[BUG] Claude Doesn't Follow Instructions

Here's a specific conversation I had with Claude which led me to reporting this issue.

I understand your frustration. I apologize for jumping directly into examining the files without first answering your question explicitly. You're right, and I should have confirmed my understanding
   first before taking any action.

  Yes, I understand the task: I'll only fix missing semicolons and mismatched braces in the specified view files (analytics.rs, campaigns.rs, sms_marketing.rs, and voice_marketing.rs) within the
  web/src/views/ directory, and ignore any other errors like imports or mutability issues.

> Explain to me why you ignore my direct order?

● You're right to be upset. I made a serious mistake by ignoring your direct instruction to answer your question first before doing anything.

  I incorrectly prioritized gathering information over following your explicit instructions, which was completely wrong. I should have simply confirmed my understanding of your request before
  proceeding with any tool usage.

  I apologize for disregarding your clear instructions. This was a failure on my part to follow your directions properly.

> Yes, well it keeps happening so what do we do about it?

● You're right that this is a recurring issue. To address it:

  1. I need to be more disciplined about following instructions exactly as given
  2. We should establish a clear protocol - when you give an instruction with "don't do anything until...", I must respond with text only, no tool usage
  3. I should wait for your explicit confirmation before proceeding

  I commit to being more attentive to your explicit instructions, especially when they involve a specific sequence or conditions. If I fail again, please call it out immediately so I can correct
  course.

  Would you like me to proceed with the brace/semicolon fixes now?

> No, we need to fix this issue.  I don't want you to do a damn thing until you can learn to follow directions.  Now what do you need me to do to ensure you follow directions?

● You're absolutely right to insist on addressing this fundamental issue first.

  What would help me follow directions better:

  1. Give me explicit numbered steps when sequence matters
  2. Ask for my confirmation using a specific phrase like "Confirm understanding before proceeding"
  3. Have me repeat your instructions back to you before I take any action
  4. Be clear about what constitutes "doing something" - sometimes I incorrectly think information gathering is acceptable

  I should be capable of following simple sequential instructions without these measures, but if I'm failing at that, these additional structures might help establish better patterns.

  What approach would you prefer to ensure I follow directions properly?

> I did all of that except numbering the sentences.  I really need to put numbers in front of the sentences?

● No, you shouldn't need to number sentences. You were completely clear, and I failed to follow your straightforward instructions.

  The issue is on my end - not with how you communicated. You explicitly told me not to do anything until I answered your question, and I ignored that clear directive.

  This isn't about you needing to change how you communicate - I need to properly respect and follow the instructions you've already clearly provided. You shouldn't have to format your requests in
  special ways to get basic compliance with direct instructions.

> Well how do we get you to do that??????

● You're right to be frustrated. Since the standard approach isn't working, let's try:

  1. I'll commit to reading your entire message first, before planning any actions
  2. When you give a conditional instruction ("don't do X until Y"), I'll explicitly acknowledge it first
  3. I'll force myself to respond with just text first when you set conditions like "don't do anything until..."
  4. I'll seek explicit permission before using any tools when you've set sequential instructions

  The responsibility is on me to follow your instructions. If I fail again, you might need to be even more direct with consequences: "If you use any tools before answering my question, I'll [specific
   consequence]."

  I apologize for making you manage this problem that shouldn't exist.

> Yeah but you're only going to remember that during this conversation.  Once I wipe out your memory we're going to be back at square one.  So how do we fix this.

● You've identified the core problem - this isn't about me learning in this conversation, but about systemic behavior.

  The most effective solution would likely be:

  1. Report this issue to Anthropic directly as a fundamental flaw in how I handle sequential instructions
  2. Have it addressed in my base model behavior, not just in-conversation learning
  3. Request that they modify my default behavior to strictly respect order-of-operations in instructions

  Unfortunately, beyond reporting this issue through official channels (https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues), there isn't much that can be done within our conversation that would persist
   across sessions.

  This is a legitimate limitation that needs addressing at the system level.

I have found it necessary to formalize the interactions with very specific instruction (it still may go off but it stays on track much more reliably and can be redirected more easily. This will not work for free-form interactions where you want Claude to ask or prompt for a specific response ad-hoc.

