Custom Instructions

Custom Instructions allow you to personalize how Roo behaves, providing specific guidance that shapes responses, coding style, and decision-making processes.

What Are Custom Instructions?

Custom Instructions define specific behaviors, preferences, and constraints beyond Roo's basic role definition. Examples include coding style, documentation standards, testing requirements, and workflow guidelines.

Rules Files

Custom Instructions are simply .rules files. They use the common convention of .clinerules, .cursorrules, and .windsurfrules files, which can be placed in your workspace root for version control or configured through the UI.

Setting Custom Instructions

Global Custom Instructions

These instructions apply across all workspaces and maintain your preferences regardless of which project you're working on.

How to set them:

1. Open Prompts Tab: Click the icon in the Roo Code top menu bar
2. Find Section: Find the "Custom Instructions for All Modes" section
3. Enter Instructions: Enter your instructions in the text area
4. Save Changes: Click "Done" to save your changes

Workspace-Level Instructions

These instructions only apply within your current workspace, allowing you to customize Roo Code's behavior for specific projects.

Workspace-Wide Instructions

Workspace-wide instructions are defined through rule files in your workspace root, primarily using .clinerules. Additional support for .cursorrules and .windsurfrules is available for editor compatibility.

Mode-Specific Instructions

Mode-specific instructions can be set in two independent ways that can be used simultaneously:

1. Using the Prompts Tab:

   

   • Open Tab: Click the icon in the Roo Code top menu bar

   • Select Mode: Under the Modes heading, click the button for the mode you want to customize

   • Enter Instructions: Enter your instructions in the text area under "Mode-specific Custom Instructions (optional)"

   • Save Changes: Click "Done" to save your changes

     Global Mode Rules

     If the mode itself is global (not workspace-specific), any custom instructions you set for it will also apply globally for that mode across all workspaces.

2. Using Rule Files: Create a .clinerules-[mode] file in your workspace root (e.g., .clinerules-code)

When both tab instructions and rule files are set for a mode, both sets of instructions will be included in the system prompt.

How Instructions are Combined

Instructions are placed in the system prompt in this exact format:

====
USER'S CUSTOM INSTRUCTIONS
The following additional instructions are provided by the user, and should be followed to the best of your ability without interfering with the TOOL USE guidelines.
[Language Preference (if set)]
[Global Instructions]
[Mode-specific Instructions]

Rules:
[.clinerules-{mode} rules]
[.clinerules rules]
[.cursorrules rules]
[.windsurfrules rules]

Rules about .rules files

• File Location: All rule files must be placed in the workspace root directory
• Empty Files: Empty or missing rule files are silently skipped
• Source Headers: Each rule file's contents are included with a header indicating its source
• Rule Interaction: Mode-specific rules complement global rules rather than replacing them

Examples of Custom Instructions

• "Always use spaces for indentation, with a width of 4 spaces"
• "Use camelCase for variable names"
• "Write unit tests for all new functions"
• "Explain your reasoning before providing code"
• "Focus on code readability and maintainability"
• "Prioritize using the most common library in the community"
• "When adding new features to websites, ensure they are responsive and accessible"

Pro Tip: File-Based Team Standards

When working in team environments, placing .clinerules files under version control allows you to standardize Roo's behavior across your entire development team. This ensures consistent code style, documentation practices, and development workflows for everyone on the project.

Combining with Custom Modes

For advanced customization, combine with Custom Modes to create specialized environments with specific tool access, file restrictions, and tailored instructions.