create-rule

name	create-rule
description	Create a new memory rule following Claude Code best practices for project instructions, coding standards, and workflow guidelines. This skill should be used when users want to create CLAUDE.md rules, .claude/rules/ files, or memory instructions for Claude Code.
metadata	{"author":"mgiovani","version":"1.0.0","source":"https://github.com/mgiovani/skills"}
disable-model-invocation	true
argument-hint	<rule-name> [description]
allowed-tools	["Read","Write","Edit","Grep","Glob","Bash(git *)","Bash(mkdir *)","Task","TodoWrite","AskUserQuestion"]

Create Rule

Cross-Platform AI Agent Skill This skill works with any AI agent platform that supports the skills.sh standard.

Create Memory Rule

Generate a new memory rule following Claude Code best practices for project instructions, coding standards, and workflow guidelines.

Note: Claude Code has merged commands into skills (v2.1.3+). This skill creates memory rules (CLAUDE.md entries and .claude/rules/ files), not skills or commands.

For the memory hierarchy and rule file specifications, see references/memory-hierarchy.md. For glob patterns and rule examples, see references/rule-examples.md.

Reference Documentation

• Claude Code memory documentation: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory

Anti-Hallucination Guidelines

CRITICAL: When creating rules:

1. Verify existing patterns first - Don't assume conventions, check the actual codebase
2. Reference real code - Base rules on actual patterns found in the project
3. Don't invent standards - If no convention exists, ask the user before creating one
4. Check for conflicts - Ensure new rules don't contradict existing ones
5. Validate frontmatter - Only use paths frontmatter for .claude/rules/ files

Your Task

Phase 0: Gather Up-to-Date Documentation (Use claude-code-guide Agent)

CRITICAL: Before creating any rule, fetch the latest official documentation:

Phase 1: Understand Context (Explore Codebase)

Understand the codebase context to create relevant rules:

Phase 2: Parse Arguments

1. Extract rule name from $1 or first word of command arguments
2. Extract description from remaining arguments or ask user
3. Determine rule type:

• Modular rule: .claude/rules/<name>.md (recommended for focused topics)
• CLAUDE.md entry: Add to existing ./CLAUDE.md or ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md

4. Determine scope:

• Project rule: .claude/rules/ (shared with team)
• User rule: ~/.claude/rules/ (personal, all projects)

Phase 3: Gather Rule Requirements

Ask user or infer from context:

Questions to determine:
1. What specific behavior should this rule enforce?
2. Is it path-specific? (applies only to certain file patterns)
3. Should it be project-scoped or user-scoped?
4. What category does it belong to? (code-style, testing, security, workflow, etc.)
5. Are there existing similar rules to reference or extend?
### Phase 4: Analyze Existing Rules (Use Parallel Analysis)

Spawn parallel Explore agents with model: haiku to gather patterns:

Agent 1 - Analyze Existing Memory:

• prompt: "Read any existing CLAUDE.md files and .claude/rules/*.md in the project. Extract common patterns: structure, formatting, specificity level. Return best practices observed."
• agent-type: "Explore"
• model: "haiku"

Agent 2 - Identify Rule Category:

• prompt: "Search existing rules in .claude/rules/ directory. Analyze the category structure used (code-style, testing, security, etc.). Based on '[DESCRIPTION]', which existing category best fits? Return recommended category, filename, and examples of similar rules."
• agent-type: "Explore"
• model: "haiku"

Agent 3 - Check for Conflicts:

• prompt: "Search for existing rules that might conflict with or overlap '[DESCRIPTION]'. Check CLAUDE.md files and .claude/rules/. Return any potential conflicts or opportunities to consolidate."
• agent-type: "Explore"
• model: "haiku"

Phase 5: Generate Rule Structure

Use TodoWrite to track rule creation:

TodoWrite:
- [ ] Create rule file with frontmatter (if path-specific)
- [ ] Write clear, specific instructions
- [ ] Add examples where helpful
- [ ] Validate rule syntax
- [ ] Test rule applicability
### Phase 6: Write Rule File

Generate the rule following the templates in [references/rule-examples.md](references/rule-examples.md).

