About rules-manager
rules-manager is an agent skill for maintaining a two-tier rules setup: a short, always-loaded index and linked modular rule files. It guides agents through creating, editing, and auditing these files while requiring confirmation before overwrites or rule content is written.
Key features
- 01Initialize an index and rules directory
- 02Add linked modular rule files
- 03Edit named index sections
- 04Audit and optimize rules and links
- 05Ask before overwriting or writing rules
Use cases
- 01Set up project-specific agent rules
- 02Add an enforceable rule to an existing index
- 03Find orphaned files or broken rule links
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/After installing, type/rules-managerin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled files
References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.
agents/openai.yamlassets/codex-icon.svgreferences/agents-vs-claude.mdexamples.mdDetails
From the project READMEManage the two-tier rule system: the always-loaded index plus modular files. Every modular file must be linked from the index or agents will not find it.
Open agents-vs-claude.md before choosing AGENTS.md + .agents/rules/ versus CLAUDE.md + .claude/rules/, path-scoped paths: frontmatter, or dual-format setup. Run the same workflows against the chosen pair. Open examples.md before writing a new rule file or index skeleton.
Never overwrite existing files without asking. Never write a rule file without confirming its content. Default new rules to a modular file (20–60 lines); put 1–2 line constraints in Universal Rules. When the user names index content (stack, commands, universal rules), edit that file in place. Write specific prohibitions. Do not add generic best practices, linter-enforced rules, or facts the agent can read from the code.
init: read package manifests; if the index or rules directory exists, ask before writing; create a <40-line index with an empty Rules section and the rules directory.
add <name>: slugify the name; init if no index; ask what it enforces and when it applies; write the modular file; add one index bullet whose path matches the file.
edit: change only the named index section; keep every modular-file link intact.
optimize: inventory index vs files (flag orphans and broken links); strip linter-enforced, generic, verbose, and code-derivable rules; compress to bullets; show the diff and wait. Targets: index <80 lines, each rule <60.
A free-form request is add with a derived name. Ask 1–2 scope questions if the rule is unclear.