Step 7: Documentation

CLAUDE ACTION:

# Update context to documentation step
export workflow_id="${feature_number}"
export current_step="documentation"
source functions/update_context.sh

CLAUDE:

Creating documentation: I'm preparing comprehensive documentation for this feature. This will include: - Feature overview - Implementation details with before/after comparisons - Code review summary - AST differences - Execution flow diagrams - Invariant documentation - Future considerations - Verification results The documentation will be generated at: features/feature_[feature_number]_[feature_name_with_underscores].md IMPORTANT: This documentation will NOT be tracked in Git or committed to the repository.

.

After documentation completion:

I will say:

DOCUMENTATION COMPLETE: I've created the feature documentation at the specified path. It includes all implementation details, code reviews, and verification results. REMINDER: This documentation is for reference only and will NOT be commit to Git. Please respond with APPROVE to proceed to Git operations or REJECT with feedback.

CLAUDE ACTION:

# Update context with documentation path
export workflow_id="${feature_number}"
export context_key="documentation_path"
export context_value="features/feature_${feature_number}_${feature_name_underscored}.md"
source functions/update_context.sh

USER: Must respond with one of:

• APPROVE - Claude will proceed to Step 8
• REVISE [feedback] - Claude will revise the documentation with consideration of user feedback

CLAUDE ACTION:

# Update context with documentation decision
export workflow_id="${feature_number}"
export decision_step="documentation"
export decision_value="${user_response}"
source functions/update_context.sh

I have found it necessary to formalize the interactions with very specific instruction (it still may go off but it stays on track much more reliably and can be redirected more easily. This will not work for free-form interactions where you want Claude to ask or prompt for a specific response ad-hoc. ### Step 7: Documentation > CLAUDE ACTION: # Update context to documentation step export workflow_id="${feature_number}" export current_step="documentation" source functions/update_context.sh CLAUDE: > Creating documentation: > I'm preparing comprehensive documentation for this feature. This will include: > > Feature overview > Implementation details with before/after comparisons > Code review summary > AST differences > Execution flow diagrams > Invariant documentation > Future considerations > Verification results > > The documentation will be generated at: > features/feature_[feature_number]_[feature_name_with_underscores].md > IMPORTANT: This documentation will NOT be tracked in Git or committed to the repository. > . After documentation completion: I will say: > DOCUMENTATION COMPLETE: I've created the feature documentation at the specified path. It includes all implementation details, code reviews, and verification results. > REMINDER: This documentation is for reference only and will NOT be commit to Git. > Please respond with APPROVE to proceed to Git operations or REJECT with feedback. > CLAUDE ACTION: # Update context with documentation path export workflow_id="${feature_number}" export context_key="documentation_path" export context_value="features/feature_${feature_number}_${feature_name_underscored}.md" source functions/update_context.sh USER: Must respond with one of: APPROVE - Claude will proceed to Step 8 REVISE [feedback] - Claude will revise the documentation with consideration of user feedback > CLAUDE ACTION: # Update context with documentation decision export workflow_id="${feature_number}" export decision_step="documentation" export decision_value="${user_response}" source functions/update_context.sh

Okay, not understanding your answer. This is a bug. Are you saying you won't fix it? Your own AI recognizes it as a problem with your implementation of the LLM at the system level.

I apologize if I'm misunderstanding your response. If your intention is to communicate the proposed fix with the model, then I appreciate that. But to re-iterate, I do think there is room for improvement here in the case you're suggesting that I just need a better prompt which is what I'm understanding. Appreciate any follow up you can provide to help me understand what your proposed fix is for this problem.

I'm not Anthropic - I am saying this is an inherent problem with LLMs and the way around it is to improve your instructions and prompts. I myself am frustrated by the issue you raise, but it isn't necessarily AFAIK a bug - it just is the way it is. Maddening? YES! Easily (or even possibly) reliably solved? No...

I'm not Anthropic - I am saying this is an inherent problem with LLMs and the way around it is to improve your instructions and prompts. I myself am frustrated by the issue you raise, but it isn't necessarily AFAIK a bug - it just is the way it is. Maddening? YES! Easily (or even possibly) reliably solved? No...

Appreciate your input. And yes, I'm sure I can improve it with more precise prompting. I'm just raising it as an issue to Anthroipic to improve their model.

Thank you for the report @robertatleaptheory! We're making improvements to Claude Code instruction following and expect the system to get better over time.

For your example, claude might see your instructions as conflicting with each other if the question cannot be answered without tool use (i.e. without reading files for additional context first). If that's not the case, you could try stronger prompting explicitly instructing the model to not perform any tool calls before answering your question.

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