ai-rules
AgentFreeai-rules is a governance framework designed to solve "Architectural Decay" in AI-driven development. It forces AI Agents (Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot) to respect your project's boundaries, UI libraries, and design patterns.
Capabilities10 decomposed
project-boundary-enforcement-via-rule-files
Medium confidenceEnforces architectural constraints by parsing declarative rule files (likely YAML or JSON format) that define project boundaries, forbidden patterns, and allowed libraries. These rules are injected into AI agent prompts or used to validate generated code against a project's governance model, preventing agents from violating established architectural decisions. The system likely maintains a rule registry that can be version-controlled and shared across team members.
Implements declarative rule-based governance specifically designed for AI agents rather than traditional linters; rules are injected into agent prompts to shape behavior at generation time rather than only validating post-generation. Targets architectural decay prevention in AI-driven workflows, a gap not addressed by standard linting tools.
Unlike ESLint or Prettier which validate code after generation, ai-rules constrains AI agent behavior during generation by embedding rules in prompts, reducing rejected code and iteration cycles.
ui-library-and-design-system-enforcement
Medium confidenceEnforces usage of specific UI libraries and design system components by defining allowed component registries and patterns in rule files. When AI agents generate code, the system validates that only approved components are used and that they follow design system conventions (naming, props, composition patterns). This prevents agents from creating custom components or using incompatible libraries that break visual consistency.
Specifically targets UI library enforcement for AI agents by maintaining a component registry and validating generated code against allowed components and their APIs. Unlike generic linting, it understands design system semantics and can enforce composition patterns (e.g., 'Button must be wrapped in ButtonGroup, not standalone').
More targeted than generic ESLint rules for UI enforcement; directly addresses the problem of AI agents ignoring design systems and creating inconsistent components, which standard linters don't prevent.
architectural-pattern-validation-and-repair
Medium confidenceValidates generated code against defined architectural patterns (e.g., MVC, layered architecture, dependency injection) and provides repair suggestions when violations are detected. The system likely uses pattern matching or AST analysis to identify violations and can either block generation or suggest corrections. This prevents architectural drift caused by AI agents that don't understand project structure.
Combines pattern validation with repair suggestions specifically for AI-generated code; uses architectural rules to not just detect violations but suggest corrections that align with project structure. Targets the architectural decay problem where AI agents generate code that works but violates project structure.
Goes beyond static analysis tools like SonarQube by understanding AI-specific architectural violations and providing repair suggestions; more proactive than post-commit code review.
ai-agent-prompt-injection-and-constraint-embedding
Medium confidenceInjects project rules and constraints directly into AI agent prompts (system prompts or context windows) so agents generate code that respects boundaries from the start. The system likely formats rules into natural language instructions that agents can understand and follow, reducing the need for post-generation validation. This works by intercepting or augmenting the prompts sent to AI models before code generation.
Directly manipulates AI agent prompts to embed project constraints, treating the agent's instruction-following capability as the enforcement mechanism rather than post-generation validation. This is a proactive approach to constraint enforcement that reduces iteration.
More efficient than post-generation validation because it prevents violations at generation time; reduces feedback loops compared to tools that only validate after code is generated.
multi-agent-rule-synchronization-and-versioning
Medium confidenceManages rule versions and synchronizes them across multiple AI agents and team members, ensuring consistent governance across different tools (Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot). Rules are likely stored in a version-controlled format that can be distributed to team members and integrated into different agent environments. This prevents rule drift where different developers have different constraint sets.
Treats rules as first-class, version-controlled artifacts that can be distributed across team members and AI agents. Enables governance at scale by decoupling rule definition from agent configuration.
Unlike ad-hoc prompt customization in individual editors, ai-rules provides a centralized, versioned rule system that scales across teams and tools.
code-violation-detection-and-reporting
Medium confidenceDetects violations of project rules in generated code and produces detailed reports identifying what was violated, where, and why. The system likely uses pattern matching, AST analysis, or semantic analysis to identify violations and generates human-readable reports that developers can act on. Reports may include severity levels, suggested fixes, and links to rule documentation.
