What is claude-keysmith?

claude-keysmith is a small local Python tool for people who use Claude Code, Anthropic's command line coding assistant. Claude Code reads persistent instructions from a file called CLAUDE.md, and this tool helps you install a separate instruction file and add a small marked import line to that file, instead of editing it by hand every time. The tool works at three levels: a user level that writes to a shared CLAUDE.md in your home folder, a project level that writes to a CLAUDE.md inside a specific repository, and a local level that writes to a CLAUDE.local.md file meant for personal preferences that are not shared with a team. In each case it places your instruction file in a keysmith folder and inserts a short, clearly labeled block of text that points to it, so the tool only ever touches the block it created and leaves the rest of your file alone. Safety is a core focus. By default the tool only previews what it would do and does not write anything unless you add a confirmation flag. Before it changes an existing file it makes a backup copy first, and the same applies when overwriting an instruction file with the same name. There is also an uninstall command that removes only the matching block and its file, and a restore command that can bring back a previous version from a backup. The author states plainly that the tool does not modify Claude Code's actual settings files, does not touch MCP configuration, does not intercept network traffic, and does not store any tokens, cookies, or credentials. It is written as a single Python script, run with commands like install, status, uninstall, and restore, plus a small test suite. The project is offered under the MIT license. Based on the README, this is meant for individuals and teams who want a safer, repeatable way to manage their Claude Code instruction files rather than editing memory files by hand.