AI Context Inclusion Rules

Intermediate

Define what files and information to include in AI coding tool context — priority ordering, exclusion patterns, and token budget allocation for optimal code generation results.

File Patterns

**/.cursorignore**/.copilotignore**/.gitignore

This rule applies to files matching the patterns above.

Rule Content

rule-content.md

# AI Context Inclusion Rules

## Rule
When providing context to AI coding tools, follow the priority hierarchy and exclusion rules to maximize signal-to-noise ratio in the context window.

## Priority Hierarchy (Include in This Order)
1. **Type definitions** — interfaces, schemas, enums (highest priority)
2. **Configuration** — tsconfig.json, .eslintrc, package.json
3. **Related implementation** — the file being modified and its direct dependencies
4. **Test files** — existing tests for the code being modified
5. **Examples** — one well-written implementation of the same pattern
6. **Documentation** — relevant README sections or API docs

## Exclusion Rules

### ALWAYS Exclude
```
node_modules/
dist/
build/
.next/
coverage/
*.min.js
*.min.css
*.map
*.lock
.git/
```

### Configure in .cursorignore / .copilotignore
```gitignore
# Build artifacts
dist/
build/
.next/
out/

# Dependencies
node_modules/
.pnpm-store/

# Generated files
*.generated.ts
*.d.ts.map
coverage/

# Large data files
*.csv
*.sql
data/fixtures/
```

## Token Budget Allocation
| Context Type | Budget % | Example |
|-------------|----------|---------|
| Types/Interfaces | 30% | 600 tokens |
| Current file + deps | 40% | 800 tokens |
| Tests/Examples | 20% | 400 tokens |
| Docs/Config | 10% | 200 tokens |

## Good Context Selection
```
# Task: Add new API endpoint for user preferences
Include:
  types/user.ts          # User and Preference types
  api/users/route.ts     # Existing pattern to follow
  api/users/route.test.ts # Test patterns
  lib/db.ts              # Database helper signatures
```

## Bad Context Selection
```
# Same task, bad selection
Include:
  Everything in src/     # Way too much, most irrelevant
  package.json           # 500 lines of dependencies
  README.md              # Generic project description
  # Missing: type definitions and existing patterns
```

## Anti-Patterns
- "Just include everything" (context pollution, worse results)
- Missing type definitions (AI invents types)
- Including unrelated files (AI gets confused by irrelevant patterns)
- No .cursorignore configured (generated files pollute suggestions)

FAQ

Discussion

Loading comments...

# AI Context Inclusion Rules ## Rule When providing context to AI coding tools, follow the priority hierarchy and exclusion rules to maximize signal-to-noise ratio in the context window. ## Priority Hierarchy (Include in This Order) 1. **Type definitions** — interfaces, schemas, enums (highest priority) 2. **Configuration** — tsconfig.json, .eslintrc, package.json 3. **Related implementation** — the file being modified and its direct dependencies 4. **Test files** — existing tests for the code being modified 5. **Examples** — one well-written implementation of the same pattern 6. **Documentation** — relevant README sections or API docs ## Exclusion Rules ### ALWAYS Exclude ``` node_modules/ dist/ build/ .next/ coverage/ *.min.js *.min.css *.map *.lock .git/ ``` ### Configure in .cursorignore / .copilotignore ```gitignore # Build artifacts dist/ build/ .next/ out/ # Dependencies node_modules/ .pnpm-store/ # Generated files *.generated.ts *.d.ts.map coverage/ # Large data files *.csv *.sql data/fixtures/ ``` ## Token Budget Allocation | Context Type | Budget % | Example | |-------------|----------|---------| | Types/Interfaces | 30% | 600 tokens | | Current file + deps | 40% | 800 tokens | | Tests/Examples | 20% | 400 tokens | | Docs/Config | 10% | 200 tokens | ## Good Context Selection ``` # Task: Add new API endpoint for user preferences Include: types/user.ts # User and Preference types api/users/route.ts # Existing pattern to follow api/users/route.test.ts # Test patterns lib/db.ts # Database helper signatures ``` ## Bad Context Selection ``` # Same task, bad selection Include: Everything in src/ # Way too much, most irrelevant package.json # 500 lines of dependencies README.md # Generic project description # Missing: type definitions and existing patterns ``` ## Anti-Patterns - "Just include everything" (context pollution, worse results) - Missing type definitions (AI invents types) - Including unrelated files (AI gets confused by irrelevant patterns) - No .cursorignore configured (generated files pollute suggestions)