Create Rule

Rules vs CLAUDE.md vs Skills

Choose the right mechanism before writing anything:

Mechanism	When to use	Loads
Rule	Behavioral instructions scoped to a topic or file type	Every session (or on path match)
CLAUDE.md	Broad project context: build commands, architecture, workflows	Every session
Skill	Repeatable on-demand workflows	Only when invoked

If the instruction only makes sense for certain file types (e.g. Go, test files), use a path-scoped rule. If it's a repeatable task workflow, use a skill instead.

Storage Locations

Scope	Path
Personal, all projects on this machine	~/.claude/rules/<topic>.md
Project, shared with team via git	.claude/rules/<topic>.md

Rules in subdirectories are discovered recursively (e.g. .claude/rules/frontend/react.md works).

Rule File Format

---
paths:            # optional; omit for always-load
  - "**/*.go"
  - "**/*_test.go"
---

# rule-name

Instructions...

No paths frontmatter → rule loads every session. paths present → rule loads only when Claude opens a matching file.

Path Scoping Decision

Use always-load (no frontmatter) for:

• Universal behaviors: commit style, escalation policy, output verbosity
• Toolchain choices: task runner, package manager, CI tooling

Use path-scoped for:

• Language conventions: **/*.go, **/*.ts, **/*.py
• Test files: **/*_test.go, **/*.test.ts, **/*.spec.ts
• Domain directories: src/api/**/*, e2e/**/*.go, migrations/**/*.sql

See references/rule-patterns.md for glob pattern examples.

Writing Effective Rules

• Specific and verifiable: "Use 2-space indentation" not "format code nicely"
• One topic per file with a descriptive filename (testing.md, api-design.md)
• Under 200 lines. Longer files reduce adherence; split if growing large
• Markdown structure: use headers and bullets, not dense paragraphs
• No contradictions across rule files; audit when adding new ones
• IMPORTANT / YOU MUST emphasis for rules that are frequently violated

Workflow

1. New or update? Check existing rules in the target directory for overlap
2. Scope: personal (~/.claude/rules/) or project (.claude/rules/)?
3. Path scope: universal (no frontmatter) or file-type specific?
4. Check for conflicts: scan existing rules for contradictions or duplication
5. Write the file: concrete, verifiable instructions; one topic
6. Verify: confirm file is under 200 lines and uses specific language

Authoring Checklist

• Description starts with "Use when..." if this is actually a skill (wrong tool if so)
• Topic is focused: one concern per file
• Path scope matches actual applicability (don't always-load a Go-only rule)
• Instructions are concrete and verifiable, not vague
• No contradictions with existing rules in the same directory
• File is under 200 lines

Anti-Patterns

• Vague rules: "write clean code", "be consistent". Not actionable
• Duplicating defaults: don't document what Claude already does correctly
• Over-specifying: bloated rule files cause Claude to ignore them
• Wrong scope: file-type-specific rules (Go, SQL) in always-load waste context
• Contradictions: two rules giving conflicting guidance on the same behavior
• Workflow steps in rules: if it's a multi-step process, use a skill instead

Additional Resources

• Full glob pattern examples and good/bad rule samples: references/rule-patterns.md
• Official docs: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory#organize-rules-with-clauderules