Course Description

Unlock Claude Code’s Full Potential with Semantic Context & MCPs

Most people are using Claude Code at a fraction of its true power. Every time you ask Claude to edit a component or fix a bug, it often wastes tokens reading files it doesn’t need, flooding its context window with irrelevant information. This doesn’t just slow Claude down — it actively makes it less accurate.

In this course, you’ll learn how to optimize Claude Code using semantic search and MCP tools, allowing Claude to focus only on the files and information that truly matter. The result is faster responses, higher accuracy, fewer mistakes, and dramatically improved efficiency — all using free tools.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Claude Code becomes inaccurate when its context window is cluttered

• How unnecessary files and code degrade AI performance

• How to keep Claude laser-focused on only relevant code

• How semantic search outperforms traditional text-based search

• How to reduce token usage while increasing accuracy

• How to work efficiently within Claude Code usage limits

The Core Problem This Course Solves

• Claude reading thousands of irrelevant lines of code

• Context windows filled with unnecessary data

• Missed connections and incorrect edits

• Slow responses and wasted tokens

• Poor performance in large codebases (Next.js, TypeScript, Python)

Understanding Claude Code’s Context Limitations

• How Claude processes context in new sessions

• Why Claude re-reads entire projects without prior knowledge

• The hidden cost of directory listing and file exploration

• Why larger projects amplify performance issues

• Why documentation alone (Claude.md) is not enough

Text Search vs Semantic Search

• Differences between textual search and semantic search

• Why semantic search is faster and more precise

• How semantic search returns only relevant information

• Why modern tools rely on RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)

• How focused context improves reasoning and output quality

Using MCPs to Optimize Claude Code

• What MCP servers are and how they work

• How MCPs inject only relevant context into Claude

• Why MCPs improve accuracy instead of just saving tokens

• Using MCPs across different tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf)

Serena MCP: Semantic Search for Your Codebase

• What Serena MCP does and why it’s a game changer

• How Serena understands your entire codebase

• How it uses semantic search instead of brute-force reading

• Why Claude no longer needs to scan every file

• How this scales to very large projects

Installing and Managing Serena MCP

• Installing Serena MCP per project directory

• Verifying MCP connection inside Claude Code

• Understanding the Serena dashboard and logs

• Starting and stopping the MCP server safely

• Reinitializing Serena automatically when Claude restarts

Indexing Your Codebase Properly

• When indexing is required and when it isn’t

• Supported languages and project types

• How indexing enables semantic search

• Why HTML-only projects may not need indexing

• Best practices for Next.js, TypeScript, and Python projects

Giving Claude Proper Instructions

• How to teach Claude to use MCP tools correctly

• Providing tool usage instructions at session start

• Letting Claude automatically fetch only relevant code

• Avoiding blind exploration of the codebase

• Maintaining a clean and efficient context window

Monitoring Claude Code Usage

• Using Claude Code Usage Monitor

• Tracking message, token, and cost usage

• Understanding five-hour usage windows

• Avoiding unexpected pay-as-you-go charges

• Optimizing workflows based on remaining usage

Performance & Cost Benefits

• Faster responses with fewer tokens

• Higher accuracy and fewer hallucinations

• Better results in complex codebases

• Staying within message limits consistently

• Maximizing productivity without upgrading plans

Who This Course Is For

• Developers using Claude Code

• Cursor and Windsurf users

• Developers working on large codebases

• Anyone hitting token or message limits

• Builders who want speed, accuracy, and efficiency