## Thinking Path > - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for work > - `rules/*.mdc` holds the architecture rules that reviewers and agents apply to a change > - Pull request #20585 added two rules: API route expectations and company-scope exceptions > - Review found that both rules state more than is true for the current code > - A rule that is too broad makes reviewers flag correct code and can make an agent add a wrong check > - This pull request corrects the scope of both rules and fixes one stale pointer > - The benefit is rules that match the code they describe ## Linked Issues or Issue Description Refs #20585 **Issue type** Incorrect contributor documentation. **Where is the issue?** `rules/api-route-expectations.mdc`, `rules/company-scope-exceptions.mdc`, `AGENTS.md` section 8, and `.agents/skills/honeycomb-tracing/SKILL.md`. **What's wrong?** - The API route rule said that every route checks company access. Instance-level routes such as `health.ts`, `liveness.ts`, `ready.ts`, `public-mcp.ts` and `org-chart-svg.ts` do not, and must not. - The API route rule told reviewers to flag each status code outside a list of seven. `429` and `503` are correct in some routes. - The company-scope rule said that it lists the only instance-wide data. `user_sidebar_preferences` is instance-wide and was not in the list. - The company-scope rule said that it applies to new files that its `globs` cannot match. - The `honeycomb-tracing` skill pointed to `AGENTS.md` for the Telemetry workflow. That text is now in `rules/data-paths.mdc`. **Suggested fix** Limit each rule to what is true, and repoint the skill. ## What Changed - The API route rule and `AGENTS.md` section 8 now apply to routes that read or write company data. - The API route rule names the instance-level routes and says not to add a company check to them. - The status code list is now a list of common codes. Reviewers flag an incorrect code, not an unlisted code. - The company-scope rule lists the sidebar company order as an instance-wide exception, in the text, the `globs`, and the Greptile scope. - The company-scope rule says "known data" and no longer claims to match new files. - The `honeycomb-tracing` skill points to `rules/data-paths.mdc`. ## Verification - Read the two rules and confirm that each named file exists. A local script checked the `globs` and the route names. - Confirm that `.greptile/files.json` is valid JSON and that its scope matches the rule `globs`. - No source code changed. No test suite ran locally. ## Risks - Low risk. The change is documentation only. - The list of instance-level routes can go out of date when a route is added. ## Model Used - Claude (Anthropic), in Claude Code with tool use. - `claude-fable-5-2`. ## Checklist - [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context to this change - [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability details) - [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate planned core work - [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked them above - [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes #` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant issue template - [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip` URLs) - [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`) and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details - [ ] I have run tests locally and they pass - [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable - [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes - [x] I have considered and documented any risks above - [ ] All Paperclip CI gates are green - [ ] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups - [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before requesting merge 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
Repository rules
Keep architectural guidance in focused .mdc files here. Each file is Markdown
with YAML frontmatter containing a description and an alwaysApply boolean.
For scoped rules, set alwaysApply: false and provide comma-separated,
repository-relative globs. For repository-wide rules, set alwaysApply: true
and omit globs. Use ** for all descendants of a directory. Include sibling
entry points explicitly when needed.
Root AGENTS.md tells coding agents to list the rule headers, follow the
descriptions that cover their files, and read a rule body when they make a
design decision in its area or a reviewer cites it. Write each description as
one sentence that states the required behavior, because it is what an agent reads
first. This directory is a repository convention: Cursor does not
automatically load it as .cursor/rules/, and the .mdc extension alone does not
make a tool apply a rule.
Greptile reads matching rule files through .greptile/files.json and receives
loading instructions from .greptile/rules.md. The rule body remains here as
the single source of truth. Repository configuration takes effect when the
files are available on the reviewed branch; local files alone are not visible
to the hosted reviewer.
When adding or changing a rule:
- State the scope, required behavior, examples, exceptions, and review criteria.
- Add its path to
.greptile/files.json. Copy itsglobsinto that entry'sscopearray, one pattern per element. ForalwaysApply: true, omitscope. - Keep the rule's frontmatter and the Greptile scope synchronized. Verify that the scope covers representative files and excludes unrelated directories.
- Keep detailed policy in the rule file instead of copying it into tool settings.
Product behavior is covered by
product-harness-responsibility.mdc: routine
work belongs to the harness, and user-facing detail must support an outcome or a
real decision. This applies to orchestration as well as UI.
See the Greptile file-reference documentation for the manifest format.
Background execution is covered by
sleep-aware-background-work.mdc: new or
expanded work must become quiet, use events and real scheduler deadlines, and
preserve recovery across transactions, drain, and restart. This rule covers
server/src/index.ts and the worker/producer paths in its scope. It does not
require unrelated legacy polling to be migrated in the same PR.