How to Fork and Modify the i-have-adhd Repository for Custom Rules

Fork the ayghri/i-have-adhd repository, edit skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md to add or change rules, optionally update plugin.json, then republish to enable your personalized output style across Claude, Codex, Zed, and Hermes.

The i-have-adhd repository by ayghri provides a skill/plugin system that enforces ADHD-friendly output formatting in AI coding assistants. Understanding how to fork and modify this repository for custom rules lets you tailor the behavioral constraints to your specific workflow needs.

Core Repository Structure

Before modifying anything, understand the three key files that make this skill work:

• skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md — Contains the ten-rule "ADHD-friendly" style guide including "lead with next action," "numbered steps only," and "no tangents." This is the file you'll edit to customize behavior.

• plugin.json — Minimal manifest that registers the skill name (i-have-adhd) and description for agent consumption.

• INSTALL.md and README.md — Document installation methods for Claude, Codex, Zed, and Hermes.

According to the ayghri/i-have-adhd source code, agents read SKILL.md at runtime to enforce stylistic constraints on generated responses.

Step 1: Fork and Clone the Repository

Create your own copy of the repository through GitHub's fork interface, then clone locally:

# Replace <your-username> with your actual GitHub handle

git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/i-have-adhd.git
cd i-have-adhd

This gives you full control to modify rules without affecting the upstream version.

Step 2: Modify Rules in SKILL.md

Open skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md in your preferred editor. The file uses standard markdown with numbered sections representing individual behavioral rules.

To add a custom rule, append a new numbered section following the existing format:

### 11. Highlight key terms

When a term appears in backticks (`term`), wrap it in **bold** so it stands out visually.

You can also modify existing rules—for example, changing "maximum 5 steps" to "maximum 3 steps" for even more concise output. Save your changes after editing.

Step 3: Update the Plugin Manifest (Optional)

If you changed the skill name or want a distinct description, edit plugin.json:

{
  "name": "i-have-adhd-custom",
  "description": "Your personalized ADHD-friendly output style with highlighting enabled."
}

Keep the original name if you want to override the default skill behavior, or change it to install alongside the original.

Step 4: Commit and Push Changes

Stage, commit, and push your modifications to your fork:

git add .
git commit -m "Add custom rule to highlight key terms"
git push origin main

Your fork now contains the modified rule set ready for agent consumption.

Step 5: Install Your Fork in Supported Agents

Each coding assistant loads skills differently. Use the appropriate command for your target platform:

Claude:

claude plugin marketplace add <your-username>/i-have-adhd-custom
claude plugin install i-have-adhd-custom@i-have-adhd-custom

Codex:

codex plugin marketplace add <your-username>/i-have-adhd-custom --ref main
codex plugin add i-have-adhd-custom@i-have-adhd-custom

Zed (filesystem-based installation):

cp -R skills/i-have-adhd ~/.config/zed/skills/i-have-adhd-custom

Hermes:

hermes skills install <your-username>/i-have-adhd-custom/skills/i-have-adhd

The installation commands reference your specific fork URL and branch, ensuring agents load your custom rules rather than the upstream defaults.

Step 6: Enable Always-On Mode (Optional)

For persistent application without explicit invocation, create the flag file described in INSTALL.md:

# Claude example with custom skill name

touch ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-custom-always

Alternatively, invoke on-demand with /i-have-adhd-custom in Claude or $i-have-adhd-custom in Codex.

Complete Workflow Example

Here's the full sequence from fork to functional custom skill:

# 1. Fork via GitHub UI, then clone

git clone https://github.com/<you>/i-have-adhd.git
cd i-have-adhd

# 2. Edit rules

code skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md

# 3. Optional: rename plugin

sed -i 's/"i-have-adhd"/"i-have-adhd-custom"/' plugin.json

# 4. Commit and publish

git add .
git commit -m "Add custom highlight rule and reduce step limit"
git push origin main

# 5. Install for Claude

claude plugin marketplace add <you>/i-have-adhd-custom
claude plugin install i-have-adhd-custom@i-have-adhd-custom

# 6. Enable always-on

touch ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-custom-always

Critical Files for Customization

File	Purpose	When to Modify
skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md	Rule definitions	Always—this is where you change behavior
plugin.json	Skill identity	When renaming or changing description
INSTALL.md	Setup instructions	Reference only—no changes needed
README.md	Documentation	Reference only—no changes needed

Summary

• Fork the ayghri/i-have-adhd repository to create your own copy
• Edit skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md to add, remove, or modify behavioral rules using the numbered markdown format
• Update plugin.json only if you need to rename the skill or change its description
• Push changes to your fork and install using agent-specific commands for Claude, Codex, Zed, or Hermes
• Enable always-on mode via flag files or invoke explicitly with /command syntax

Frequently Asked Questions

What file actually controls the behavior of the i-have-adhd skill?

The file skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md contains all rule definitions in markdown format. Agents parse this file at runtime to constrain their output style. Editing this single file is sufficient for most customizations.

Can I install multiple modified versions of the skill simultaneously?

Yes, if you change the name field in plugin.json for each fork. Keep the upstream name to override the default, or use distinct names like i-have-adhd-v1, i-have-adhd-v2 to install variants side-by-side and invoke them selectively.

Do I need to restart my coding assistant after updating my fork?

No—most agents reload skills from source on each invocation or periodically check for updates. However, if you've enabled always-on mode, you may need to restart the agent session to pick up structural changes to plugin.json or significant rule rewrites.

What happens if my SKILL.md syntax is malformed?

Agents typically fall back to default behavior or skip the malformed rule section. Validate your markdown structure—especially proper ### N. Title headings—and test incrementally with explicit invocation before enabling always-on mode.

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