Lesson 587 of 1596
Give Your Builder A Rules File
A project rules file tells the AI your conventions before it touches anything: names, colors, auth rules, forbidden actions, and how to verify work.
Creators · AI-Assisted Coding · ~8 min read
Give Your Builder A Rules File
A project rules file tells the AI your conventions before it touches anything: names, colors, auth rules, forbidden actions, and how to verify work.
- 1Name the job before naming the tool.
- 2Write the smallest useful scope the agent can finish.
- 3Run the result as a user, not as a fan of the tool.
- 4Inspect the diff, data access, and failure path before sharing.
Use this as the working prompt or checklist for the lesson.
Create PROJECT_RULES.md: Do not store secrets in frontend code. Use our existing Button component. Run npm run typecheck after edits. Never delete data migrations without asking.- What should the user be able to do when this is finished?
- What data should the app or agent never expose?
- What test proves the change works?
- What rollback path exists if the output is wrong?
Key terms in this lesson
End-of-lesson quiz
Check what stuck
8 questions · Score saves to your progress.
Tutor
Curious about “Give Your Builder A Rules File”?
Ask anything about this lesson. I’ll answer using just what you’re reading — short, friendly, grounded.
Progress saved locally in this browser. Sign in to sync across devices.
Related lessons
Keep going
Creators · 50 min
Installing and Using Claude Code CLI
Claude Code is Anthropic's terminal-native coding agent. Let's install it, wire it to a project, and use the features most engineers miss on day one.
Creators · 55 min
Red-Teaming Your AI-Generated Code
Agents ship working code that's also quietly insecure. Red-teaming means actively attacking your own code. Let's build the habits that catch real-world exploits before attackers do.
Creators · 50 min
AI-Assisted Code Review Workflows (for Teams)
Code review is the highest-leverage touchpoint in a team. Automating the noise with AI frees humans to focus on the irreducibly human parts. Let's design the workflow.