# How to Configure AI-DLC Rule Loading for Claude Code IDE > Learn how to configure AI-DLC rule loading for Claude Code IDE. Easily set up rule loading by copying the core-workflow.md file into your project root and unlock automatic rule loading. - Repository: [Amazon Web Services - Labs/aidlc-workflows](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-05-09 --- **To configure AI-DLC rule loading for Claude Code IDE, copy the canonical [`core-workflow.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/core-workflow.md) file from the aidlc-rules package into your project root as [`CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/CLAUDE.md) (or [`.claude/CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/.claude/CLAUDE.md)), and Claude Code will automatically lazy-load the appropriate rules for each development phase as you work.** AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Life-Cycle) provides structured markdown rule files that guide IDE-integrated AI assistants through standardized development workflows. According to the `awslabs/aidlc-workflows` repository, Claude Code recognizes a specific entry point file to configure AI-DLC rule loading, implementing a lazy-loading architecture that keeps prompt sizes minimal by loading rules on-demand rather than pre-loading the entire rule base. ## Understanding the Lazy-Loading Architecture According to [`scripts/aidlc-evaluator/ARCHITECTURE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/scripts/aidlc-evaluator/ARCHITECTURE.md) at line 166, Claude Code employs a **lazy-loading** mechanism for AI-DLC rules. Instead of loading the complete rule set into the context window at startup, the assistant loads only the rules required for the current phase—Inception, Construction, Operations, or others—exactly when that phase begins. This architecture minimizes prompt size and reduces latency within Claude Code’s project memory system. Each phase transition triggers the evaluation engine to pull the relevant markdown sections from [`CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/CLAUDE.md), ensuring the active context remains lean and focused on the current development stage. ## Step-by-Step Configuration ### 1. Obtain the Core Rule File The canonical rule set resides in the released `aidlc-rules` package at [`aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md). Download or extract this package to access the primary workflow definition that drives all AI-DLC phases. ### 2. Place the Entry Point File Claude Code recognizes two locations for the rule entry point: - [`./CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/./CLAUDE.md) in the project root - [`./.claude/CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/./.claude/CLAUDE.md) in a hidden directory Use the following commands to copy the file based on your platform: **macOS/Linux (Bash):** ```bash cp ~/Downloads/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md ./CLAUDE.md ``` **Windows PowerShell:** ```powershell Copy-Item "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".\CLAUDE.md" ``` **Hidden Directory Approach (All Platforms):** ```bash mkdir -p .claude cp ~/Downloads/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md .claude/CLAUDE.md ``` ### 3. Commit to Version Control Track the configuration file to ensure all collaborators use the same rule set and workflow phases: ```bash git add CLAUDE.md # Alternatively: git add .claude/CLAUDE.md git commit -m "feat: add AI-DLC rule entry for Claude Code" ``` ## Extending the Rule Set with Custom Guidelines As documented in [`docs/WORKING-WITH-AIDLC.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/WORKING-WITH-AIDLC.md) at line 173, you can extend the core workflow by placing additional markdown files in `aidlc-rules/extensions/`. Claude Code automatically merges these extensions into the active rule set for every phase, allowing you to inject organization-specific security, compliance, or architectural guidance without modifying the canonical [`core-workflow.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/core-workflow.md). ## Verifying Rule Loading in Claude Code After configuration, launch Claude Code and query the assistant to confirm the rules are active: ```text What AI-DLC instructions are currently active in this project? ``` Claude Code will respond with a summary of loaded phases and any active extensions, confirming that the lazy-loading mechanism implemented in [`scripts/aidlc-evaluator/ARCHITECTURE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/scripts/aidlc-evaluator/ARCHITECTURE.md) is functioning correctly. ## Summary - **Lazy-loading architecture**: Rules load phase-by-phase from [`CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/CLAUDE.md) rather than all at once, as implemented in [`scripts/aidlc-evaluator/ARCHITECTURE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/scripts/aidlc-evaluator/ARCHITECTURE.md) line 166. - **Entry point locations**: Place [`CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/CLAUDE.md) in the project root or [`.claude/CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/.claude/CLAUDE.md) for hidden organization. - **Core file source**: Copy from [`aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md) in the aidlc-rules package. - **Version control**: Commit the file to ensure team consistency across AI-DLC phases. - **Extensions**: Add custom rules under `aidlc-rules/extensions/` for automatic merging per [`docs/WORKING-WITH-AIDLC.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/WORKING-WITH-AIDLC.md) line 173. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Where does Claude Code look for AI-DLC rule files? Claude Code searches for [`CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/CLAUDE.md) in two specific locations: the project root directory ([`./CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/./CLAUDE.md)) or a hidden `.claude/` subdirectory ([`./.claude/CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/./.claude/CLAUDE.md)). The IDE checks both locations automatically when initializing project context and uses the first valid file found. ### Why does AI-DLC use lazy-loading for rules instead of loading everything at startup? According to the `awslabs/aidlc-workflows` source code in [`scripts/aidlc-evaluator/ARCHITECTURE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/scripts/aidlc-evaluator/ARCHITECTURE.md), lazy-loading keeps the prompt size small and reduces latency in Claude Code's project memory system. Each phase of the AI-DLC workflow (Inception, Construction, Operations) loads only the rules it needs at the exact moment that phase starts. ### Can I customize AI-DLC rules for my organization's specific requirements? Yes. As documented in [`docs/WORKING-WITH-AIDLC.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/docs/WORKING-WITH-AIDLC.md) at line 173, you can add custom extensions by placing markdown files in `aidlc-rules/extensions/`. These files are automatically merged into the active rule set for every phase, allowing you to layer security, compliance, or architectural standards on top of the core workflow without forking the canonical rules. ### Do I need to manually reload rules when moving between development phases? No. The configuration is fully automatic once [`CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/awslabs/aidlc-workflows/blob/main/CLAUDE.md) is in place. Claude Code's evaluator detects phase transitions and lazy-loads the appropriate rule sections from the entry point file without requiring manual intervention, file restarts, or explicit reload commands.