Ever stared at a messy codebase? Bugs, logic issues, and “fix later” comments are common. That’s why we tried Claude Code, an AI coding assistant. It’s now key to our software development.
This article shares our real experience with Claude Code. We’ll cover what surprised us, what it fixed, and how it improved our workflow.
Getting Started: Real-World Testing, Not Toy Projects
We didn’t test Claude Code on simple apps. We used it on a live task manager API. It had weak validation, inconsistent styles, and a lot of legacy logic.
Claude quickly understood the project structure. It went through folders, connected components, and found critical issues we missed.
What Claude Code Did Right
Claude didn’t just warn us. It explained problems clearly and offered solutions. For example, it found:
- Unprotected routes
- Improper JWT token handling
- Generic error responses (e.g., always returning status code 500)
- Security flaws we weren’t actively looking for
Claude explained each fix. It told us why it mattered and how to do it without breaking things.
Beyond Feedback: Real-Time Code Edits
We tested if Claude could do more than analyze. We asked it to add a chat button and history panel to a Next.js app.
Without pointing it to a file, Claude:
- Found the right components
- Made the UI edits
- Updated logic for saving chat history
- Asked if we wanted to commit the changes
The experience was like pair programming, but faster. The result? A working feature with no bugs.
Deep Cleanup on a Full Backend
We used Claude on the Express app for a full backend audit.
Here’s what it did:
- Replacing var with let/const
- Standardizing function styles
- Adding missing validation
- Removing hard-coded values
- Implementing rate limiting
- Fixing security issues with token handling
Claude fixed the code, rewrote bad parts, added comments, and made smart decisions.
Hidden Gems: Documentation, Testing & Custom Commands
After fixing major issues, Claude surprised us more:
- Generated ESLint/Prettier config files
- Wrote a complete README.md
- Created unit tests and test folders
- Suggested environment variable organization
- Added helper functions and validators
We also found out Claude lets you create custom commands, like:
- /check-updated-endpoints
- /review-new-functions
This cut down on repetitive tasks and boosted our test-driven development. It generates tests first, then code to match.
Final Verdict: Claude Code Is a True AI Teammate
After months of use, we say Claude Code is more than a tool—it’s a teammate. It gets context, adapts to your style, and boosts productivity without being a bother.
If you love coding in the terminal and value smart suggestions, Claude Code is what you’ve been missing.
💡 Key Takeaways
- Claude Code understands full project architecture, not just single files
- Great at identifying and fixing security, logic, and consistency issues
- Can implement UI and backend changes autonomously
- Generates tests, documentation, config files, and more
- Custom slash commands make it ideal for repeatable workflows
