Keep your Claude config files private while working on public repos

If you're working on a public repo but want to keep `.claude`, `CLAUDE.md`, and other AI configs private and version-controlled, here's a simple setup I've been using. ## The Problem Adding AI config files to `.gitignore` keeps them out of public repos, but you lose: - Version control / history - Backup across machines - Easy recovery if something breaks ## Solution: Private Repo + Symlinks **1. Create a private repo for your configs** ```bash gh repo create private-project-docs --private 2. Clone it as a hidden folder with orphan branches per project git clone -b project-name git@github.com:you/private-project-docs.git .private **3. Move existing configs and create symlinks** ```bash # Move existing files to .private mv docs .private/ mv .claude .private/ mv CLAUDE.md .private/ # Create symlinks ln -s .private/docs docs ln -s .private/.claude .claude ln -s .private/CLAUDE.md CLAUDE.md ``` 4. Add to your public repo's .gitignore .private/ docs .claude CLAUDE.md How It Works - Work normally in your project - Claude Code follows symlinks fine - Push from .private/ to backup your configs with full history - Multiple projects = one branch each in the same private repo - Others who clone your public repo won't get broken symlinks (they're gitignored) VSCode Note If VSCode doesn't recognize the nested git repo, add to settings: "git.scanRepositories": [".private"] --- Anyone else managing private AI configs in public repos? Curious how others handle this.