Here's What Happened
So I've been using Claude Code for a few months now. It's genuinely incredible - an AI coding assistant that actually understands what you're trying to build. But there was one thing driving me absolutely crazy:
Everything was managed through text files.
Want to create a custom slash command? Create a .md file.
Need to configure an agent? Edit config.json.
Setting up hooks? More text editing.
Don't get me wrong - I love my terminal. But when you're juggling 10+ projects, each with their own commands, skills, and configurations, things get messy fast.
I'd find myself asking:
- "Wait, which project had that command I wrote?"
- "What was the syntax for configuring hooks again?"
- "Did I already set up the test automation hook here?"
Three weeks ago, I got fed up and spent a weekend building a solution.
The result? ClaudeX - a web-based dashboard for Claude Code that I honestly can't work without anymore.
npm install -g claudex
cd your-project
claudex init
claudex start
🎉 http://localhost:4200 opens and you've got a full visual workspace.
Why This Matters (At Least to Me)
Look, I'm not saying the CLI approach is bad. For simple projects, it's fine. But here's what I was dealing with:
The Old Way:
- 30 minutes setting up commands for each new project
- Copy-pasting from old projects (and forgetting where I put them)
- No idea what templates or best practices existed
- Writing the same hooks over and over
- Zero discoverability - you had to know something existed to use it
Now with ClaudeX:
- 2 minutes to set up everything
- 136+ templates ready to use (commands, skills, agents, hooks)
- Visual search and filtering
- Dark mode that doesn't hurt my eyes at 2 AM
- Can actually see what I'm building
Honestly? It's like going from Notepad to VSCode. You don't realize how much friction there was until it's gone.
What You Actually Get
Okay, enough backstory. Here's what's inside:
The Web Interface (It's Actually Pretty)
I'm not a designer, but I tried. Dark mode by default (because of course), flat design, no unnecessary animations. Just a clean dashboard where you can:
- Browse and search 136+ templates
- Edit markdown with live preview
- Drag-and-drop to organize
- See all your configurations in one place
136+ Templates (This Took Forever)
I spent way too much time curating these:
41 Command Templates:
-
/spec- Turn ideas into specs -
/plan- Generate implementation plans -
/cook- Develop with AI guidance -
/debug- Smart debugging assistance -
/git:pr- Auto-generate PRs - Plus 36 more...
70+ Skill Templates:
- Next.js, React, TypeScript, Tailwind
- AWS, Docker, Kubernetes
- OpenAI, Claude API integration
- And a bunch more I keep finding useful
14 Agent Presets:
- Planner, Debugger, Code Reviewer
- UI/UX Designer, Copywriter
- Database Admin, DevOps Expert
- You get the idea
19 Hook Templates:
This is where it gets interesting. Want to auto-format after every change? Auto-run tests? Auto-deploy when tests pass? There are templates for all of that.
The Workflow Automation (My Favorite Part)
Set up hooks once, forget about them:
# You run this in Claude Code:
/cook
# ClaudeX automatically:
# 1. Formats your code (Prettier)
# 2. Runs linting (ESLint)
# 3. Executes tests (Jest/Vitest)
# 4. If tests pass → deploys to staging
# 5. If anything fails → rolls back
# You didn't do anything. It just happened.
I haven't manually run prettier in weeks.
Screenshot to Code (This Is Wild)
There's an MCP server integration that turns screenshots into React code using Google's Gemini Vision API.
Setup:
- Get a free Google API key
- Enable the MCP server in ClaudeX
- Paste a screenshot in Claude Code
- Say "make this in React"
It actually works. I've used it for landing pages, dashboards, even design system components. Not perfect, but it gets you 80% there.
Try It (Takes 2 Minutes)
You need Claude Code installed first. If you don't have it:
# macOS/Linux/WSL
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
# Windows PowerShell
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
Then install ClaudeX:
npm install -g claudex
cd your-project
claudex init
claudex start
Browser opens at http://localhost:4200. That's it.
(You can also use npx claudex if you don't want to install globally)
Real Example: How I Use This Daily
Let me show you my actual workflow building a SaaS product last week.
