Files
PaperClipAI/rules/README.md
T
DottaandClaude 84007892e9 refactor: move AGENTS.md section detail to docs and rules, add a bug-fixing section (#20585)
## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - `AGENTS.md` is the instruction file that each human and AI
contributor reads before a change
> - Pull request #20557 shortened the file, but several sections still
held detail that applies to only some changes
> - The scoped-rules section told agents to read each matching rule in
full, and most changes match five rules
> - The core engineering rules mixed three product invariants with
process conventions
> - This pull request moves that detail to the docs and to scoped rules,
and adds a section on how to fix a bug
> - The benefit is a 211-line file that states what applies to every
change and points to the rest

## Linked Issues or Issue Description

Refs #20557

**Issue type**

Outdated or unclear contributor documentation.

**Where is the issue?**

`AGENTS.md` at the repository root, and `rules/`.

**What's wrong?**

- The scoped-rules section made agents read the full body of each
matching rule before a change. The rule bodies total about 47 KB.
- Sections 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10 repeated detail that belongs in
`doc/DEVELOPING.md`, `doc/DATABASE.md`, a route rule, `DESIGN.md` and
`CONTRIBUTING.md`.
- Section 4 had a database reset command for `data/pglite`. That
directory does not exist.
- Section 5 had seven rules. Four of them were process conventions or
path-specific detail.
- The file did not say how to fix a bug.

**Suggested fix**

Make the rule headers the index. Move section detail to the document or
rule that owns it. Keep only the three invariants in section 5. Add a
bug-fixing section.

## What Changed

- The scoped-rules section now tells agents to list the rule headers
with one `grep` command. Agents read a rule body only for a design
decision in its area, when the description is not sufficient, or when a
reviewer cites it.
- `rules/README.md` says that each `description` must state the required
behavior in one sentence.
- `rules/pull-request-review.mdc` has a description that states its
requirements.
- Section 4 (dev setup) and section 11 (pull requests) now point to
`doc/DEVELOPING.md` and `CONTRIBUTING.md`.
- The schema change workflow moved from section 6 to `doc/DATABASE.md`.
- The API and auth expectations moved from section 8 to the new
`rules/api-route-expectations.mdc`.
- Section 9 links to `DESIGN.md` for design rules. `AGENTS.md` no longer
tells contributors to run `pnpm check:token-gates`.
- Added section 10, "Fixing a Bug": reproduce the error, write a failing
test, write the fix, see the test pass, and verify the fix.
- Section 5 now has three rules: company scope, contract
synchronization, and the control-plane invariants.
- The company-scope exceptions moved to the new
`rules/company-scope-exceptions.mdc`.
- Removed the strategic-docs rule. The plan-doc convention moved to the
repo map. The artifact rule moved to section 7.
- Removed rule 7. Five code comments that cited `AGENTS.md §5.7` now
cite `rules/data-paths.mdc`.
- Regenerated the SDK public source pin, because one of those comments
is in `packages/shared/src/crash-points.ts`.
- Added both new rules to `.greptile/files.json`.
- The API route rule applies only to routes that read or write company
data. Its status code list is a list of common codes.
- The company-scope rule lists the sidebar company order as an
instance-wide exception.
- The `honeycomb-tracing` skill now points to `rules/data-paths.mdc` for
the Telemetry workflow.

## Verification

- Open `AGENTS.md` and confirm that each link resolves. A local script
checked this.
- Run `grep -E '^(description|globs|alwaysApply):' rules/*.mdc` and
confirm that each rule prints a description.
- Run `node tests/runner-e2e/source-sdk-public-inputs.mjs <HEAD>
--check`. It passes locally.
- `packages/shared/src/crash-points.test.ts` passed locally before the
rebase onto `master`.
- Five source files changed in comments only. No other test suite ran
locally.

## Risks

- An agent that reads only rule descriptions can miss a detail in a rule
body. Reviewers still apply the full rules.
- Pull requests and the definition of done are now sections 11 and 12.
Sections 1 to 9 keep their numbers.
- Dated plan documents under `doc/plans/` still cite `AGENTS.md §5.7`.
They are historical records.
- Pull request #20565 also changes `AGENTS.md`. The second one to merge
needs a conflict fix in section 1 and section 2.

## 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>
2026-11-10 11:00:31 -06:00

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2.5 KiB
Markdown

# 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:
1. State the scope, required behavior, examples, exceptions, and review criteria.
2. Add its path to `.greptile/files.json`. Copy its `globs` into that entry's
`scope` array, one pattern per element. For `alwaysApply: true`, omit `scope`.
3. Keep the rule's frontmatter and the Greptile scope synchronized. Verify that
the scope covers representative files and excludes unrelated directories.
4. Keep detailed policy in the rule file instead of copying it into tool settings.
Product behavior is covered by
[`product-harness-responsibility.mdc`](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](https://www.greptile.com/docs/code-review/greptile-config-reference)
for the manifest format.
Background execution is covered by
[`sleep-aware-background-work.mdc`](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.