RuleKitX
DocsGetting Started

Getting Started

RuleKitX is a 3-layer prompt governance system. By defining standard guidelines as clean Markdown templates with YAML metadata, RuleKitX allows you to dynamically compose structured, priority-marked XML system prompts for any AI coding tool, ensuring absolute compliance with your guidelines.

#Installation

Install the CLI globally on your machine using NPM:

bash
1npm install -g rulekitx

Verification

Ensure the global rulekitx command is on your PATH:

bash
1rulekitx --version

If it succeeds, run rulekitx doctor to inspect the status of your RuleKitX configuration:

bash
1rulekitx doctor

Model Chat / IDE Autocomplete: To verify that your snippets were installed successfully, simply open your AI chat window (in Cursor, Claude Code, or OpenCode) or any text file in your IDE, and type /rulekitx. You should immediately see all available RuleKitX skills pop up in your autocomplete suggestions.

#Global Rules Configuration

Upon installation, RuleKitX automatically runs a postinstall script that creates a configuration directory in your user home directory to store active templates (rulekitx init).

This creates the following directory structure inside ~/.rulekitx/:

bash
1~/.rulekitx/2├── core.md3└── skills/4    ├── engineering/5    │   ├── architect.md6    │   ├── refactor.md7    │   ├── reviewer.md8    │   └── safe-feature.md9    ├── design/10    │   ├── premium-ui.md11    │   └── redesign.md12    ├── execution/13    │   └── exec-complete.md14    └── standards/15        ├── api.md16        └── testing.md

(Note: If the automatic initialization fails, or if you want to reset your templates to the default state, you can run rulekitx init manually.)

Additionally, rulekitx init triggers global IDE synchronization:

  • Generates autocomplete snippets for VS Code, Cursor, and JetBrains.
  • Automatically copies and registers active skills in OpenCode and Claude Code agents!
  • Injects a managed, always-on core block into Claude/OpenCode always-loaded files.

#Project-Local Rules (Layered Auto-Read)

To configure project-specific rules, auto-detect your stack, and enable Cursor native background auto-read, run inside your project root:

bash
1rulekitx init --local

This local initialization sets up Layer 3 Project Memory and exports the layers cleanly to prevent AI model confusion or context waste:

  1. Project Memory (.rulekitx/project-memory.md): RuleKitX scans your package.json, lockfile, and configurations to auto-detect your languages (TypeScript/JS), framework (Next.js, React, Svelte, etc.), styling systems, and testing setups. It structures these into a local memory file with helpful placeholders.
  2. Cursor Rules (.cursor/rules/): Auto-generates Cursor .mdc rules matched to their layer:
    • rulekitx-core.mdc and rulekitx-project-memory.mdc are set with alwaysApply: true so the AI is always grounded in core safety and stack conventions.
    • Domain skills (rulekitx-api.mdc, rulekitx-premium-ui.mdc, etc.) are written as description-only so they function as Agent Requested rules, loading strictly on-demand.
  3. Claude Code & OpenCode: Injects a marker-delimited managed block (Core floor + Project Memory) into local CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md files.

Refreshing Project Memory

If you add new dependencies or styling packages, you can regenerate the local stack summary without overriding your manual documentation by running:

bash
1rulekitx memory

(Pass --force to completely overwrite and start fresh).

#Direct CLI Usage

You can also use RuleKitX programmatically or via direct CLI outputs to pipe composed system prompts to standard LLM clients:

  • Parse a prompt for command skills:

    bash
    1rulekitx parse "/rulekitx-architect build a new feature"

  • Compose the full XML-wrapped system prompt:

    bash
    1rulekitx compose "/rulekitx-architect /rulekitx-reviewer build user login"

  • Re-sync IDE integrations:

    bash
    1rulekitx install-ide

  • Uninstall RuleKitX rules and IDE integrations:

    bash
    1rulekitx uninstall

For a comprehensive breakdown of all available CLI commands, see the CLI Reference.

#Next Steps

Now that you have RuleKitX initialized, you might want to:

  • Learn about the Core Rules that govern all RuleKitX tasks.
  • Explore the Skills Catalog to see what /rulekitx-* commands are available.
  • Create your own project-specific rules via Custom Skills.