The rules command manages auto-discovered instruction files that control agent behavior.
Quick Start
# List all loaded rules
praisonai rules list
Usage
List Rules
Expected Output:
╭─ Loaded Rules ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ 📜 PRAISON.md (project root) │
│ 📜 CLAUDE.md (project root) │
│ 📜 .cursorrules (project root) │
│ 📜 python-guidelines.md (.praison/rules/) │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
Show Rule Details
praisonai rules show <rule_name>
Create Rule
praisonai rules create my_rule "Always use type hints"
Delete Rule
praisonai rules delete my_rule
Show Statistics
Include Rules with Prompts
praisonai "Task" --include-rules security,testing
Auto-Discovered Files
PraisonAI automatically discovers instruction files from your project root and git root:
| File | Description | Priority |
|---|
PRAISON.md | PraisonAI native instructions | High |
PRAISON.local.md | Local overrides (gitignored) | Higher |
CLAUDE.md | Claude Code memory file | High |
CLAUDE.local.md | Local overrides (gitignored) | Higher |
AGENTS.md | OpenAI Codex CLI instructions | High |
GEMINI.md | Gemini CLI memory file | High |
.cursorrules | Cursor IDE rules | High |
.windsurfrules | Windsurf IDE rules | High |
.claude/rules/*.md | Claude Code modular rules | Medium |
.windsurf/rules/*.md | Windsurf modular rules | Medium |
.cursor/rules/*.mdc | Cursor modular rules | Medium |
.praison/rules/*.md | Workspace rules | Medium |
~/.praison/rules/*.md | Global rules | Low |
# Guidelines
- Use type hints for all functions
- Follow PEP 8 style guide
- Include docstrings for public methods
With YAML Frontmatter
---
description: Python coding guidelines
globs: ["**/*.py"]
activation: always # always, glob, manual, ai_decision
---
# Guidelines
- Use type hints
- Follow PEP 8
@Import Syntax
Reference other files in your rules:
# CLAUDE.md
See @README for project overview
See @docs/architecture.md for system design
@~/.praison/my-preferences.md
How It Works
- Discovery: Scans project root and git root for rule files
- Priority: Higher priority rules override lower priority
- Injection: Rules are injected into agent system prompts
- Activation: Rules activate based on globs or manual selection
Activation Modes
| Mode | Description |
|---|
always | Rule is always active |
glob | Active when file matches glob pattern |
manual | Only active when explicitly included |
ai_decision | AI decides when to apply |
Programmatic Usage
from praisonaiagents import Agent
# Agent auto-discovers CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, GEMINI.md, etc.
agent = Agent(name="Assistant", instructions="You are helpful.")
# Rules are injected into system prompt automatically
Agent-Requested Rules
Agents can create, read, and manage rules dynamically using built-in tools:
from praisonaiagents import Agent
from praisonaiagents.tools.rules_tools import (
create_rule_tool,
list_rules_tool,
get_rule_tool,
delete_rule_tool,
get_active_rules_tool
)
# Create an agent that can manage rules
agent = Agent(
name="RulesManager",
role="Rules Administrator",
tools=[create_rule_tool, list_rules_tool, get_rule_tool, delete_rule_tool]
)
# Agent can now create rules dynamically
response = agent.chat("Create a rule for Python coding standards")
| Tool | Description |
|---|
create_rule_tool | Create a new rule with name, content, and options |
list_rules_tool | List all available rules |
get_rule_tool | Get content of a specific rule |
delete_rule_tool | Delete a rule |
get_active_rules_tool | Get rules active for current context |
create_rule_tool(
name="python-style", # Rule name (filename)
content="- Use type hints", # Rule content
description="Python standards", # Short description
globs="**/*.py", # Comma-separated glob patterns
activation="glob", # always, glob, manual, ai_decision
priority=10, # Higher = applied first
scope="workspace" # workspace or global
)
Best Practices
Use .local.md files for personal preferences that shouldn’t be committed to git.
High-priority rules override lower-priority ones. Be careful with conflicting instructions.
| Do | Don’t |
|---|
| Use PRAISON.md for project-wide rules | Put personal prefs in shared files |
| Use .local.md for personal overrides | Commit .local.md files |
| Use globs for language-specific rules | Apply all rules to all files |
| Keep rules concise and actionable | Write verbose instructions |
