Step 1: Sign Up (1 Minute)
Go to the RuleSync dashboard. Sign up with: GitHub (recommended — connects your repositories automatically), GitLab (connects your GitLab groups and projects), or email (for organizations that do not use GitHub/GitLab for all projects). The GitHub/GitLab sign-up: grants RuleSync read access to your repositories (for detecting project structure and suggesting rulesets). You can adjust permissions later in Settings.
After sign-up: you land on the dashboard. The dashboard shows: your projects (detected from GitHub/GitLab, or added manually), your rulesets (empty initially — you will create your first one next), and your team (just you initially — invite members later). The dashboard: is the central management interface for all AI rules across your organization.
Free tier: includes 3 projects and 5 rulesets. Sufficient for: individual developers, small teams evaluating RuleSync, and open source projects. Pro tier: unlimited projects and rulesets, team management, and priority support. Enterprise: SSO, audit logs, compliance features, and dedicated support. AI rule: 'Start with the free tier. Upgrade when you exceed 3 projects or need team management features.'
Step 2: Organization Setup (2 Minutes)
Create your organization: Settings → Organizations → Create Organization. Enter: organization name (matches your GitHub/GitLab org name for consistency), description (optional), and default ruleset settings (which AI tool formats to generate by default — CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, or both). The organization: groups your projects, rulesets, and team members under one umbrella.
Connect repositories: if you signed up with GitHub/GitLab, your repositories are detected automatically. Select which repositories to manage with RuleSync. Each repository: becomes a project in RuleSync. For repositories not on GitHub/GitLab: add manually by providing the repository URL or path. AI rule: 'Connect only the repositories you want to manage with RuleSync. You can add more later. Start with 2-3 key projects and expand after the workflow is established.'
Default settings: configure organization-wide defaults. Default output formats: CLAUDE.md + .cursorrules (most teams use both). Default ruleset assignment: new projects automatically inherit the organization's base ruleset. Notification preferences: email/Slack notifications for ruleset updates, new team members, and sync failures. AI rule: 'Configure defaults before inviting the team. Every team member who joins: inherits the defaults automatically. No per-member configuration needed.'
Set defaults first: output formats (CLAUDE.md + .cursorrules), base ruleset assignment, and notification preferences. Then invite the team. Every invited member: inherits the defaults automatically. If you invite first and configure later: some members start with incorrect defaults and need reconfiguration. 2 minutes of default configuration before invitations: saves 20 minutes of per-member fixes after.
Step 3: Invite Your Team (1 Minute)
Invite team members: Settings → Team → Invite Members. Enter email addresses or GitHub/GitLab usernames. Roles: Admin (full access — manage rulesets, projects, team, and settings), Editor (create and edit rulesets, assign to projects, but cannot manage team or billing), and Viewer (read-only access to rulesets and projects — useful for leadership visibility). Most team members: Editor role. Tech leads: Admin role.
Team members receive an invitation email with a link to join the organization. After joining: they see the organization's projects, rulesets, and their assigned role. They can: install the CLI (rulesync login connects to the organization), browse rulesets in the dashboard, and pull rules to their local projects.
Bulk invitations: for larger teams, use the CSV import feature (Settings → Team → Import CSV). The CSV: email, role. All invited members: receive the invitation simultaneously. For GitHub/GitLab organizations: you can sync team membership (all members of the GitHub org are automatically invited with the Editor role). AI rule: 'Sync with GitHub/GitLab for the fastest team setup. All org members: automatically added. Individual permissions: adjusted per role after the sync.'
Email sign-up: you manually add each repository URL. GitHub sign-up: RuleSync detects all your repositories and lets you select which to manage. GitLab sign-up: same — detects groups and projects. The auto-detection: saves 30 seconds per repository. For an organization with 50 repos: that is 25 minutes saved. Sign up with your git provider for the fastest setup experience.
Step 4: What to Do Next
After account creation: you have an organization, connected repositories, and team members. The next steps: (1) Create your first ruleset (see the 'Create Your First Ruleset' tutorial). (2) Assign the ruleset to your projects. (3) Pull the rules to your local projects (rulesync pull). (4) Verify the AI follows the rules. These 4 steps: take 15 minutes total. After completion: your team is using centralized AI rules across all connected projects.
The onboarding path: Account creation (this tutorial, 5 minutes) → Create first ruleset (next tutorial, 10 minutes) → Assign to projects (2 minutes) → Pull and verify (3 minutes). Total: 20 minutes from sign-up to productive AI-assisted development with synchronized rules. The investment: less than one code review. The return: every code review from now on is faster and more focused.
Getting help: the RuleSync documentation (docs.rulesync.dev) covers every feature in detail. The community Slack (linked from the dashboard) provides: peer support, best practices, and rule templates shared by other teams. The support email (support@rulesync.dev) handles: account issues, billing questions, and enterprise inquiries. AI rule: 'Start with the tutorials. Check the docs for detailed feature reference. Ask the community for best practices. Contact support for account and billing issues.'
The temptation: connect all 50 repositories on day 1. The risk: managing rules for 50 projects before you have established the workflow. Start with 2-3 key projects. Create rulesets. Pull rules. Verify the workflow works. Then expand to 10 projects, then 25, then all. Incremental expansion: catches issues at small scale. Big-bang adoption: creates 50 projects worth of issues simultaneously.
Account Creation Summary
Complete RuleSync account setup checklist.
- Sign up: GitHub, GitLab, or email. GitHub/GitLab recommended for automatic repo detection
- Organization: create with name, description, and default output format settings
- Repositories: auto-detected from GitHub/GitLab. Select which to manage. Add others manually
- Defaults: output formats, base ruleset assignment, notification preferences. Set before inviting team
- Team: invite by email or username. Roles: Admin (full), Editor (rulesets), Viewer (read-only)
- Bulk: CSV import or GitHub/GitLab org sync for large teams
- Free tier: 3 projects, 5 rulesets. Pro: unlimited. Enterprise: SSO, audit, compliance
- Next: create first ruleset → assign to projects → pull → verify. 20 minutes total onboarding