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@gagarinyury/claude-config-editor

Local config editor for Claude Code and Claude Desktop

This tool loads your Claude config locally, shows project sizes, and lets you bulk delete old chat histories after exporting them if you want a backup. It also gives you a visual view of MCP servers, with auto-backup before every save and no extra dependencies beyond Python.

262 starsβ€’29 forksβ€’HTMLβ€’Updated 10mo ago
Who it's for

Builders who use Claude Code or Claude Desktop and want a safer way to manage large config files.

What it delivers

You can clean up bloated Claude configs in minutes instead of editing JSON by hand.

What it does

Project size analysis

Shows which projects are using the most space so you can target the bloat first.

Bulk history deletion

Lets you select and delete old project histories in groups instead of one by one.

Export before delete

Exports individual project histories as JSON so you can keep a backup before removing them.

MCP server management

Shows MCP servers in a visual list and lets you add or remove them without hand-editing config files.

Automatic backups

Creates `.claude.backup.json` before saving so you can restore changes if needed.

Local-only operation

Runs on `localhost` and does not send your config data anywhere.

How to get it

  1. 1Three commands. Zero dependencies. Zero configuration.
    git clone https://github.com/gagarinyury/claude-config-editor.git
    cd claude-config-editor
    python3 server.py

README

πŸš€ Claude Config Editor

Bloated Fixed

⚑ The missing GUI for Claude configurations ⚑

Your Claude config is probably 10+ MB.
Mine was 17 MB. Now it's 732 KB.
This tool did it in 30 seconds.

License Python Platform Zero Dependencies


πŸ”₯ The Problem

Claude Code stores EVERY conversation from EVERY project in a single JSON file.

After a few weeks of use:

  • πŸ“ 87 projects with full chat histories
  • πŸ’Ύ 17 MB of JSON (yes, really)
  • 🐌 Slow startup times (Claude has to parse that mess)
  • 🀷 No easy way to clean it up (manual JSON editing? no thanks)

Sound familiar?

βœ… The Solution

A beautiful web interface to:

  • πŸ” See what's eating your disk (sorted by size)
  • πŸ—‘οΈ Delete old projects in bulk (top 10 biggest = 90% of bloat)
  • πŸ’Ύ Export before deleting (keep important conversations)
  • πŸ”Œ Manage MCP servers (no more JSON editing)
  • πŸ›‘οΈ Auto-backup everything (undo button for real life)

Works with both Claude Code AND Claude Desktop.


🎯 Why People Star This Repo

"My .claude.json was 23 MB. Deleted 50 old projects. Now it's 1.8 MB. Claude Code starts instantly now." - Actual result

"Finally! I can see my MCP servers without opening VSCode." - Reddit user

"I didn't even know this was a problem until I ran this tool." - HN comment

Translation: This tool solves a problem you didn't know you had, in 30 seconds, with zero risk.


πŸ“Έ Screenshots

Overview Dashboard

Overview Quick stats and health analysis at a glance

Project History Manager

Project History See which projects are eating disk space, export or delete with one click

MCP Servers

MCP Servers Visual management of MCP server configurations


πŸš„ Quick Start

Three commands. Zero dependencies. Zero configuration.

git clone https://github.com/gagarinyury/claude-config-editor.git
cd claude-config-editor
python3 server.py

That's it. Opens at http://localhost:8765.

What Happens Next

  1. Tool auto-detects your configs (Claude Code + Claude Desktop)
  2. You select which one to edit
  3. 30 seconds later your config is clean and fast

✨ Features That Make You Go "Finally!"

πŸ“Š Smart Analytics

See exactly what's taking up space:

  • Config size (before/after)
  • Projects ranked by size (biggest first)
  • Instant health check ("Your config is bloated AF")

πŸ“ Project History Manager

The killer feature:

  • Export individual project histories before deletion (download as JSON)
  • Bulk delete old projects (select top 10 = 90% space saved)
  • Search & filter (find that old client project from 6 months ago)
  • Sort by size/name/messages (find the bloat faster)

πŸ”Œ MCP Server Management

Because editing JSON manually is for masochists:

  • Visual list of all MCP servers
  • See command, args, env, working directory at a glance
  • Add/remove servers with one click
  • No more typos in JSON (you know what I'm talking about)

🎨 Beautiful Interface

  • Dark theme (because your eyes matter)
  • Real-time updates (see changes as you make them)
  • Responsive (works on your tiny laptop screen)
  • No installation required (Python stdlib only)

πŸ”’ Safety First

  • Auto-backup before every save (undo button for real life)
  • Non-destructive (only changes what you tell it to)
  • Local-only (zero network requests, zero data collection)
  • Preview before save (see what you're about to do)

πŸ’‘ Real-World Use Cases

"My Claude Code is slow"

β†’ Your config is probably huge. Click "Top 10 Largest", delete, save. Done in 30 seconds.

"I want to backup my conversations"

β†’ Go to Project History, click "πŸ’Ύ Export" on any project. Downloads JSON. Keep forever.

"I don't know which MCP servers I have"

β†’ Go to MCP Servers tab. See everything. No more cat ~/.claude.json | grep mcpServers.

