How to Configure AI-DLC Rule Loading for Cursor IDE

AI-DLC rule loading for Cursor IDE requires placing a front-matter rule file in .cursor/rules/ and copying the detailed rule set to .aidlc-rule-details/ so Cursor can resolve workflow imports at runtime.

The awslabs/aidlc-workflows repository provides an adaptive AI-Driven Development Life Cycle (AI-DLC) workflow specifically designed for the Cursor IDE. This configuration enables Cursor to automatically apply AI-DLC rules to every chat session, driving consistent software development practices across inception, construction, and operations phases.

Understanding AI-DLC Rule Architecture

AI-DLC workflows consist of two distinct resource types that Cursor consumes differently. According to the awslabs/aidlc-workflows source code, you must deploy both components for the integration to function correctly.

Core workflow definition (core-workflow.md): Located in aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/, this file contains the primary workflow logic. You must concatenate it into a rule file under .cursor/rules/ with proper front-matter headers.

Detailed rule files: Located in aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/, these fragments cover common practices, inception, construction, extensions, and operations. Cursor resolves these at runtime via imports from the core workflow, so they must exist at .aidlc-rule-details/ in your project root.

When properly configured, Cursor's Rules → Commands UI lists the rule as ai-dlc-workflow and automatically applies it to every chat session.

Step-by-Step Configuration

Prerequisites

Download the latest AI-DLC release from the awslabs/aidlc-workflows repository and extract the archive. The package contains the aidlc-rules/ directory with both the core workflow and detailed rule sets.

Unix/Linux/macOS Setup

Create the rule container and write the front-matter file that instructs Cursor to always apply the AI-DLC workflow:

# Create the rule container

mkdir -p .cursor/rules

# Write the front-matter file

cat > .cursor/rules/ai-dlc-workflow.mdc <<'EOF'
---
description: "AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Life Cycle) adaptive workflow for software development"
alwaysApply: true
---
EOF

# Append the core workflow from the downloaded release

cat ~/Downloads/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md >> .cursor/rules/ai-dlc-workflow.mdc

# Copy the detailed rule set to the hidden directory

mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ~/Downloads/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell Setup

Use PowerShell to create the directory structure and populate the rule file:

# Create the rule container

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".cursor\rules"

# Write the front-matter file

$frontmatter = @"
---
description: "AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Life Cycle) adaptive workflow for software development"
alwaysApply: true
---
"@
$frontmatter | Out-File -FilePath ".cursor\rules\ai-dlc-workflow.mdc" -Encoding utf8

# Append the core workflow

Get-Content "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" `
  | Add-Content ".cursor\rules\ai-dlc-workflow.mdc"

# Copy the detailed rule set

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" `
  ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD Setup

For legacy Windows Command Prompt environments:

:: Create the rule container
mkdir .cursor\rules

:: Write the front-matter
(
  echo ---
  echo description: "AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Life Cycle) adaptive workflow for software development"
  echo alwaysApply: true
  echo ---
  echo.
) > .cursor\rules\ai-dlc-workflow.mdc

:: Append the core workflow
type "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" >> .cursor\rules\ai-dlc-workflow.mdc

:: Copy the detailed rule set
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Verification Steps

After configuration, confirm successful loading through Cursor's interface:

1. Open Cursor → Settings → Rules, Commands
2. Under Project Rules, verify the entry ai-dlc-workflow appears in the list
3. Open any source file and start a chat (Ctrl+K)
4. Look for the AI-DLC badge in the chat UI, indicating the rule is active and applied to the session

The repository includes a reference screenshot at assets/images/cursor-ide-aidlc-rules-loaded.png showing the expected UI state when rules load correctly.

Summary

• AI-DLC rule loading requires two components: a .cursor/rules/ai-dlc-workflow.mdc file with front-matter, and the detailed rule set at .aidlc-rule-details/
• Always apply is controlled by the alwaysApply: true flag in the rule file's front-matter
• Source files come from aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md and aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/ in the awslabs/aidlc-workflows release package
• Verification occurs in Cursor's Project Rules settings and through the chat UI badge indicator

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Cursor look for AI-DLC rule files?

Cursor scans the .cursor/rules/ directory in your project root for any files containing Markdown front-matter. Files with the .mdc extension and alwaysApply: true setting are automatically loaded as project rules and applied to every chat session.

Why must I copy files to .aidlc-rule-details/ instead of just the .cursor/rules/ directory?

The core-workflow.md file references detailed rule fragments (common, inception, construction, extensions, operations) via relative import paths. According to the awslabs/aidlc-workflows implementation, these imports resolve against the .aidlc-rule-details/ directory at runtime, so the files must exist there for the workflow to function.

Can I disable AI-DLC rules after configuration without deleting the files?

Yes. Navigate to Cursor → Settings → Rules, Commands and locate the ai-dlc-workflow entry under Project Rules. You can toggle the rule on or off without removing the configuration files, though keeping it enabled ensures consistent AI-DLC behavior across all development sessions.

What is the difference between the core-workflow.md file and the detailed rule files?

core-workflow.md (located in aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/) contains the primary workflow orchestration logic that Cursor loads as your rule file. The detailed rule files (in aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/) contain specific behavioral instructions for different development phases that the core workflow imports and applies contextually.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}