An author mapped file locations in seven folder READMEs and CLAUDE.md, checked 309 links, and compared Claude Code searches. Across eight queries using the same model, total time was 79 seconds with the index versus 382 without it, with a large first-query difference influencing the total. Keeping existing files in place and excluding sensitive documents are useful details. The headline’s 96% improvement is closer to a particular comparison than the aggregate result. As a single-repository experiment, it leaves index-maintenance costs and benefits on other tasks requiring separate validation.