AI Rules Standard (ARS)

One file for all AI coding assistants

Problem

Every AI coding tool needs its own rules file:

• .cursorrules for Cursor
• claude.md for Claude
• windsurf_rules.md for Windsurf
• Custom files for other tools

Solution

Create one .ai-rules file that works with all AI tools.

Quick Start

Create .ai-rules in your project root:

# AI Rules Standard v1.0
version: "1.0"

metadata:
  apply_on: "context"
  priority: "high"

development:
  languages: ["python"]
  style: "clean and readable"
  
constraints:
  - "Use type hints"
  - "Add docstrings"
  - "Keep functions small"
  
ignore:
  - "*.pyc"
  - "__pycache__/"

That's it! Any AI tool supporting ARS will understand your preferences.

Format Options

YAML Format

version: "1.0"
development:
  languages: ["javascript"]
  style: "modern"
constraints:
  - "Use const/let instead of var"
  - "Add meaningful comments"

Markdown Format

# AI Rules

## Project
- **Language**: JavaScript
- **Style**: Modern

## Requirements
- Use const/let instead of var
- Add meaningful comments

Core Structure

• version: ARS version (required)
• metadata: Behavior control (when/how to apply rules)
• development: Language and style preferences
• constraints: Rules the AI should follow
• ignore: Files/patterns to ignore
• tools: Tool-specific settings (optional)

Examples

See examples/ for common project types.

For Tool Developers

1. Check for .ai-rules in project root
2. Parse YAML or Markdown format
3. Fall back to legacy formats if not found

Migration

Replace your existing rule files with .ai-rules:

• Copy your current rules
• Convert to ARS format
• Test with your AI tools
• Remove old files

Contributing

Open source and community-driven. Contribute at github.com/level09/air.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file.