Provides detailed violation reporting specifically for AI-generated code, with context about which rules were violated and where. Unlike generic linters, reports are framed around architectural governance rather than style.
More actionable than generic linter output because it ties violations to project rules and architectural constraints; helps teams understand why AI-generated code doesn't fit their architecture.
dependency-and-import-governance
Medium confidenceEnforces rules about which dependencies and imports are allowed in the codebase, preventing AI agents from introducing unauthorized libraries or creating circular dependencies. The system validates import statements against an allowed dependency list and can detect when agents try to import from forbidden modules. This works by analyzing import/require statements and comparing them against a whitelist or blacklist defined in rules.
Specifically targets AI agents' tendency to import unauthorized or heavy dependencies by validating imports against project-defined whitelists. Combines import analysis with governance rules to prevent dependency bloat and security issues.
More proactive than dependency auditing tools like npm audit; prevents unauthorized imports at generation time rather than detecting them after the fact.
code-style-and-naming-convention-enforcement
Medium confidenceEnforces consistent code style and naming conventions (camelCase, PascalCase, snake_case, etc.) across AI-generated code by validating against rules. The system analyzes variable names, function names, class names, and file names to ensure they match project conventions. This prevents stylistic inconsistencies that arise when AI agents generate code without understanding team preferences.
Applies naming convention rules specifically to AI-generated code, treating style enforcement as part of architectural governance rather than just aesthetic preference. Integrates with broader rule system.
Complements ESLint/Prettier by adding semantic naming validation; focuses on AI-specific style issues that generic linters may miss.
test-coverage-and-quality-gate-enforcement
Medium confidenceEnforces minimum test coverage and quality standards for AI-generated code by validating that generated functions have corresponding tests and meet coverage thresholds. The system can detect when AI generates code without tests and flag it as a violation. This prevents AI agents from shipping untested code.
Extends governance beyond architecture and style to include test coverage, treating testing as a governance requirement. Specifically targets AI agents that may generate code without tests.
More comprehensive than coverage tools alone; integrates test requirements into the broader governance framework alongside architectural and style rules.
documentation-and-comment-requirement-enforcement
Medium confidenceEnforces documentation and comment requirements for AI-generated code, ensuring that complex functions, public APIs, and architectural decisions are documented. The system validates that generated code includes JSDoc comments, README updates, or other documentation as defined by rules. This prevents AI from generating undocumented code.
Treats documentation as a governance requirement enforced alongside code rules, ensuring AI-generated code is documented by default. Integrates documentation validation into the broader rule system.
Goes beyond linting to enforce documentation standards; specifically targets AI agents that may generate code without adequate explanation.
Capabilities are decomposed by AI analysis. Each maps to specific user intents and improves with match feedback.
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Best For
- ✓teams using AI code editors (Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot) who want guardrails
- ✓projects with strict architectural requirements or design system compliance
- ✓organizations scaling AI-assisted development across multiple codebases
- ✓design-system-heavy teams (Material-UI, Chakra, Tailwind, custom systems)
- ✓enterprises with strict visual consistency requirements
- ✓product teams where UI coherence is critical to brand
- ✓teams with well-defined architectural patterns (layered, hexagonal, microservices)
- ✓large codebases where architectural consistency is critical
Known Limitations
- ⚠Requires explicit rule definition — no automatic pattern detection from existing codebase
- ⚠Rule enforcement depends on AI agent's ability to parse and respect injected constraints; some agents may ignore or misinterpret rules
- ⚠No built-in conflict resolution when rules contradict each other or clash with agent training
- ⚠Requires maintaining an up-to-date component registry as design system evolves
- ⚠Cannot validate visual correctness — only structural/API compliance
- ⚠May over-constrain AI agents, leading to suboptimal or verbose component usage patterns
Requirements
Input / Output
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Repository Details
Last commit: Apr 17, 2026
About
ai-rules is a governance framework designed to solve "Architectural Decay" in AI-driven development. It forces AI Agents (Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot) to respect your project's boundaries, UI libraries, and design patterns.
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