**For path-specific rules** (with frontmatter):

```markdown

## Claude Code Enhanced Features

This skill includes the following Claude Code-specific enhancements:

## Your Task

### Phase 0: Gather Up-to-Date Documentation (Use claude-code-guide Agent)

**CRITICAL**: Before creating any rule, fetch the latest official documentation:

Use Task tool with claude-code-guide agent:

• prompt: "I need to create a new Claude Code memory rule. Please research and provide:

  1. Rules File Specification:

     • Current frontmatter format (paths field syntax)
     • Glob pattern support and limitations
     • File naming and organization conventions

  2. Memory Hierarchy:

     • Current loading order (enterprise, project, user, etc.)
     • Priority rules when conflicts occur
     • Path specificity rules

  3. CLAUDE.md Best Practices:

     • Current structure recommendations
     • Import syntax (@path/to/file)
     • Section organization patterns

  4. Recent Changes:

     • Any new frontmatter fields
     • New memory features or capabilities
     • Deprecated patterns to avoid

  Return specific, actionable information with examples."

• subagent_type: "claude-code-guide"

### Phase 1: Understand Context (Use Explore Agent)

Understand the codebase context to create relevant rules:

Use Task tool with Explore agent:

• prompt: "The user wants to create a rule called [RULE_NAME] with description: [DESCRIPTION]. Search the codebase to understand: 1) Existing CLAUDE.md files and their structure, 2) Existing .claude/rules/ if any, 3) Relevant code patterns the rule should enforce. Return findings with file paths."
• subagent_type: "Explore"
• model: "haiku"

### Phase 2: Parse Arguments

1. **Extract rule name** from `$1` or first word of `$ARGUMENTS`
2. **Extract description** from remaining arguments or ask user
3. **Determine rule type**:
   - **Modular rule**: `.claude/rules/<name>.md` (recommended for focused topics)
   - **CLAUDE.md entry**: Add to existing `./CLAUDE.md` or `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md`
4. **Determine scope**:
   - **Project rule**: `.claude/rules/` (shared with team)
   - **User rule**: `~/.claude/rules/` (personal, all projects)

### Phase 3: Gather Rule Requirements

Ask user or infer from context:

Questions to determine:

1. What specific behavior should this rule enforce?
2. Is it path-specific? (applies only to certain file patterns)
3. Should it be project-scoped or user-scoped?
4. What category does it belong to? (code-style, testing, security, workflow, etc.)
5. Are there existing similar rules to reference or extend?

### Phase 4: Analyze Existing Rules (Use SubAgents)

Spawn parallel Explore agents with model: haiku to gather patterns:

Agent 1 - Analyze Existing Memory:

• prompt: "Read any existing CLAUDE.md files and .claude/rules/*.md in the project. Extract common patterns: structure, formatting, specificity level. Return best practices observed."
• subagent_type: "Explore"
• model: "haiku"

Agent 2 - Identify Rule Category:

• prompt: "Search existing rules in .claude/rules/ directory. Analyze the category structure used (code-style, testing, security, etc.). Based on '[DESCRIPTION]', which existing category best fits? Return recommended category, filename, and examples of similar rules."
• subagent_type: "Explore"
• model: "haiku"

Agent 3 - Check for Conflicts:

• prompt: "Search for existing rules that might conflict with or overlap '[DESCRIPTION]'. Check CLAUDE.md files and .claude/rules/. Return any potential conflicts or opportunities to consolidate."
• subagent_type: "Explore"
• model: "haiku"

### Phase 5: Generate Rule Structure

Use TodoWrite to track rule creation:

TodoWrite:

• Create rule file with frontmatter (if path-specific)
• Write clear, specific instructions
• Add examples where helpful
• Validate rule syntax
• Test rule applicability

### Phase 6: Write Rule File

Generate the rule following the templates in [references/rule-examples.md](references/rule-examples.md).

**For path-specific rules** (with frontmatter):

```markdown