Fixing Claude's Verbosity: BLUF Prompts and Hook Configurations
BizJoe · reddit · 2026-08-01
To address the issue of Claude Opus burying core information in lengthy preambles, a developer shared two effective engineering configurations.
First, implementing the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) format in CLAUDE.md forces the model to lead with conclusions, explicitly banning pleasantries, restating commands, and tool-call narration.
Second, since system prompts tend to fade in long conversations, the author configured a UserPromptSubmit hook. This automatically re-points to the tone settings before each turn, ensuring the model strictly adheres to concise output rules throughout the session.
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