Agent rules

Install Trigger.dev agent rules to guide AI assistants toward correct, up-to-date code patterns.

What are Trigger.dev agent rules?

Trigger.dev agent rules are comprehensive instruction sets that guide AI assistants to write optimal Trigger.dev code. These rules ensure your AI assistant understands best practices, current APIs, and recommended patterns when working with Trigger.dev projects.

Agent Rules are one of three AI tools we provide. You can also install Skills for portable cross-editor instruction sets or the MCP Server for live project interaction. See the comparison table for details.

Installation

Install the agent rules with the following command:

npx trigger.dev@latest install-rules

Available rule sets

We provide five specialized rule sets, each optimized for different aspects of Trigger.dev development:

Rule set	Tokens	Description	GitHub
Basic tasks	1,200	Essential rules for writing basic Trigger.dev tasks and fundamental patterns	View
Advanced tasks	3,000	Comprehensive rules for complex workflows, error handling, and advanced task patterns	View
Scheduled tasks	780	Specialized guidance for cron jobs, scheduled workflows, and time-based triggers	View
Configuration	1,900	Complete guide for trigger.config.ts setup, environment configuration, and project structure	View
Realtime	1,700	Using Trigger.dev Realtime features and frontend integration patterns	View

Claude Code subagent

For Claude Code users, we provide a subagent called trigger-dev-expert that’s an expert at writing well-structured Trigger.dev code.

Installation

The subagent is available as an option when running the rules installation command. Select “Claude Code” as your client and choose to include the subagent when prompted.

Usage

Activate the subagent in your prompts by requesting it explicitly:

use the trigger-dev-expert subagent to create a trigger.dev job that accepts a video url, processes it with ffmpeg to extract the audio, runs the audio through a text-to-speech API like openai, and then uploads both the transcription and the audio to s3

The subagent works best when combined with the appropriate rule sets installed alongside it, providing both high-level architectural guidance and detailed implementation knowledge.

Supported AI clients

The Trigger.dev rules work across a wide range of AI coding assistants and editors:

Client	Rule activation	Docs
Cursor	Automatic when working in trigger directories	Link
Claude Code	Context-aware activation + custom subagent	Link
VSCode Copilot	Integration with GitHub Copilot chat	Link
Windsurf	Automatic activation in Trigger.dev projects	Link
Gemini CLI	Command-line integration	Link
Cline	Automatic context detection	Link
Sourcegraph AMP	Code intelligence integration	Link
Kilo	Custom rule integration	Link
Ruler	Rule management	Link
AGENTS.md	Universal format for OpenAI Codex, Jules, OpenCode, etc.

Rule activation behavior

Different AI tools handle rules differently:

• Automatic Activation: Cursor, Windsurf, VSCode Copilot, and Cline automatically apply relevant rules when working in Trigger.dev projects or when trigger.config.ts is detected
• Context-Aware: Claude Code intelligently applies rules based on the current context and file types
• Manual Integration: AGENTS.md clients and others append rules to configuration files for manual activation

Keeping rules updated

Trigger.dev rules are regularly updated to reflect new features, API changes, and best practices. The CLI includes automatic update detection.

Automatic update notifications

When running npx trigger.dev@latest dev, you’ll receive notifications when newer rule versions are available with a simple update command.

Manual updates

Update rules anytime with:

npx trigger.dev@latest install-rules

The update process replaces existing rules without creating duplicates, keeping your configuration files clean and organized.

Why updates matter

• Current API patterns: Access the latest Trigger.dev APIs and features
• Performance optimizations: Benefit from improved patterns and practices
• Deprecated pattern avoidance: Prevent AI assistants from generating outdated code
• New feature support: Immediate access to newly released capabilities

Getting started

1. Install the rules:

npx trigger.dev@latest install-rules

2. Follow the prompts to install the rules for your AI client.

3. Consider installing the trigger-dev-expert subagent if using Claude Code.

Next steps

Skills

Portable instruction sets that work across all AI coding assistants.

MCP Server

Give your AI assistant direct access to Trigger.dev tools and APIs.

Complete AI setup

See all AI tools and how they compare.

Writing tasks

Learn the task patterns that agent rules teach your AI assistant.