# Rules Improver

> Audit and improve project rule files (.cursorrules, .cursor/rules/) with quality reports and targeted updates.

- Skill: `naren-m/rules-improver` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add naren-m/rules-improver`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/naren-m/rules-improver/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Security
- Author: naren-m (https://skillmd.com/u/naren-m)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/naren-m/rules-improver

---


# Rules Improver

**This skill can write to rule files.** After presenting a quality report and getting user approval, it updates rule files with targeted improvements.

## Workflow

### Phase 1: Discovery

Find all project rule files in the repository:

```bash
find . -name ".cursorrules" -o -path "*/.cursor/rules/*.md" 2>/dev/null | head -50
```

**File Types & Locations:**

| Type | Location | Purpose |
|------|----------|---------|
| Project root | `./.cursorrules` | Primary project context (checked into git, shared with team) |
| Structured rules | `./.cursor/rules/*.md` | Per-concern rules with frontmatter (globs, descriptions) |
| Global rules | `~/.cursor/rules/*.md` | User-wide defaults across all projects |
| Package-specific | `./packages/*/.cursorrules` | Module-level context in monorepos |

**Note:** Cursor auto-discovers `.cursorrules` and `.cursor/rules/` files in the workspace, making monorepo setups work automatically.

### Phase 2: Quality Assessment

For each rule file, evaluate against quality criteria. See [references/quality-criteria.md](references/quality-criteria.md) for detailed rubrics.

**Quick Assessment Checklist:**

| Criterion | Weight | Check |
|-----------|--------|-------|
| Commands/workflows documented | High | Are build/test/deploy commands present? |
| Architecture clarity | High | Can Cursor understand the codebase structure? |
| Non-obvious patterns | Medium | Are gotchas and quirks documented? |
| Conciseness | Medium | No verbose explanations or obvious info? |
| Currency | High | Does it reflect current codebase state? |
| Actionability | High | Are instructions executable, not vague? |

**Quality Scores:**
- **A (90-100)**: Comprehensive, current, actionable
- **B (70-89)**: Good coverage, minor gaps
- **C (50-69)**: Basic info, missing key sections
- **D (30-49)**: Sparse or outdated
- **F (0-29)**: Missing or severely outdated

### Phase 3: Quality Report Output

**ALWAYS output the quality report BEFORE making any updates.**

Format:

```
## Project Rules Quality Report

### Summary
- Files found: X
- Average score: X/100
- Files needing update: X

### File-by-File Assessment

#### [filename]
**Score: XX/100 (Grade: X)**

| Criterion | Score | Notes |
|-----------|-------|-------|
| Commands/workflows | X/20 | |
| Architecture clarity | X/20 | |
| Non-obvious patterns | X/15 | |
| Conciseness | X/15 | |
| Currency | X/15 | |
| Actionability | X/15 | |

**Issues:** [specific problems]
**Recommended additions:** [what to add]
```

### Phase 4: Targeted Updates

After outputting the quality report, ask user for confirmation before updating.

**Update Guidelines (Critical):**

1. **Propose targeted additions only** - Focus on genuinely useful info:
   - Commands or workflows discovered during analysis
   - Gotchas or non-obvious patterns found in code
   - Package relationships that weren't clear
   - Testing approaches that work
   - Configuration quirks

2. **Keep it minimal** - Avoid:
   - Restating what's obvious from the code
   - Generic best practices already covered
   - One-off fixes unlikely to recur
   - Verbose explanations when a one-liner suffices

3. **Show diffs** - For each change, show:
   - Which rule file to update
   - The specific addition (as a diff or quoted block)
   - Brief explanation of why this helps future sessions

**Diff Format:**

```markdown
### Update: ./.cursorrules

**Why:** Build command was missing, causing confusion about how to run the project.

```diff
+ ## Quick Start
+
+ ```bash
+ npm install
+ npm run dev  # Start development server on port 3000
+ ```
```
```

### Phase 5: Apply Updates

After user approval, apply changes using the Edit tool. Preserve existing content structure.

## Templates

See [references/templates.md](references/templates.md) for rule file templates by project type.

## Common Issues to Flag

1. **Stale commands**: Build commands that no longer work
2. **Missing dependencies**: Required tools not mentioned
3. **Outdated architecture**: File structure that's changed
4. **Missing environment setup**: Required env vars or config
5. **Broken test commands**: Test scripts that have changed
6. **Undocumented gotchas**: Non-obvious patterns not captured

## User Tips to Share

When presenting recommendations, remind users:

- **Keep it concise**: Rule files should be human-readable; dense is better than verbose
- **Actionable commands**: All documented commands should be copy-paste ready
- **Use `.cursor/rules/`**: For structured, per-concern rules with frontmatter (globs, descriptions)
- **Global defaults**: Put user-wide preferences in `~/.cursor/rules/`

## What Makes Great Project Rules

**Key principles:**
- Concise and human-readable
- Actionable commands that can be copy-pasted
- Project-specific patterns, not generic advice
- Non-obvious gotchas and warnings

**Recommended sections** (use only what's relevant):
- Commands (build, test, dev, lint)
- Architecture (directory structure)
- Key Files (entry points, config)
- Code Style (project conventions)
- Environment (required vars, setup)
- Testing (commands, patterns)
- Gotchas (quirks, common mistakes)
- Workflow (when to do what)