Rules Configuration in AI
From the Cursor cheat sheet ยท Context Management ยท verified Jul 2026
Rules Configuration
Set persistent coding rules and patterns
yaml
# Rule file locations
.cursor/rules/ # Project-specific rules
AGENTS.md # Simple project rules
User Settings > Rules # Global user rules
# Rule file format (.cursor/rules/*.mdc)
---
description: API Standards
globs: ["**/*.api.ts"]
alwaysApply: false
---
- Use REST conventions
- Include error handling
- Add JSDoc comments
# Legacy: root .cursorrules still loads but is
# ignored in Agent mode - migrate to .cursor/rules/*.mdc
# Rule behaviors
Always # Always included in context
Auto Attached # Included with matching files
Agent Requested # AI decides inclusion
Manual # Only when mentionedyaml
// EXAMPLE: Project rules in .cursor/rules/style.md
---
description: Code style guide
alwaysApply: true
---
- Use TypeScript strict mode
- Prefer const over let
- Use async/await over callbacks
- Add error boundaries to components๐ก Rules persist across all conversations
โก Project rules override user rules
๐ Globs target specific file patterns
๐ AGENTS.md for simple rule lists
rulesconfigurationcontext