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title Agent rules
sidebarTitle Agent rules
description Install Trigger.dev agent rules to guide AI assistants toward correct, up-to-date code patterns.

What are Trigger.dev agent rules?

Trigger.dev agent rules are comprehensive instruction sets that guide AI assistants to write optimal Trigger.dev code. These rules ensure your AI assistant understands best practices, current APIs, and recommended patterns when working with Trigger.dev projects.

Agent Rules are one of three AI tools we provide. You can also install [Skills](/skills) for portable cross-editor instruction sets or the [MCP Server](/mcp-introduction) for live project interaction. See the [comparison table](/building-with-ai#skills-vs-agent-rules-vs-mcp) for details.

Installation

Install the agent rules with the following command:

npx trigger.dev@latest install-rules

Available rule sets

We provide five specialized rule sets, each optimized for different aspects of Trigger.dev development:

Rule set Tokens Description GitHub
Basic tasks 1,200 Essential rules for writing basic Trigger.dev tasks and fundamental patterns View
Advanced tasks 3,000 Comprehensive rules for complex workflows, error handling, and advanced task patterns View
Scheduled tasks 780 Specialized guidance for cron jobs, scheduled workflows, and time-based triggers View
Configuration 1,900 Complete guide for trigger.config.ts setup, environment configuration, and project structure View
Realtime 1,700 Using Trigger.dev Realtime features and frontend integration patterns View

Claude Code subagent

For Claude Code users, we provide a subagent called trigger-dev-expert that's an expert at writing well-structured Trigger.dev code.

Installation

The subagent is available as an option when running the rules installation command. Select "Claude Code" as your client and choose to include the subagent when prompted.

Claude Code subagent installation

Usage

Activate the subagent in your prompts by requesting it explicitly:

use the trigger-dev-expert subagent to create a trigger.dev job that accepts a video url, processes it with ffmpeg to extract the audio, runs the audio through a text-to-speech API like openai, and then uploads both the transcription and the audio to s3

The subagent works best when combined with the appropriate rule sets installed alongside it, providing both high-level architectural guidance and detailed implementation knowledge.

Supported AI clients

The Trigger.dev rules work across a wide range of AI coding assistants and editors:

Client Rule activation Docs
Cursor Automatic when working in trigger directories Link
Claude Code Context-aware activation + custom subagent Link
VSCode Copilot Integration with GitHub Copilot chat Link
Windsurf Automatic activation in Trigger.dev projects Link
Gemini CLI Command-line integration Link
Cline Automatic context detection Link
Sourcegraph AMP Code intelligence integration Link
Kilo Custom rule integration Link
Ruler Rule management Link
AGENTS.md Universal format for OpenAI Codex, Jules, OpenCode, etc.

Rule activation behavior

Different AI tools handle rules differently:

  • Automatic Activation: Cursor, Windsurf, VSCode Copilot, and Cline automatically apply relevant rules when working in Trigger.dev projects or when trigger.config.ts is detected
  • Context-Aware: Claude Code intelligently applies rules based on the current context and file types
  • Manual Integration: AGENTS.md clients and others append rules to configuration files for manual activation

Keeping rules updated

Trigger.dev rules are regularly updated to reflect new features, API changes, and best practices. The CLI includes automatic update detection.

Automatic update notifications

When running npx trigger.dev@latest dev, you'll receive notifications when newer rule versions are available with a simple update command.

Manual updates

Update rules anytime with:

npx trigger.dev@latest install-rules

The update process replaces existing rules without creating duplicates, keeping your configuration files clean and organized.

Why updates matter

  • Current API patterns: Access the latest Trigger.dev APIs and features
  • Performance optimizations: Benefit from improved patterns and practices
  • Deprecated pattern avoidance: Prevent AI assistants from generating outdated code
  • New feature support: Immediate access to newly released capabilities

Getting started

  1. Install the rules:
npx trigger.dev@latest install-rules

  1. Follow the prompts to install the rules for your AI client.

  2. Consider installing the trigger-dev-expert subagent if using Claude Code.

Next steps

Portable instruction sets that work across all AI coding assistants. Give your AI assistant direct access to Trigger.dev tools and APIs. See all AI tools and how they compare. Learn the task patterns that agent rules teach your AI assistant.