"I messed up my config"

β†’ Restore from .claude.backup.json (created automatically before every save).

"I want to share my setup"

β†’ Export your config, share the JSON. Or just share this tool.


πŸ“– How It Works (30 Second Tutorial)

Clean Up Project History

1. Open tool β†’ Go to "Project History"
2. Click "Top 10 Largest" (selects 90% of bloat)
3. Review β†’ Click "Delete Selected"
4. Click "πŸ’Ύ Save Changes"

Result: 17 MB β†’ 732 KB (actual result from my config)

Export Before Delete

1. Find project in list
2. Click "πŸ’Ύ Export" (downloads JSON)
3. Now safe to delete (you have a backup)

Manage MCP Servers

View:   See all servers, their commands, args, env
Add:    Click "+ Add Server" β†’ Enter name & command β†’ Save
Remove: Find server card β†’ Click "Delete" β†’ Save

πŸ›‘οΈ Safety & Trust

  • βœ… Auto-backup before every save (.claude.backup.json)
  • βœ… Open source (read the code, it's 300 lines)
  • βœ… No analytics (zero tracking, zero telemetry)
  • βœ… Local-only (runs on localhost:8765, no internet required)
  • βœ… Non-destructive (only modifies what you explicitly delete)

Worst case: Restore from .claude.backup.json. Best case: Your Claude is fast again.


πŸ”§ Technical Details

Supported Configs

ConfigPathAuto-Detect
Claude Code (macOS/Linux)~/.claude.jsonβœ…
Claude Code (Windows)%USERPROFILE%\.claude.jsonβœ…
Claude Desktop (macOS)~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonβœ…
Claude Desktop (Windows)%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.jsonβœ…
Claude Desktop (Linux)~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonβœ…

Requirements

  • Python 3.7+ (no pip install, no virtualenv, just works)
  • Claude Code or Claude Desktop (obviously)

How It Actually Works

  1. Starts HTTP server on port 8765
  2. Loads config via REST API (/api/config)
  3. Web UI makes changes in memory
  4. Click "Save" β†’ writes to disk (with backup)
  5. Restart Claude β†’ changes take effect

Source: 300 lines of Python + 700 lines of HTML/CSS/JS. No frameworks. No build step. Just works.


πŸŽ“ FAQ (Questions You're About to Ask)

Q: Will this break my Claude setup? A: No. Automatic backups + only changes what you delete. Worst case: restore from .claude.backup.json.

Q: Why is my config so big? A: Claude stores EVERY message from EVERY project. 100 projects Γ— 50 messages Γ— 1 KB = 5 MB. Add paste content and it balloons to 10-20 MB.

Q: What happens to my conversations? A: Project history = conversation history. Deleting a project = deleting its chat history. Use "πŸ’Ύ Export" first if you want to keep it.

Q: Is my data sent anywhere? A: Nope. Runs on localhost:8765. Zero network requests. Check the code if you don't believe me.

Q: Can I undo a delete? A: Before save? Yes (just refresh). After save? Restore from .claude.backup.json (created automatically).

Q: Why not just edit the JSON manually? A: You could. Or you could use this and finish in 30 seconds instead of 30 minutes of JSON hell.

Q: Does this work with Claude Desktop? A: Yes! Auto-detects both Claude Code (.claude.json) and Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json).

Q: Can I run this on Windows? A: Yes! Python is cross-platform. Works on macOS, Linux, Windows.


🀝 Contributing

Found a bug? Open an issue. Have an idea? Open an issue. Want to add a feature? Fork + PR.

git clone https://github.com/gagarinyury/claude-config-editor.git
cd claude-config-editor
# Make your changes
git commit -am "Add awesome feature"
git push origin main
# Open PR

Code style: Keep it simple. This is a tool, not a framework.


πŸ“œ License

MIT License - do whatever you want with this code.


πŸ™ Origin Story

I built this because:

  1. My Claude Code was slow as hell
  2. I checked .claude.json β†’ 17 MB 😱
  3. I opened it β†’ 87 projects with full chat histories
  4. I tried to clean it manually β†’ JSON hell
  5. I built this tool β†’ 30 seconds later, 732 KB ✨

If this saved you time, star the repo! ⭐

It helps others discover the tool and validates my late-night coding session.


πŸ—ΊοΈ Roadmap

  • Search/filter in Raw JSON view
  • Edit MCP server parameters inline (args, env, cwd)
  • Import project history from JSON
  • Config diff viewer (before/after)
  • Automatic cleanup suggestions (AI-powered?)
  • Export config as shareable template

Got ideas? Open an issue!


🌟 Star History

If you found this useful, star the repo! It helps others discover it.

Star History Chart


πŸ’¬ Support


Made with ❀️ and Claude Code
(This tool was built using Claude Code. Meta, I know.)

If this saved you time, ⭐ star the repo!
It takes 2 seconds and makes my day.


P.S. Your config is probably bloated right now. Go check. I'll wait.

Files in the repo

Repository payloadβ€’7 top-level entries
  • screenshots
  • .gitignore
  • index.html
  • LICENSE
  • README.md
  • REDDIT_POST.md
  • server.py

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