[Bug] Claude ignores project guidelines in claude.md for complex refactoring tasks

claude.md

Bug Description
I asked claude to rebuild a complex content-forward design and front end prototype that was built in one system to use a very specific system that treated content, styles, and page template structures in a way that would optimize the iterative design and development process. Somehow it did not follow the claude.md nearly at all, instead defaulting to lazy low-effort ways of approaching every facet which of course means all the effort was for nothing.

Environment Info

• Platform: darwin
• Terminal: Apple_Terminal
• Version: 2.1.104
• Feedback ID: 4c97c4ff-6cd2-44e2-92d4-46fb34125893

Errors

[{"error":"Error: 500 {\"type\":\"error\",\"error\":{\"type\":\"api_error\",\"message\":\"Internal server error\"},\"request_id\":\"req_011Ca22CjAyJ63FwXWWzwKmT\"}\n    at generate (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:11:53688)\n    at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:50:4943)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-04-13T15:39:33.907Z"},{"error":"Error: 401 {\"type\":\"error\",\"error\":{\"type\":\"authentication_error\",\"message\":\"Invalid authentication credentials\"},\"request_id\":\"req_011Ca22RruvCrPHYGhjJEjYx\"}\n    at generate (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:11:53467)\n    at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:50:4943)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-04-13T15:42:26.955Z"},{"error":"MaxFileReadTokenExceededError: File content (44150 tokens) exceeds maximum allowed tokens (10000). Use offset and limit parameters to read specific portions of the file, or search for specific content instead of reading the whole file.\n    at kY7 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:4449:12671)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-04-13T17:10:55.855Z"},{"error":"MaxFileReadTokenExceededError: File content (48645 tokens) exceeds maximum allowed tokens (10000). Use offset and limit parameters to read specific portions of the file, or search for specific content instead of reading the whole file.\n    at kY7 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:4449:12671)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-04-13T18:22:16.225Z"},{"error":"FileTooLargeError: File content (258.6KB) exceeds maximum allowed size (256KB). Use offset and limit parameters to read specific portions of the file, or search for specific content instead of reading the whole file.\n    at G1H (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:3942:15525)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-04-13T18:22:49.805Z"}]