Migration Guide

Transitioning to Claude Code from other AI coding assistants

title: Migration Guide description: Transitioning to Claude Code from other AI coding assistants

Whether you're coming from GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Codeium, or another AI coding tool, this guide will help you transition smoothly to Claude Code and leverage its unique capabilities.

Why Migrate to Claude Code?

Claude Code offers several advantages over other AI coding assistants:

• Agentic capabilities: Claude can autonomously explore codebases, run commands, and complete multi-step tasks
• Deep context understanding: Full project awareness through CLAUDE.md and intelligent file scanning
• Tool integration: MCP servers enable connections to databases, APIs, and external services
• Conversational workflow: Natural language interactions with memory across sessions
• Transparent operation: See exactly what Claude is doing and why

Migration from GitHub Copilot

Workflow Differences

| GitHub Copilot | Claude Code | |----------------|-------------| | Inline suggestions | Conversational requests | | Tab to accept | Explicit confirmation | | Limited context | Full project context | | Code completion | Code + explanation + execution |

Adapting Your Workflow

Copilot approach:

// Type comment, wait for suggestion
// function to validate email address

Claude Code approach:

Write a function to validate email addresses.
Include these validations:
- Standard email format
- Common typo detection (gmial.com -> gmail.com)
- Disposable email blocking
- Put it in src/utils/validation.ts

Migrating Copilot Settings

If you had Copilot configurations, here's how to translate them:

Copilot suggestions filtering:

// VS Code settings.json (Copilot)
{
  "github.copilot.enable": {
    "*": true,
    "markdown": false,
    "yaml": false
  }
}

Claude Code equivalent:

<!-- CLAUDE.md -->
## File Handling
- Focus on TypeScript and JavaScript files
- Skip modifications to markdown and yaml unless asked
- Prioritize src/ directory for code changes

Migration from Cursor

Feature Mapping

| Cursor Feature | Claude Code Equivalent | |----------------|----------------------| | CMD+K | Natural language prompt | | Chat panel | Claude conversation | | @codebase | CLAUDE.md + automatic context | | .cursorrules | CLAUDE.md | | Terminal integration | Direct bash execution |

Converting .cursorrules to CLAUDE.md

Cursor's .cursorrules:

You are a helpful assistant...
Always use TypeScript strict mode
Follow React best practices
Use Tailwind for styling

Claude Code's CLAUDE.md:

# Project Guidelines

## Tech Stack
- TypeScript with strict mode enabled
- React 18 with functional components
- Tailwind CSS for all styling

## Coding Standards
- Prefer named exports
- Use React Server Components where appropriate
- All components should have TypeScript interfaces

## Forbidden Patterns
- No `any` types
- No class components
- No inline styles (use Tailwind)

Workflow Translation

Cursor: Inline editing

Select code -> CMD+K -> "Refactor to use hooks"

Claude Code: Conversational

The UserProfile component at src/components/UserProfile.tsx
uses class-based state. Refactor it to use hooks while
maintaining the same behavior.

Migration from Codeium

Transitioning Autocomplete Habits

Codeium's autocomplete is automatic; Claude Code is intentional. Adjust by:

1. Describing intent first: Instead of waiting for suggestions, describe what you want
2. Batch your requests: Claude can handle complex, multi-step tasks
3. Review and confirm: Claude shows proposed changes before applying

Codeium to Claude Code Patterns

Codeium: Reactive completion

// Start typing, get suggestion
function fetchU|  // -> fetchUsers()

Claude Code: Proactive request

Create CRUD functions for the User entity:
- fetchUsers(filters)
- fetchUserById(id)
- createUser(data)
- updateUser(id, data)
- deleteUser(id)

Use our existing API client at src/lib/api.ts

Migration from ChatGPT/OpenAI

Key Differences

| ChatGPT | Claude Code | |---------|-------------| | Copy-paste code | Direct file editing | | Describe your project | Automatic project scanning | | Manual context management | Intelligent context tracking | | Separate tool | Integrated CLI |

Adjusting Your Prompting Style

ChatGPT style (context-heavy):

I have a Next.js project with the following structure:
[paste entire project structure]

Here's my current code:
[paste entire file]

I want to add error handling. Here's what I tried:
[paste attempted solution]

Claude Code style (context-light):

Add comprehensive error handling to the API routes
in src/app/api/. Include:
- Request validation errors (400)
- Authentication errors (401)
- Not found errors (404)
- Server errors (500) with logging

Follow our existing error response format.

Claude Code automatically reads your files and understands your project structure.

Common Migration Challenges

Challenge 1: Expecting Inline Suggestions

Solution: Shift to conversational workflow

Instead of waiting for suggestions, proactively ask:

I'm about to write a function to parse CSV files.
What edge cases should I handle?

Then:

Implement the CSV parser with those edge cases handled.
Put it in src/utils/csv.ts

Challenge 2: Context Switching

Solution: Use Claude's persistent context

Claude remembers your conversation. You can say:

Let's go back to the CSV parser we discussed earlier.
Add streaming support for large files.

Challenge 3: Missing Autocomplete

Solution: Lean into Claude's strengths

Instead of autocomplete, use Claude for:

• Generating entire components or modules
• Explaining and refactoring existing code
• Running tests and fixing failures
• Exploring unfamiliar codebases

Challenge 4: Slower Initial Interaction

Solution: Batch your requests

Instead of many small completions:

Create the full authentication flow:
1. Login page component
2. Registration form
3. Password reset flow
4. Session management hook
5. Protected route wrapper
6. Tests for critical paths

Setting Up Your Environment

Essential Configuration

1. Create CLAUDE.md

# [Your Project Name]

## Stack
- [Your technologies]

## Standards
- [Your coding conventions]

## Patterns
- [Your architectural patterns]

2. Set up .claudeignore

node_modules/
dist/
.next/
coverage/
*.log
.env*

3. Configure settings

{
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
  "autoApprove": ["Read", "Glob", "Grep"],
  "theme": "dark"
}

IDE Integration

Claude Code works in your terminal but can complement any IDE:

VS Code users:

1. Keep VS Code open for editing
2. Run Claude Code in integrated terminal
3. Use split view for side-by-side work

JetBrains users:

1. Use the terminal panel for Claude Code
2. Configure external tool for quick access
3. Enable auto-reload for file changes

Quick Reference Card

From Copilot

| Instead of... | Use Claude Code... | |---------------|-------------------| | Tab to accept | Review changes, then /approve | | Ghost text | Describe what you want | | File-scoped context | CLAUDE.md for project context |

From Cursor

| Instead of... | Use Claude Code... | |---------------|-------------------| | @codebase | Claude auto-indexes your project | | CMD+K | Natural language prompts | | .cursorrules | CLAUDE.md | | Chat panel | Terminal conversation |

From ChatGPT

| Instead of... | Use Claude Code... | |---------------|-------------------| | Copy-paste code | Direct file paths | | Explain project structure | Let Claude explore | | Manual file creation | Claude writes directly |

30-Day Transition Plan

Week 1: Basics

• Install Claude Code
• Create CLAUDE.md with your project info
• Practice simple tasks (explaining code, small edits)

Week 2: Building Fluency

• Use Claude for feature implementation
• Try multi-file refactoring
• Explore code search and navigation

Week 3: Advanced Usage

• Set up custom commands
• Configure MCP servers for your stack
• Implement complex features end-to-end

Week 4: Optimization

• Refine your CLAUDE.md based on experience
• Create project-specific commands
• Share configurations with your team

Next Steps

• Complete installation guide
• Quick start tutorial
• Configure Claude Code
• Master prompting techniques