Settings configuration fallback hierarchy in Claude Code

Claude Code settings can be modified within settings.json configuration files, and these files can exist in multiple places depending on what you want to accomplish. This layered approach lets you set defaults globally, while customizing behavior on a per-project basis.

Settings file locations

User settings

Main global settings are placed in the ~/.claude/settings.json file. This is considered a “user settings” file, and any change to this file applies to all projects on your machine.

This is where you'll set preferences that should apply everywhere. Things like always e...