---
description: Standards for placing Cursor rule files in the correct directory
globs: *.mdc
---
# Cursor Rules Location
Rules for placing and organizing Cursor rule files in the repository.
<rule>
name: cursor_rules_location
description: Standards for placing Cursor rule files in the correct directory
filters:
# Match any .mdc files
- type: file_extension
pattern: "\\.mdc$"
# Match files that look like Cursor rules
- type: content
pattern: "(?s)<rule>.*?</rule>"
# Match file creation events
- type: event
pattern: "file_create"
actions:
- type: reject
conditions:
- pattern: "^(?!\\.\\/\\.cursor\\/rules\\/.*\\.mdc$)"
message: "Cursor rule files (.mdc) must be placed in the .cursor/rules directory"
- type: suggest
message: |
When creating Cursor rules:
1. Always place rule files in PROJECT_ROOT/.cursor/rules/:
```
.cursor/rules/
├── your-rule-name.mdc
├── another-rule.mdc
└── ...
```
2. Follow the naming convention:
- Use kebab-case for filenames
- Always use .mdc extension
- Make names descriptive of the rule's purpose
3. Directory structure:
```
PROJECT_ROOT/
├── .cursor/
│ └── rules/
│ ├── your-rule-name.mdc
│ └── ...
└── ...
```
4. Never place rule files:
- In the project root
- In subdirectories outside .cursor/rules
- In any other location
examples:
- input: |
# Bad: Rule file in wrong location
rules/my-rule.mdc
my-rule.mdc
.rules/my-rule.mdc
# Good: Rule file in correct location
.cursor/rules/my-rule.mdc
output: "Correctly placed Cursor rule file"
metadata:
priority: high
version: 1.0
</rule>