A Claude Project for One Client's House Rules and Style Sheet

Claude reads text extracted from your files, so tidy files give tidier answers.

1. Save the client's house rules as one file. Keep the client's own headings.
2. Save your style sheet as a second file. Use a plain list: one entry per line, with the form, then a short note.
3. Name them clearly, for example "ClientB-house-rules" and "ClientB-style-sheet".
4. Remove author names, the title and any personal details from both.

What you should see: Two files on your computer, each named for the client code rather than the book. Troubleshooting: A scanned PDF with no selectable text will not give Claude anything to quote. Run it through your PDF tool's text recognition first, or retype the key pages.

1. Open Claude and look for Projects in the sidebar.
2. Choose the option to create a new project and name it "Client B house style".
3. Add a one-line description such as "Rules and style sheet for Client B titles".

What you should see: An empty project page with areas for instructions and for knowledge files. Troubleshooting: If you cannot find Projects, check the sidebar menu and your plan. Claude is rolling out a newer version of projects in stages, so the screen may differ slightly from this description. Look for the same two things: instructions and files.

1. Find the area for project knowledge or files and add both files.
2. Wait for each file to finish uploading.

What you should see: Both file names listed in the project's knowledge area. Troubleshooting: If a file is rejected, check it is a supported type such as DOCX, PDF or TXT, and that it is under the size limit shown on the screen.

The instructions are what keep Claude from answering out of memory. Find the project instructions box and paste this.

You are a lookup assistant for one client's editorial rules. The two uploaded files, the client's house rules and my project style sheet, are your only authority.

1. For every answer, quote the exact house rule or style sheet entry you relied on, and name the file it came from.
2. If the files do not cover a question, write exactly: Not covered by the files, check the manual.
3. Never state a rule from any style manual from memory. Never give a manual section number.
4. Never rewrite, correct or improve the author's text. I will paste word lists, not chapters.
5. When I paste a word list, answer with three groups: entries that differ from the style sheet, entries that are not on the style sheet yet, and entries that match. Do not decide which form is right.
6. Make no change silently. Everything you give me is a suggestion for me to check.

What you should see: The instructions saved on the project page. Troubleshooting: If Claude later answers without quoting, remind it in the chat: "Quote the file for every answer."

1. Start a new chat inside the Project, not outside it.
2. Paste the prompt in the next section, followed by your word list.
3. Read the three groups.

Claude can misquote a file or attach a quote to the wrong entry.

1. For each entry in the "differs" group, open the file it names and find the quoted line.
2. Confirm the quote is really there and says what Claude says it does.
3. If the entry matters, confirm it in the manual the client names. Claude's output is never a ruling.

1. As the edit goes on, update your style sheet file on your computer.
2. In the Project, remove the old copy and add the new one, so the Project never holds two versions.
3. Keep one Project per client. Never mix two clients' rules in one Project, because the answers would blend.