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Rules are markdown files that give the Agent persistent writing instructions. Define them once, and the Agent follows them automatically — across every session, every chapter, every prompt.

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Two types of rules

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Global rules

Global rules apply to every writing project you open. Use them for personal habits that you carry from project to project:
  • Your natural sentence rhythm preferences
  • Punctuation style (Oxford comma, em dash usage, etc.)
  • Common anti-AI writing constraints that you apply universally
  • Any defaults you always want the Agent to start from

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Project rules

Project rules live inside a specific project and only apply when you’re working on it. Use them for:
  • This project’s POV and narrative distance
  • Tense (past / present) and person (first / third)
  • Project-specific stylistic goals or genre conventions
  • Writing constraints specific to this story’s tone

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Where rules live

Global rules are stored in SoloEnt’s system-level Rules directory and are loaded automatically for every project. SoloEnt processes all .md files inside .soloent/rules/, combining them with any active global rules into a unified set of instructions for the Agent.

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Creating rules

Rules panel showing Global Rules and Workspace Rules sections with a new rule file input and toggle controls
1

Open the Rules panel

Click the fourth icon from the left in the Agent panel，and switch the Rules manager.
2

Choose global or project

Select where the rule should live — globally (all projects) or just in the current project.
3

Create a new rule file

Click “New rule file…”, enter a filename (e.g., my-style) and click on ”+”. The file will be created with a .md extension.
4

Write your rule

Add your instructions in markdown format. Keep each rule file focused on a single concern.

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Rules vs. SOLOENT.md

Rules are designed for your habits and preferences — the things that stay true regardless of which story you’re working on. Story-specific content like world-building details, character profiles, and plot structure lives in SOLOENT.md, where the Agent can manage and update them as your project evolves. These two systems are complementary:
Think of it this way: SOLOENT.md is the story’s brain. Rules are your brain — your instincts, your style, your habits and non-negotiables as a writer.

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Toggling rules

Rules panel showing an active rule file with the toggle switch highlighted Every rule has a toggle to enable or disable it without deleting the file. This is useful when a specific task needs the Agent to temporarily step outside your usual constraints — for example, disabling a “short sentence” rule when writing a stream-of-consciousness passage.

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What to put in Rules

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Personal style habits (global)

These are the writing instincts you’ve developed as a writer. They should feel like second nature to you, even if you’ve never written them down before. Sentence rhythm example:
Punctuation habits example:

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Anti-AI writing constraints (global)

AI models have recognizable default patterns that flatten prose and signal non-human authorship. Add the ones that bother you most as standing constraints.

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Project POV and narrative basics (project)

Every project has a fixed set of foundational writing decisions that the Agent should never deviate from.

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Project-specific style requirements (project)

Use this for genre conventions, tonal targets, or stylistic goals that are particular to this story.

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Writing effective rules

  • Be specific, not aspirational. “Write beautifully” tells the Agent nothing. “Prefer concrete sensory detail over abstract emotional labeling” is actionable.
  • State prohibitions directly. The most useful rules are often negative: “never do X.” The Agent responds well to clear constraints.
  • Include the why when it’s not obvious. “Avoid em dashes (they read as an AI writing signature)” helps the Agent understand the intent and generalize it correctly.
  • Keep rules short. Rules consume context tokens. A rule file that runs to five pages will crowd out your actual writing. If a rule needs extensive explanation, it’s probably better handled in SOLOENT.md or a dedicated reference document.
  • One concern per file. Split rules by topic so you can toggle individual concerns on and off without affecting the rest.
Don’t use Rules to duplicate what’s already in SOLOENT.md. If you’ve defined a character’s voice in SOLOENT.md, there’s no need to re-state it in a rule — the Agent reads both.

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Conditional rules

Conditional rules activate only when you’re working with files that match a path pattern. This lets you apply different writing constraints at different stages of a project without having to manually toggle rules each time. As your rule library grows, loading every rule for every request wastes context tokens. Conditional rules keep the Agent focused on only the instructions that matter for the files you are currently working with. A common use case: applying sentence rhythm and anti-AI constraints only when writing chapter files, so they don’t interfere with notes or outlines.

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How it works

Add YAML frontmatter at the top of any rule file. The Agent evaluates each rule’s paths against the files you’re currently working with, and activates matching rules automatically. Rules without frontmatter are always active — the right choice for your universal style habits and anti-AI constraints.

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Troubleshooting

Most likely cause: The rule is either toggled off or the instruction isn’t specific enough.
  • Check that the rule file is toggled on in the Rules panel
  • Rewrite the constraint as a direct prohibition: “Do not…” rather than “Try to avoid…”
  • If it’s a global rule, verify it’s not being overridden by a project rule with conflicting instructions
Check the following:
  • The file you’re editing must match the paths glob pattern
  • The YAML frontmatter must have proper --- delimiters on both sides
  • The rule must be toggled on in the Rules panel
This usually means there’s overlap — you’ve defined something in both places.
  • Keep story content (who a character is, what the world’s rules are) in SOLOENT.md
  • Keep your writing preferences (how prose should feel, what patterns to avoid) in Rules
  • If you have stylistic requirements specific to this story’s tone, a project rule is fine — just make sure it doesn’t contradict SOLOENT.md’s Section 5 (Stylistic Guidelines)
Rules consume context tokens. If you have many active rules:
  • Toggle off rules that don’t apply to your current task
  • Consolidate overlapping rules into a single file
  • Move any story-specific content that’s crept into Rules back into SOLOENT.md where it belongs

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More Advanced Tips

SOLOENT.md Guide

Understand what belongs in SOLOENT.md vs. Rules

Commands

Use /review to check whether your latest chapter follows your active rules