Project working rules
Write down recurring requirements for a project so you do not repeat them in every task. Rules belong to the project and can be enabled or disabled individually.
Find the rules
Open the workbench in Cowork, enter project details, and find working rules. Use these for project requirements; keep personal communication preferences in personalization or memory.
Try enabling a project rule
Project requirements for this task
This rule is included in the example task's project requirements.
Write your first rule
- Select the project where the work belongs.
- Add a clear, testable requirement in project details.
- Save and confirm that the rule is enabled.
- Run a small task in a Cowork conversation belonging to that project.
- Check the result; edit or disable the rule if it does not help.
For example:
When editing product documentation, give user-facing steps before explaining terminology. Do not describe unconfirmed features as available.
Keep each rule focused on one requirement. A short useful set is easier to maintain than a collection of every previous prompt.
Where rules apply
| Situation | Expected behavior |
|---|---|
| Conversation belongs to the project and rule is enabled | Project rules participate in Cowork task context |
| Rule is disabled | The entry remains but is not included as an enabled rule |
| Another project or standalone chat | Do not assume these project rules are included |
| Project is archived or deleted | It no longer supplies active project rules |
Changing the selected project in the UI does not automatically reassign an existing conversation. Use project and chat organization controls to change ownership.
Rules and other configuration
Rules state requirements, memory supplies background, and skills organize repeatable steps. Rules cannot grant access to an unauthorized folder or external account.
Project rules are not equivalent to Codex's global and directory-based AGENTS.md inheritance. Do not reuse another tool's configuration paths here.
When a rule seems absent
Confirm conversation ownership, the rule switch, and saved text. Check whether the current task asks for something different. Rewrite conflicts as clear conditions, such as “Be concise by default; expand when a detailed explanation is requested.”
Verify with an observable small task rather than only asking whether the rule was remembered.
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