How to Create an AI Rules Starter Kit

Every New Project Starts with AI Rules — Automatically

Without a starter kit: a developer creates a new project. They write code for 2 weeks. Someone asks: 'Does this project have AI rules?' It does not. They: spend an hour creating a CLAUDE.md after the fact. The code already written: does not follow the rules. With a starter kit: the developer runs one command (npx create-my-app or uses a GitHub template). The new project: has CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, linter config, test setup, and CI pipeline — all pre-configured. The first AI-generated line of code: follows the rules. Zero setup. Zero forgotten rules.

The starter kit bundles: the rule files (CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, copilot-instructions.md — all generated from the same source), the development environment (linter config, formatter config, TypeScript config — matching the rules), the CI pipeline (lint, test, build, and rule validation — all configured), and the project structure (directory layout matching the rules' architectural patterns). Everything: consistent from the first commit.

Who creates starter kits: the platform team or DevEx team. The kit: maintained alongside the rulesets. When rules are updated: the starter kit is updated. When the framework version changes: the starter kit is updated. New projects: always start with the latest conventions. The starter kit: the most impactful single artifact the platform team can produce.

Step 1: Starter Kit Structure

The minimal starter kit: CLAUDE.md (AI rules for Claude Code), .cursorrules (AI rules for Cursor — same content as CLAUDE.md), .github/copilot-instructions.md (AI rules for Copilot), eslint.config.js (linter matching the rules), .prettierrc (formatter matching the rules), tsconfig.json (TypeScript config matching the rules), vitest.config.ts (test framework matching the rules), .github/workflows/ci.yml (CI pipeline with rule validation), and a README.md with setup instructions.

The complete starter kit adds: src/ directory with example code following the rules (a sample API endpoint, a sample component, a sample test — demonstrating the patterns), package.json with all dependencies pre-configured (the exact versions the rules reference), .husky/ with pre-commit hooks (lint-staged + rule validation), and .rulesyncrc (RuleSync CLI configuration for rule sync). The example code: the most valuable addition. New developers: read the examples and see the rules in action.

GitHub template repository: the simplest distribution method. Create the starter kit as a GitHub repo. Mark it as a template (Settings → Template repository). New projects: click 'Use this template' on GitHub. The new repo: has all the starter kit files from the first commit. For CLI-based creation: publish as an npm package (npx create-my-app) using a tool like create-next-app's pattern. AI rule: 'GitHub templates: simplest setup (zero tooling). npm create packages: more customizable (prompts for project name, description, etc.). Choose based on team preference.'

💡 Example Code Is the Most Valuable Addition

A starter kit with only config files (CLAUDE.md, tsconfig, eslint): the developer starts from scratch, guided by rules. A starter kit with example code (a sample API endpoint, a sample component, a sample test): the developer sees the rules in action before writing their own code. The examples: demonstrate the patterns that the rules describe. Reading a rule: 'Use the Result pattern for error handling.' Seeing an example: a function that uses the Result pattern with correct error propagation. The example: worth more than the rule text alone.

Step 2: Customization Points

Project-specific values: the starter kit has placeholders that the developer fills in. Project name (in package.json, README, and the project context section of CLAUDE.md), description (in package.json and README), and technology choices (if the kit supports multiple options — PostgreSQL vs MySQL, Vitest vs Jest). For GitHub templates: the developer fills these in manually after creating the repo. For npm create packages: the CLI prompts for these values during creation.

Rule customization section: the CLAUDE.md in the starter kit has a clearly marked section: '## Project-Specific Rules (customize below)\n\n'. The section: pre-created but empty. The developer: adds project-specific rules as they develop the project. The shared rules above: pre-filled from the organization's standard ruleset. AI rule: 'The customization section: explicitly marked. The developer knows exactly where to add their rules without modifying the shared rules above.'

Technology variants: if the organization uses multiple stacks, create multiple starter kits. next-app-template (Next.js + Tailwind + tRPC), nestjs-api-template (NestJS + Prisma + Swagger), go-service-template (Go + Echo + GORM). Each kit: has the correct rules for its stack. The developer: chooses the kit that matches their project. No need to customize the technology rules — they are pre-configured for the stack. AI rule: 'One starter kit per tech stack. The developer picks the right kit. All technology rules: pre-configured. Only project-specific rules need customization.'

⚠️ A Broken Starter Kit Is Worse Than No Starter Kit

New developer. Day 1. They use the starter kit to create a project. pnpm install: fails (a dependency version conflict). pnpm dev: fails (a missing environment variable). The CI pipeline: fails (an action version is outdated). Their first impression: 'The platform team's tools are broken.' Trust: damaged before they write a single line of code. Test the starter kit after every update. Every dependency install, dev server start, and CI run: must work. The 5-minute test: prevents the worst possible first impression.

Step 3: Maintaining the Starter Kit

Update cadence: update the starter kit when: the base rules are updated (sync the CLAUDE.md), a dependency is updated (new framework version, new tool version), the CI pipeline changes (new checks, updated actions), or the project structure convention changes (new directory layout, new file naming). The platform team: treats the starter kit like a product with regular releases. AI rule: 'The starter kit: updated alongside rule changes. If the rules reference TypeScript 5.5: the starter kit's tsconfig uses TypeScript 5.5. Sync: prevents new projects from starting with outdated configurations.'

Version the starter kit: tag releases (v1.0, v1.1, v2.0). The version: corresponds to the ruleset version it bundles. Developers creating a new project: use the latest version. Existing projects created from an older version: can compare against the latest to see what changed (git diff between versions). AI rule: 'Version the starter kit. When a developer asks "what changed since I created my project from the template?": the version history answers the question.'

Testing the starter kit: after each update, create a project from the template and verify: all dependencies install (pnpm install succeeds), the development server starts (pnpm dev works), the CI pipeline passes (lint, test, build all green), and the AI follows the rules (run a verification prompt). This 5-minute test: ensures the starter kit works. A broken starter kit: worse than no starter kit (the developer's first experience with the platform: a broken template). AI rule: 'Test the starter kit after every update. A new developer's first experience with your platform: should be seamless, not broken.'

ℹ️ GitHub Templates = Simplest Distribution, Zero Tooling

Creating a GitHub template repository: takes 30 seconds (Settings → check 'Template repository'). A developer using the template: clicks 'Use this template' on GitHub → enters project name → gets a new repo with all the starter kit files. No CLI to install. No npm package to publish. No create-app command to maintain. For most teams: GitHub templates are sufficient. npm create packages: only needed when you want interactive prompts (technology choice, project configuration) during creation.

Starter Kit Summary

Summary of creating an AI rules starter kit.

Value: every new project starts with AI rules, linter, CI, and conventions from commit zero
Minimal kit: CLAUDE.md + .cursorrules + linter + formatter + tsconfig + CI pipeline
Complete kit: adds example code, dependencies, husky hooks, and RuleSync config
Distribution: GitHub template repo (simple) or npm create package (customizable prompts)
Customization: project name/description placeholders + clearly marked project-specific rules section
Variants: one kit per tech stack (Next.js, NestJS, Go). Technology rules pre-configured
Maintenance: update alongside rule changes. Version with tags. Test after every update
Impact: the highest-impact artifact the platform team can produce. Zero-effort rule adoption for new projects