How do I install the Path Rules skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add octaviantocan/path-rules in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Path Rules safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Path Rules?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Path Rules free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Path Rules?

octaviantocan (@octaviantocan) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Path Rules by octaviantocan — Agent Skill

Name: Path Rules
Author: octaviantocan

File contents

Path-scoped rules

Canonical location

Path	Role
`.agent/rules/`	Portable brain — edit here
`.claude/rules`	Symlink → `.agent/rules` (Claude Code loader)
`.agents/rules`	Symlink → `.agent/rules` (Codex discovery)
`.cursor/plugins/pawrrtal/rules/`	Cursor `.mdc` — Pawrrtal-specific (clean-code, github-actions)
`.cursor/rules/`	Cursor always-on / vendored rules (e.g. stagehand)

What goes where

Surface	Holds
`.agent/rules/*/.md`	Path-scoped traps with `paths:` globs — one incident per file
`.agent/rules/CURATED.md`	Onboarding reading list (highest-signal rules)
`.agent/rules/AGENTS.md`	Authoring philosophy, naming, frontmatter
`skills/code-quality`	Cross-stack summary while coding
`memory/semantic/LESSONS.md`	Graduated one-liners from `learn.py` / `graduate.py`
Linter configs	Enforceable checks — not duplicate rules

Do not paste full rule bodies into AGENTS.md or skills — link or curate.

Rule file shape

---
name: kebab-case-slug
paths: ["**/*.{ts,tsx}"]
---

# Complete sentence title

Failure mode + fix. ## Verify section required. Bad/good examples.

See .agent/rules/AGENTS.md for categories, naming, and anti-patterns.

Editing checklist

New trap from a real incident → new .md in the right category folder
paths: globs match files this repo actually ships
Under ~80 lines; split if two traps
High-signal onboarding pick → add row to CURATED.md
Pawrrtal-only + Cursor plugin → .cursor/plugins/pawrrtal/rules/ (.mdc)
Upstream vendored rule → sync from OctavianTocan/claude-rules when porting

Harness notes

Claude Code loads .md with paths: when editing matching files
.agent/rules/cursor-vendored/ is a reference snapshot of .mdc files — zero Claude context cost
Cursor plugin rules were moved out of this tree; Claude does not auto-load them from .agent/rules

---name: path-rulesdescription: Use when creating, editing, pruning, or curating path-scoped rule files under .agent/rules/. Covers YAML paths frontmatter, category layout, CURATED.md, and harness symlinks (.claude/rules, .agents/rules).---# Path-scoped rules## Canonical location| Path | Role ||------|------|| **`.agent/rules/`** | Portable brain — edit here || `.claude/rules` | Symlink → `.agent/rules` (Claude Code loader) || `.agents/rules` | Symlink → `.agent/rules` (Codex discovery) || `.cursor/plugins/pawrrtal/rules/` | Cursor `.mdc` — Pawrrtal-specific (clean-code, github-actions) || `.cursor/rules/` | Cursor always-on / vendored rules (e.g. stagehand) |## What goes where| Surface | Holds ||---------|--------|| `.agent/rules/**/*.md` | Path-scoped traps with `paths:` globs — one incident per file || `.agent/rules/CURATED.md` | Onboarding reading list (highest-signal rules) || `.agent/rules/AGENTS.md` | Authoring philosophy, naming, frontmatter || `skills/code-quality` | Cross-stack summary while coding || `memory/semantic/LESSONS.md` | Graduated one-liners from `learn.py` / `graduate.py` || Linter configs | Enforceable checks — not duplicate rules |**Do not** paste full rule bodies into AGENTS.md or skills — link or curate.## Rule file shape```yaml---name: kebab-case-slugpaths: ["**/*.{ts,tsx}"]---# Complete sentence titleFailure mode + fix. ## Verify section required. Bad/good examples.```See `.agent/rules/AGENTS.md` for categories, naming, and anti-patterns.## Editing checklist- [ ] New trap from a real incident → new `.md` in the right category folder- [ ] `paths:` globs match files this repo actually ships- [ ] Under ~80 lines; split if two traps- [ ] High-signal onboarding pick → add row to `CURATED.md`- [ ] Pawrrtal-only + Cursor plugin → `.cursor/plugins/pawrrtal/rules/` (`.mdc`)- [ ] Upstream vendored rule → sync from `OctavianTocan/claude-rules` when porting## Harness notes- Claude Code loads `.md` with `paths:` when editing matching files- `.agent/rules/cursor-vendored/` is a **reference snapshot** of `.mdc` files — zero Claude context cost- Cursor plugin rules were **moved out** of this tree; Claude does not auto-load them from `.agent/rules`

Frequently asked questions

Path Rules