Rules and Context

Rules are instruction files that teach your AI coding assistant how to use Taskmaster. Once installed, your assistant automatically knows how to find tasks, check dependencies, implement work, and update progress.

Setting Up Rules

# Auto-detect your editor and install rules
tm rules add -y

# Or specify your editor
tm rules add cursor
tm rules add claude

# Multiple editors at once
tm rules add cursor,claude,windsurf

That's it. Your AI assistant now knows how to use every Taskmaster command in context.

What Rules Teach Your Assistant

With rules installed, your AI assistant can:

• Find the next task — Runs tm next to identify work respecting dependencies and priorities
• Read task context — Uses tm show to understand implementation details and test strategy
• Track progress — Updates task status and appends implementation notes to subtasks
• Handle changes — Uses tm update when implementation diverges from the plan
• Break down work — Uses tm expand to split complex tasks into subtasks

Building Context Over Time

As you work, build project-specific context by adding rules to your editor's rule files:

• Coding standards — Patterns, conventions, and naming rules specific to your project
• Architecture decisions — Key decisions that affect how tasks should be implemented
• Common pitfalls — Issues you've encountered and how to avoid them

This context improves every future task your AI assistant works on.

Next Steps

For the full rules reference including all 13+ supported editors, see Supported Editors and Rules System.