ether-moon Guarding Agent Directives
Modes
Choose one explicit mode:
verify-addition— evaluate one proposed directive and, after user approval, apply an exact reviewed diff.audit-existing— read existing directives and return keep, revise, or remove recommendations. This mode is read-only and never changes files.
Default to audit-existing for review requests and verify-addition only when an addition or modification is proposed.
Do not insert a canonical coding baseline or restore deleted baseline rules. Evaluate only the content in scope.
Five Questions
Evaluate every proposed addition or audited rule:
| Check | Pass condition |
|---|---|
| Q1 Recurring? | The same project-specific failure is likely across sessions. |
| Q2 Non-obvious? | A capable agent cannot infer it from code, standard practice, or nearby configuration. |
| Q3 Novel? | Existing directives do not already express the same behavior. |
| Q4 Actionable? | Compliance changes observable behavior and can be checked. |
| Q5 Correct location? | The rule is placed at the narrowest scope where it is needed and will actually be loaded. |
Q5 Correct location replaces any requirement that a user policy be unique to one project. Explicit user policy may be valid even when general; placement and context cost still matter.
Read the detailed criteria for examples.
verify-addition
- Identify exact content, intended behavior, target file, and proposer.
- Read the target and every directive it references; search for duplicates and contradictions.
- Report PASS/FAIL with evidence for all five questions.
- If any fail, offer
Add anyway,Revise, andDon't add. A user override is authoritative. - Recommend the narrowest correct location: existing reference, skill-local reference, or top-level directive only when globally necessary.
- Show the exact diff before mutation and ask for final confirmation.
- Apply only the confirmed diff, then show the resulting exact diff.
An autonomous agent proposal never supplies its own approval. Without user confirmation, stop after the report.
audit-existing
For each in-scope rule, return:
Rule: <quoted or summarized directive with path>
Verdict: keep | revise | remove
Q1–Q5: <evidence>
Reason: <duplication, ambiguity, scope, staleness, or value>
Suggested wording/location: <only for revise>
The audit-existing mode is read-only: do not edit, consolidate, remove, or add directives. Present recommendations for user selection.
Placement
Prefer the narrowest loaded location:
- an existing task- or domain-specific referenced file;
- a new focused reference plus one concise link from its parent directive;
- the top-level CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md only for rules that affect nearly every session.
Do not create a reference merely to hide low-value text. A rule must pass the other checks first.
Failure Handling
- Referenced file missing: report the broken directive chain before evaluating placement.
- Duplicate but clearer wording: recommend revise/replace, not another copy.
- Contradiction: quote both rules and leave the choice to the user.
- User override after failure: preserve the rationale, show the exact diff, and respect the decision.
- Batch request in verify-addition: evaluate each addition independently or switch to audit-existing with user agreement.
Write repository directive content in English. Use the user's language for reports and decisions.