Claude Code — Rules
- File format
- Markdown
- Discovery paths
-
CLAUDE.md,.claude/rules - Global install path
-
~/.claude/rules - Syllago install method
- Symlink, Direct copy
- Symlink support
- Yes
- Native frontmatter fields
-
paths
Features
How each feature converts to syllago's canonical format. See format conversion for what these statuses mean.
Fields
Native frontmatter or config fields this provider exposes. The first column is the provider's own field name; the canonical key column links to syllago's cross-provider equivalent.
| Provider field | Conversion | Canonical key | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
claudeMdExcludes | Conversion type: No canonical equivalent — appended as prose in a conversion notes block so nothing is silently lost. Learn more → | — | Skips ancestor CLAUDE.md or rules files by path/glob; managed CLAUDE.md cannot be excluded. |
autoMemoryEnabled | Not portable Conversion type: Not portable Unique to this provider — can’t be carried across providers. Learn more → | — | Claude auto-saves cross-session notes to ~/.claude/projects/<project>/memory/MEMORY.md; toggled via autoMemoryEnabled (CC v2.1.59+). |
Other features
Behaviors, conventions, and capabilities that aren't tied to a single named field — things like path-based activation, discovery rules, and lifecycle behavior.
| Feature | Conversion | Summary |
|---|---|---|
activation_mode | Translated Conversion type: Translated Actively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion. Learn more → | Always-on (CLAUDE.md loads at every session start); conditional via paths frontmatter in .claude/rules/*.md files (glob-based, triggers on file access) |
auto_memory | Translated Conversion type: Translated Actively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion. Learn more → | Auto memory saves Claude's accumulated notes to ~/.claude/projects/<project>/memory/MEMORY.md; requires CC v2.1.59+; enabled by default |
| CLAUDE.md Files | Translated Conversion type: Translated Actively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion. Learn more → | Persistent markdown instructions loaded from CLAUDE.md files at managed/project/user/local scopes; concatenated rather than overridden. |
file_imports | Translated Conversion type: Translated Actively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion. Learn more → | @path/to/file syntax in CLAUDE.md files; relative and absolute paths; recursive up to 5 hops; requires per-project approval |
hierarchical_loading | Translated Conversion type: Translated Actively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion. Learn more → | CLAUDE.md files load from all ancestor directories up to repo root; .claude/rules/ files discovered recursively; user-level rules load before project rules |
| Path-Scoped Rules in .claude/rules/ | Translated Conversion type: Translated Actively mapped to the target provider’s equivalent field during conversion. Learn more → | Modular .md rule files in .claude/rules/ load unconditionally or via paths frontmatter glob filters that trigger on matching file access. |
| @-Import Syntax for CLAUDE.md | Preserved Conversion type: Preserved Syntax survives conversion but the target provider may not interpret it. Learn more → | CLAUDE.md @path/to/file imports expand referenced files into context (up to 5 hops, requires per-project approval). |
| Organization-Wide Managed CLAUDE.md | Not portable Conversion type: Not portable Unique to this provider — can’t be carried across providers. Learn more → | Centrally deployed CLAUDE.md at system paths (e.g. /etc/claude-code/CLAUDE.md) cannot be excluded and applies to all users. |
| Rules Loading from Additional Directories via Environment Variable | Not portable Conversion type: Not portable Unique to this provider — can’t be carried across providers. Learn more → | Setting CLAUDE_CODE_ADDITIONAL_DIRECTORIES_CLAUDE_MD=1 enables loading CLAUDE.md and .claude/rules/ from --add-dir directories. |
Sources
| Source |
|---|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory.md |