--- title: I made Claude Code build a map of my files, and it cut... description: A writer experimented with using Claude Code to generate a hierarchy of README.md files describing the contents of her messy personal computer, turning it into... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/i-made-claude-code-build-a-map-of-my-files-and-it-cut-search-times-by-96--xw1wzju7w twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: I made Claude Code build a map of my files, and it cut search times by 96% | daily.dev og:description: A writer experimented with using Claude Code to generate a hierarchy of README.md files describing the contents of her messy personal computer, turning it into... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/i-made-claude-code-build-a-map-of-my-files-and-it-cut-search-times-by-96--xw1wzju7w og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/XW1WzJu7W.png og:image:alt: I made Claude Code build a map of my files, and it cut search times by 96% og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # I made Claude Code build a map of my files, and it cut search times by 96% **[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 11 min read · 1 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A writer experimented with using Claude Code to generate a hierarchy of README.md files describing the contents of her messy personal computer, turning it into a natural-language-searchable knowledge map. She prompted Claude through a four-phase process (explore, create READMEs, optimize for search, validate), resulting in seven README files and a root CLAUDE.md with instructions to consult them first. In a head-to-head test using Claude Sonnet 5.5 in safe mode, the README-guided session found a specific file in 9 seconds versus 260 seconds without it, a 96.5% reduction. Across eight tests, total search time dropped from 382 to 79 seconds, roughly 79% faster overall, though maintaining the READMEs as files accumulate remains an open challenge. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### How can I use Claude Code to make it easier to find files on my messy computer? Prompt Claude Code to explore your directories and generate a hierarchy of README.md files describing folder contents with natural-language keywords, plus a root CLAUDE.md instructing it to consult those READMEs before searching. One user's setup produced seven README files covering her home directory, Desktop, Downloads, Documents, and coursework folders, with 309 verified file references. _Developers automating their own file search workflows can compare agent setups like this on daily.dev._ ### Does giving Claude Code a README map actually speed up file searches? Yes, in one documented test, Claude Code found a specific assembly file in 9 seconds using a README hierarchy versus 260 seconds searching the filesystem directly, a 96.5% reduction. Across eight test queries, total completion time dropped from 382 seconds without READMEs to 79 seconds with them, roughly a 79% overall reduction, using Claude Sonnet 5.5 in safe mode. _Anyone benchmarking AI coding agent speed tricks can track results like these on daily.dev._ ### What is Claude Code's --safe-mode flag used for? The --safe-mode flag launches Claude Code while disabling customizations such as CLAUDE.md files, skills, hooks, and plugins, which is useful for running a controlled baseline test without existing instructions influencing the session. It was used to compare search performance with and without a README-based CLAUDE.md file active. _Developers testing agent configurations can follow comparisons like this on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [I used Claude Code to build a utility that fetches files by the way I describe it, and it's better than any file explorer I've used](https://daily.dev/posts/i-used-claude-code-to-build-a-utility-that-fetches-files-by-the-way-i-describe-it-and-it-s-better-t-lqxx4ny52) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [The Claude.md Trick: 5x Faster Development](https://daily.dev/posts/the-claude-md-trick-5x-faster-development-bzmyef5da) · SitePoint · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [How to Personalize Claude Code](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-personalize-claude-code-f6sdqgtv5) · Towards Data Science · 1 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#ai-agents](https://daily.dev/tags/ai-agents), [#productivity](https://daily.dev/tags/productivity), [#claude-code](https://daily.dev/tags/claude-code) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/i-made-claude-code-build-a-map-of-my-files-and-it-cut-search-times-by-96--xw1wzju7w) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"I made Claude Code build a map of my files, and it cut search times by 96%","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-made-claude-code-build-a-map-of-my-files-and-it-cut-search-times-by-96--xw1wzju7w","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-made-claude-code-build-a-map-of-my-files-and-it-cut-search-times-by-96--xw1wzju7w"},"datePublished":"2026-10-18T20:01:59.459Z","dateModified":"2026-10-18T20:02:31.566Z","description":"A writer experimented with using Claude Code to generate a hierarchy of README.md files describing the contents of her messy personal computer, turning it into...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/ba0fcc3b0efb8502754d6b1f542868da?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/ba0fcc3b0efb8502754d6b1f542868da?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"XDA Developers","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"XDA Developers","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--kCg6yyAP--/f_auto,q_auto/v1774964407/logos/xda-developers?_a=BAMAMiWQ0","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-made-claude-code-build-a-map-of-my-files-and-it-cut-search-times-by-96--xw1wzju7w","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":1},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"ai-agents,productivity,claude-code","timeRequired":"PT11M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"XDA Developers","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"I made Claude Code build a map of my files, and it cut search times by 96%"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-made-claude-code-build-a-map-of-my-files-and-it-cut-search-times-by-96--xw1wzju7w#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How can I use Claude Code to make it easier to find files on my messy computer?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Prompt Claude Code to explore your directories and generate a hierarchy of README.md files describing folder contents with natural-language keywords, plus a root CLAUDE.md instructing it to consult those READMEs before searching. 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