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Devin Rules Generator

Generate .devin/rules/*.md files for Devin Desktop and Devin Local. Official trigger frontmatter, workspace or global scope, and instant export. Formerly Windsurf / Cascade.

1 Scope Where this rule lives

Filename without extension (e.g. coding-standards → .devin/rules/coding-standards.md)

Required for model_decision — only this description stays in the prompt until the agent decides the rule is relevant.

4 Activation Mode When the rule is injected

5 Framework Presets Choose your stack

6 Rule Categories Customize behavior

7 Custom Rules Optional

Preview

.devin/rules/coding-standards.md 

							

						

						

					


					

						
						
					


					

						
Where to place your rule

						

							
.devin/
└── rules/
    ├── coding-standards.md
    ├── testing.md            ← one .md per concern
    └── ...

						

						

							
Discovery order (preferred first):

							

								.devin/rules/*.mdWorkspace — preferred, written here
								AGENTS.mdSame rules engine — generator →
								.windsurf/rules/*.mdLegacy fallback — still read
								.windsurfrulesLegacy single file — still read
								global_rules.md~/.codeium/windsurf/memories/ — this machine only
							

							
Devin Desktop can also import .cursor/rules (.mdc) into .devin/rules/. There is no .devinrules single-file equivalent.

						

					


					

				

			

		


		

			

				

					
Frequently asked questions

					
Devin Desktop rules after the Windsurf rebrand — paths, triggers, and how they relate to AGENTS.md.

				

				

					

						Is this still a Windsurf / Cascade tool?
						
Windsurf was rebranded to Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026. Cascade is now the legacy agent; Devin Local is the default local agent and reads the same rules. This generator writes the current preferred format: .devin/rules/*.md with YAML trigger frontmatter. Existing .windsurf/rules/ and .windsurfrules files are still read as fallbacks.

					

					

						Where do Devin rule files go?
						
Workspace rules go in .devin/rules/*.md at the project root — preferred, 12,000 characters each, one file per concern. Global rules go in ~/.codeium/windsurf/memories/global_rules.md (always on, 6,000 characters, no frontmatter). .windsurf/rules/ is still read as a fallback. Enterprise admins can also deploy read-only system rules under /Library/Application Support/Devin/rules/ (macOS), /etc/devin/rules/ (Linux), or C:\ProgramData\Devin\rules\ (Windows).

					

					

						What do the trigger modes do?
						
always_on includes the full rule on every message. model_decision shows only the description until the agent decides the rule is relevant. glob applies the rule when matching files are read or edited. manual applies only when you @mention the rule by filename. Global rules and root AGENTS.md files do not use frontmatter — they are always on.

					

					

						Should I use a rule or AGENTS.md?
						
Use AGENTS.md for directory-scoped conventions with zero frontmatter — root is always-on, subdirectories auto-glob. Use .devin/rules/ when you need trigger modes, globs, or model-decision activation. Devin Desktop feeds both into the same rules engine. Put multi-step procedures in a skill instead of an always-on rule.

					

					

						What happened to Cascade memories?
						
Auto-generated memories applied to the legacy Cascade agent only. Devin Local does not persist them. Cognition recommends migrating durable knowledge into a rule or AGENTS.md, and using the Devin: Open Cascade Migration Wizard command for memories you still need.

					

					

						Does the generator send my rules anywhere?
						
No. The entire generator runs client-side in your browser. Nothing you type leaves the page.

					

				

			

		

	


	

		

			
		

	


	

	
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