.cursor/rules/archon.mdc
Source location:
docs/source-files/.cursor/rules/archon.mdc— this page is a rendered mirror; the file is the source of truth.
description: Archon meta-system guardian — keeps universal Archon files decoupled from project specifics globs: .archon/.md,.archon/soul/.md,.archon/domain-lenses/**/.md,.archon/contracts/.yaml,.cursor/commands/archon-.md,.cursor/agents/archon-.md,.cursor/skills/archon-*/SKILL.md,.cursor/skills/blink-dispatch/SKILL.md,.cursor/skills/external-agent-patterns/SKILL.md alwaysApply: false
Archon Decoupling Rules
Archon is a project-agnostic, platform-agnostic meta-capability framework. soul.md (core) and its soul/*.md extensions can be copied directly into any project on any AI coding platform without modification. Commands and agents require only the first-line path prefix to be adapted by the export script (.cursor/ → .claude/, etc.).
Responsibility Matrix
| File | Role | May contain project specifics? |
|---|---|---|
soul.md | Universal engineering principles (core, section-scoped hot path) | ❌ |
soul/delivery.md | Universal delivery-mode extension (loaded by demand) | ❌ |
soul/review.md | Universal review-mode extension (loaded by plan/review) | ❌ |
archon-demand.md | Universal delivery workflow | ❌ |
archon-review.md | Universal review workflow | ❌ |
archon-reviewer.md | Universal review protocol | ❌ |
archon-*/SKILL.md | Universal or framework-adjacent Archon skills | ❌ |
blink-dispatch/SKILL.md | Universal subagent dispatch gate | ❌ |
external-agent-patterns/SKILL.md | Universal external-framework evaluation guard | ❌ |
docs/archon/*.md (framework repo only — adopters never have this path) | Portable framework reference docs | ❌ |
docs/archon/templates/*.md (framework repo only) | Project-state templates and schema contracts | ❌ for filled project facts; placeholders/examples only |
.archon/domain-lenses/** | Universal lens/tool contracts | ❌ |
.archon/contracts/*.yaml | Portable governance contracts | ❌ |
drift.md rules section | Universal drift mechanism | ❌ |
drift.md log section | This project's delivery records | ✅ |
manifest.md | This project's hot context carrier | ✅ |
debt.md | This project's active debt gate index | ✅ |
memos.md | This project's stakeholder memory hot index | ✅ |
decisions.md | This project's ADR ledger | ✅ |
Prohibited Content in Universal Files
Project Specifics (Absolutely Prohibited in Universal Files)
- Concrete technology/framework names from the adopting project stack
- Concrete project file paths
- Concrete shell commands from the adopting project
- Concrete package names from the adopting project
- Concrete metric numbers from the adopting project
Platform Path Prefixes (Tiered Restrictions)
| File | .cursor/, .claude/, etc. platform paths | Note |
|---|---|---|
soul.md / soul/*.md | ❌ Fully prohibited | Pure philosophy, zero path references; use abstract terms ("platform rules directory", etc.) |
| Command first line | ✅ Allowed | Bridge line — declares soul.md, soul/*.md extension, and manifest.md locations; mechanically converted by export script |
| Command body | ❌ Prohibited | Use short names (manifest.md, drift.md, debt.md); AI infers the archon directory from the bridge line |
| Agents | ❌ Prohibited | Use "in the archon directory" and similar relative descriptions; main agent resolves actual paths when constructing sub-agent prompts |
| Rules | ✅ Allowed (frontmatter declaration) | .mdc / .md formats are inherently platform-specific; converted wholesale by export script |
Correct Phrasing
| ❌ Coupled | ✅ Decoupled |
|---|---|
| Specific language strictness mode | The project's type system at its strictest mode |
| Specific linter rule/package names | Linter + architecture boundary rules |
| Concrete validation command | The validation command declared in the manifest |
| Specific test framework + library names | Test framework + component test library |
| Concrete source directory name | Project source directory |
| Concrete quality threshold number | Quality gate thresholds defined in the manifest |
.cursor/rules/ | Platform rules directory |
.cursor/skills/ | Platform skills directory |
{platform}/archon/debt.md | debt.md (use short name in body) |
Required Post-Edit Check
After every modification to an Archon universal file, scan line by line to confirm no project-specific content or platform-specific paths were introduced (per the tiered restrictions above). Project-state files (manifest.md, drift.md log rows, debt.md, memos.md, decisions.md) may contain project facts, but they must not be copied into portable framework docs unless rewritten as generic examples. The reviewer's checklist already includes this check.