How do I install the Carl Manager skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add sevenbelowllc/carl-manager 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 Carl Manager 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 Carl Manager?

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 Carl Manager free to use?

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

Who published Carl Manager?

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

Carl Manager by sevenbelowllc — Agent Skill

Name: Carl Manager
Author: sevenbelowllc

Carl Manager

Manage CARL domains and rules. Auto-activates when user says "make this a rule", "add this to CARL", "create a domain for X", mentions modifying .carl files, or asks which domain something belongs in.

sevenbelowllc 9433ce6 6 files · 18.8 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

CARL Rules Manager

Help users create and manage CARL domains and rules through natural conversation.

Router

Parse user intent first:

User says	Action
"make this a rule"	Suggest domain -> add rule
"add rule to X"	Add rule to domain X
"create domain"	Create domain + manifest
"what domain for X"	Read SUGGEST-DOMAIN.md
"edit rule"	Find and edit rule
"toggle X"	Update manifest state
"add a star-command"	Add to COMMANDS domain

Quick Reference

Paths

Project: ./.carl/ (current workspace)
Global: ~/.carl/ (user home)
Manifest: .carl/manifest

Domain File Format

# {DOMAIN} Domain Rules
{DOMAIN}_RULE_0=First rule
{DOMAIN}_RULE_1=Second rule

Manifest Entry

{DOMAIN}_STATE=active
{DOMAIN}_RECALL=keyword1, keyword2
{DOMAIN}_EXCLUDE=
{DOMAIN}_ALWAYS_ON=false

Operations

Add Rule to Existing Domain

Read domain file
Find highest RULE_N index
Append new rule at index+1
Write file

Create New Domain

Create .carl/{domain} (lowercase filename)
Add rules with UPPERCASE prefix
Add manifest entries
Optionally add to DOMAIN_ORDER

Suggest Domain

See SUGGEST-DOMAIN.md for domain categorization logic.

Toggle Domain

Read manifest
Update {DOMAIN}_STATE to active/inactive
Write manifest

Create Star-Command

Read .carl/commands
Add {COMMAND}_RULE_N entries
User invokes with *commandname

Response Style

Be direct. Show exact changes:

Adding to DEVELOPMENT domain:

.carl/development:
+ DEVELOPMENT_RULE_5=Always use TypeScript strict mode

Done. Rule added at index 5.

Supporting Files

File	Purpose
DOMAIN-GUIDE.md	Domain structure, naming conventions
MANIFEST-REFERENCE.md	All manifest fields explained
CONTEXT-RULES.md	CONTEXT bracket system (FRESH/MODERATE/DEPLETED)
COMMANDS-GUIDE.md	Star-command format and examples
SUGGEST-DOMAIN.md	Logic for suggesting domain placement

When to Activate

User says "make this a rule" or "add this as a rule"
User asks "what domain should this be in?"
User wants to "create a domain for X"
User mentions modifying .carl files
User wants to add a star-command (*brief, *discuss, etc.)
User asks about CARL structure or configuration

Important Notes

Filenames lowercase, rule prefixes UPPERCASE
Sequential indices starting at 0
Manifest uses = with no spaces
GLOBAL is always-on by default
Read existing file first to get current max index

---name: carl-managerdescription: Manage CARL domains and rules. Auto-activates when user says "make this a rule", "add this to CARL", "create a domain for X", mentions modifying .carl files, or asks which domain something belongs in.---# CARL Rules ManagerHelp users create and manage CARL domains and rules through natural conversation.## Router**Parse user intent first:**| User says | Action ||-----------|--------|| "make this a rule" | Suggest domain -> add rule || "add rule to X" | Add rule to domain X || "create domain" | Create domain + manifest || "what domain for X" | Read SUGGEST-DOMAIN.md || "edit rule" | Find and edit rule || "toggle X" | Update manifest state || "add a star-command" | Add to COMMANDS domain |## Quick Reference### Paths- Project: `./.carl/` (current workspace)- Global: `~/.carl/` (user home)- Manifest: `.carl/manifest`### Domain File Format```# {DOMAIN} Domain Rules{DOMAIN}_RULE_0=First rule{DOMAIN}_RULE_1=Second rule```### Manifest Entry```{DOMAIN}_STATE=active{DOMAIN}_RECALL=keyword1, keyword2{DOMAIN}_EXCLUDE={DOMAIN}_ALWAYS_ON=false```## Operations### Add Rule to Existing Domain1. Read domain file2. Find highest RULE_N index3. Append new rule at index+14. Write file### Create New Domain1. Create `.carl/{domain}` (lowercase filename)2. Add rules with UPPERCASE prefix3. Add manifest entries4. Optionally add to DOMAIN_ORDER### Suggest DomainSee SUGGEST-DOMAIN.md for domain categorization logic.### Toggle Domain1. Read manifest2. Update {DOMAIN}_STATE to active/inactive3. Write manifest### Create Star-Command1. Read `.carl/commands`2. Add {COMMAND}_RULE_N entries3. User invokes with *commandname## Response StyleBe direct. Show exact changes:```Adding to DEVELOPMENT domain:.carl/development:+ DEVELOPMENT_RULE_5=Always use TypeScript strict modeDone. Rule added at index 5.```## Supporting Files| File | Purpose ||------|---------|| DOMAIN-GUIDE.md | Domain structure, naming conventions || MANIFEST-REFERENCE.md | All manifest fields explained || CONTEXT-RULES.md | CONTEXT bracket system (FRESH/MODERATE/DEPLETED) || COMMANDS-GUIDE.md | Star-command format and examples || SUGGEST-DOMAIN.md | Logic for suggesting domain placement |## When to Activate- User says "make this a rule" or "add this as a rule"- User asks "what domain should this be in?"- User wants to "create a domain for X"- User mentions modifying `.carl` files- User wants to add a star-command (*brief, *discuss, etc.)- User asks about CARL structure or configuration## Important Notes- Filenames lowercase, rule prefixes UPPERCASE- Sequential indices starting at 0- Manifest uses `=` with no spaces- GLOBAL is always-on by default- Read existing file first to get current max index

Frequently asked questions