The Project: User authentication system for a Next.js app
Old me (2 hours of setup):
- Create
.claude/commands/spec.mdmanually - Google "how to configure Claude agents"
- Write hooks for testing and deployment
- Repeat for 5 different commands
- Finally start coding
- Forget to run tests
- Deploy broken code
- Cry
New me (5 minutes):
Open ClaudeX → Click "Templates" → Add these:
Commands:
-
/spec- Describe what I want, get a full spec -
/plan- Turn spec into implementation steps -
/cook- Build it with AI assistance -
/test- Run the test suite
Skills:
- Next.js
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
Hooks:
- Auto-format with Prettier (after every change)
- Auto-test with Jest (after every change)
- Auto-deploy to Vercel (after tests pass)
Done. Now I just code:
# In Claude Code
/spec "user auth with email/password, password reset, session management"
# → Full spec appears
/plan
# → Step-by-step implementation plan
/cook
# → Claude builds it
# → Code gets formatted automatically
# → Tests run automatically
# → Green checkmarks everywhere
/test
# → Full suite passes
/git:pr "Add user authentication"
# → PR created
# → Code review happens
The difference: I'm building features, not managing configuration files.
The Part That Surprised Me
You know what I didn't expect? How much I use the template library.
At first, I thought "oh cool, some starter templates." But then I kept discovering useful stuff:
- There's a
/journalcommand that creates daily dev logs - There's a Design Thinking skill for feature planning
- There's a hook that backs up files before risky operations
- There's a
/design:3dcommand that generates 3D visualizations
I've probably only used 30% of the templates. But those 30% have saved me probably 50+ hours over the last month.
Some Cool Stuff You Can Do
Instant Project Setup
You start a new Next.js project. Old way: spend 30 minutes setting up commands, hooks, skills. New way: Click "Next.js Full Stack" template pack → Everything configured in 30 seconds.
Screenshot to Code
Literally paste a screenshot, say "make this in React." Uses Google's Gemini Vision. I've built entire landing pages this way. It's absurd.
Git Automation
Set up hooks that:
- Run tests before every commit
- Auto-generate commit messages from your changes
- Create PR descriptions automatically
- Request reviews from the right people
I barely touch git commands anymore.
Team Sync
Export your entire workspace as JSON. Share with your team. Everyone has identical setups. No more "works on my machine" because of different Claude configurations.
What's Next
I'm working on:
- Favorites system (because 136 templates is a lot)
- Full-text search (find that command you wrote 2 months ago)
- Template versioning (so you can roll back when you break something)
- Plugin system (if you want to add your own features)
But honestly? It's pretty complete now. I use it every day and rarely think "I wish it had X."
The Technical Bits (For the Curious)
Stack:
- Backend: Node.js + Express (REST API + WebSocket)
- Frontend: React 19 + Vite + Tailwind
- Storage: Just files (everything in
.claude/directory) - No database, no auth, no cloud services
Performance:
- Server starts in < 2 seconds
- Page loads in < 1.5 seconds
- Search is instant (< 100ms)
- Hot reload on file changes
Security:
- Everything sandboxed to
.claude/directory - No telemetry or tracking
- All processing happens locally
- Your code never leaves your machine
Built it over a weekend, then spent 2 weeks fixing bugs and adding polish. Now it's solid.
Who's This For?
You'll love it if:
- You use Claude Code professionally
- You manage multiple projects
- You're tired of text file management
- You want proven templates instead of starting from scratch
- You value automation
Maybe skip it if:
- You only use Claude Code casually
- You prefer pure CLI workflows
- You don't mind manual configuration
- You're on a potato computer (needs Node.js 18+)
Try It (No Really, It's Free)
npm install -g claudex
cd your-project
claudex init
claudex start
Or without installing:
npx claudex init
npx claudex start
Open http://localhost:4200 and poke around. If you hate it, just delete .claude/ and move on. If you like it, star the repo I guess?
GitHub: ClaudeX
Common Questions
"Does this replace Claude Code?"
No. It's a visual manager for Claude Code's configuration. You still use Claude Code for actual development.
"Can I use my own templates?"
Yes. Create them in the UI, or write markdown files and import them.
"What if I break something?"
Export your workspace before making changes. One-click restore if things go wrong.
"Will this slow down my workflow?"
The opposite. You spend less time managing config files and more time building.
"Is it secure?"
Everything runs locally. No cloud services, no telemetry. Your code stays on your machine.
"Why is it free?"
Because I built it for myself and figured others might find it useful. MIT license, do whatever you want with it.
What's the Catch?
There isn't one. It's free, open source (MIT), and runs locally. No subscriptions, no telemetry, no cloud dependencies.
I built it because I needed it. If you find it useful, cool. If not, that's fine too.
Final Thoughts
Look, Claude Code is already incredible. ClaudeX just makes it less annoying to manage.
If you're spending hours setting up projects, copy-pasting configurations, or forgetting which commands you wrote, give it a shot.
Worst case: you delete it and waste 5 minutes.
Best case: you save 50+ hours over the next few months.
npm install -g claudex
claudex init
claudex start
GitHub: tct68/claudex
Let me know what you think (or if you break something).
Built by a developer who got tired of managing text files.
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