup still feels unfamiliar, start with Introduction to Claude Code. Move on to Building Agents in Claude Code when you are ready to coordinate more complex tasks.
Based in Witney, Oxfordshire. Explore UK training options or online training for international teams.
Talk to us about your teamAdvanced Claude Code: frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a developer to learn advanced Claude Code?
You can learn to brief and supervise small projects without being a developer. You still need to understand the files being changed and how to check the result. Production software, sensitive systems and unfamiliar security decisions deserve qualified technical review.
What should I learn after basic Claude Code prompts?
Learn project context, planning, acceptance checks and reusable skills first. Add tool connections and more complex agent workflows once you can reliably verify a small task.
What is the difference between CLAUDE.md and a skill?
CLAUDE.md holds ongoing project guidance. A skill packages instructions for a particular workflow or area of knowledge. Keep general rules in the project brief and detailed task recipes in skills.
How long does it take to learn advanced Claude Code?
There is no fixed route to proficiency. Start with several focused practice sessions around one small project, then repeat the workflow on new examples. Judge progress by reliable results and fewer corrections.
Can I learn advanced Claude Code with The Oxford AI School?
Yes. The school has an Advanced Claude Code module and a separate Building Agents in Claude Code module. Check the linked programme pages for the current scope and delivery options.
Sources and further reading
Product documentation and programme links checked on 5 October 2026.