Custom rules

Custom rules extend Bob's default behavior by defining preferences, constraints, and guidelines that direct how Bob approaches tasks to match your needs.

Common uses include:

• Coding style preferences (indentation, naming conventions)
• Documentation formats and standards
• Testing methodologies and requirements
• Project workflows and processes
• Team-specific conventions

You can add custom rules to modes in two ways:

Configure rules that apply across all your projects:

1. Click the three dots in the top-right corner of the Bob sidebar.
2. Click Modes.
3. Select the mode you want to edit rules for.
4. Click Edit.
5. Scroll to Mode-specific custom instructions (optional).
6. Type your rules.
7. Click Save.

Modes can also have additional rules files stored in directories:

• Preferred method (directory structure):

  .bob/

  rules-{mode-slug}/

  01-style-guide.md

  02-formatting.txt

• Alternative method (single file):

  .bobrules-{mode-slug}

The directory method takes precedence if both exist. Files in the directory are loaded alphabetically and combined with the customInstructions property from your mode configuration. For more details, see Custom modes.

Bob supports two rule scopes that determine where your rules apply:

• Global rules: Apply automatically across all your projects
• Workspace rules: Apply only within your current project

Use global rules for personal or organization-wide standards. Use workspace rules for project-specific requirements.

The simplest approach uses single files in your workspace root:

• .bobrules - General workspace rules
• .bobrules-code - Rules for Code mode
• .bobrules-{modeSlug} - Rules for any mode

Create a .bobrules file:

For better organization, use directories:

Workspace structure:

• rules/ - General rules for all modes
• rules-code/ - Code mode specific rules

Global structure:

Linux/macOS: ~/.bob/rules/ Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.bob\rules\

Create workspace rules:

Create global rules:

Bob combines rules from multiple sources in this order:

1. Global rules (~/.bob/rules/)
2. Workspace rules (.bob/rules/)

Within each level, mode-specific rules load before general rules. Workspace rules can override global rules.

Good: "Use 4 spaces for indentation in JavaScript files"

Avoid: "Format code nicely"

Organize rules by topic:

• "Always use spaces for indentation, with a width of 4 spaces"
• "Use camelCase for variable names"
• "Write unit tests for all new functions"
• "Explain your reasoning before providing code"
• "When adding features to websites, ensure they are responsive and accessible"

Target specific modes with dedicated directories:

For team standardization, you can use an AGENTS.md file in your workspace root:

Key details:

• Automatically loaded by default
• Version-control with your project
• Disable with "bob-code.useAgentRules": false in settings
• Loaded after mode-specific rules but before general workspace rules

• Recursive reading: Bob reads all files in rules directories, including subdirectories
• Alphabetical order: Files process in alphabetical order by filename
• Automatic filtering: Excludes cache files (.DS_Store, *.bak, *.cache, *.log, *.tmp, Thumbs.db)
• Symbolic links: Supported with maximum depth of 5
• Empty files: Silently skipped

Use workspace .bob/rules/ directories under version control:

This ensures consistent behavior across team members for specific projects.

Distribute global rules to team members:

1. Create a shared rules repository
2. Team members clone to ~/.bob/rules/
3. Update periodically for consistency

You can combine both approaches:

• Global rules for organization standards
• Workspace rules for project-specific requirements
• Workspace rules override global rules when needed