# Add Playbook Rule

> Interactively add a new architectural rule to a repo's playbook directory. Guides the user through defining the rule, forbidden patterns, and examples, then writes a properly-formatted .md file into the playbook.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-the-alien-club-claude-workflows-add-playbook-rule`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [the-alien-club](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/the-alien-club)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [the-alien-club](https://github.com/the-alien-club)
- **Source:** https://github.com/the-alien-club/claude-workflows/tree/main/skills/add_playbook_rule

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-the-alien-club-claude-workflows-add-playbook-rule
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Add Playbook Rule

A playbook is a directory of `.md` files, one per architectural rule. This skill guides the user through authoring a new rule and writes it to the correct playbook directory.

---

## Step 1 — Find the Target Playbook

```bash
find . -type d -name playbook | grep -v node_modules | grep -v .git
```

If multiple, ask the user which one. If none, ask for the path.

---

## Step 2 — Check for Duplicates

Read all existing `.md` files (first 20 lines each) to understand current coverage. If the user's rule is already covered, name the file and ask whether they want to extend it or add a distinct complementary rule.

---

## Step 3 — Elicit the Rule

Use `AskUserQuestion` to collect:

1. **Rule name** — slug, kebab-case, used as filename (e.g. `error-handling`, `service-boundaries`)
2. **The rule in one sentence** — what must always be true?
3. **The motivation** — what breaks when it is violated? Name the failure mode.
4. **A correct example** — code showing the rule followed
5. **A forbidden example** — code showing the violation, with the specific problem annotated

If the user gives a vague rule, ask for a concrete forbidden pattern first — that surfaces the real constraint.

---

## Step 4 — Draft the Rule File

Structure:

```markdown
# [Title] Rule

## Rule

[One-paragraph statement. Direct, no hedging. State what is forbidden.
Name the consequence — not a style issue, a correctness/security/maintainability issue.]

---

## Why

[2–4 sentences: what breaks when this rule is violated. Be specific — name the failure mode.]

---

## Correct Pattern

```[lang]
// ✅ [Short description]
[code example]
```

---

## Forbidden Patterns

```[lang]
// ❌ [Violation description] — [specific harm]
[code example]
```

---

## Rules Summary

- [Bullet: precise, imperative]
- [...]

---

## Relation to Other Rules

[Optional cross-references to other playbook files.]
```

**Quality checks before writing:**
- No weasel words ("try to", "prefer", "consider")
- Every forbidden pattern has a named harm — not "messy" or "unclear"
- The rule is falsifiable — a reviewer can determine pass/fail without judgment calls
- Correct pattern is valid syntax
- File is between 40 and 200 lines

If any check fails, iterate with the user.

---

## Step 5 — Confirm and Write

Show the full draft. Once approved, write to `[playbook-path]/[rule-name].md`.

Confirm with the exact path written, then:

> Rule added. Run `/review_playbook` on any commit or MR to enforce it.

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [the-alien-club](https://github.com/the-alien-club)
- **Source:** [the-alien-club/claude-workflows](https://github.com/the-alien-club/claude-workflows)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-the-alien-club-claude-workflows-add-playbook-rule
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/the-alien-club
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

---
Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.