Next steps

You’ve got AlignTrue set up and syncing. Here’s what to explore next based on your needs.

Essential commands

These commands will be part of your daily workflow:

Preview changes

See what would change without writing files:


aligntrue sync --dry-run

Validate rules

Check rules for errors (great for CI):


aligntrue check

Check syntax

Lint your markdown rules file:


aligntrue md lint

Full command reference: CLI Reference

Auto-sync on save

Want rules to sync automatically when you save? Set up a file watcher.

VS Code (Quick Option)

Add to .vscode/tasks.json:


{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "AlignTrue Auto-Sync",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "aligntrue sync",
      "runOptions": {
        "runOn": "folderOpen"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Universal Option (Any Editor)

Use nodemon to watch for changes:

Install nodemon:

npm

bash npm install -g nodemon

yarn

bash yarn global add nodemon

pnpm

bash pnpm add -g nodemon

bun

bash bun install -g nodemon

Run nodemon:


nodemon --watch AGENTS.md --exec "aligntrue sync"

Platform-specific guides: File Watcher Setup

Using git sources

Pull rules from any git repository to share across projects or teams.

Quick pull (temporary)

Try rules without committing:


aligntrue pull https://github.com/yourorg/rules

Permanent subscription

Add to .aligntrue/config.yaml:


sources:
  - type: git
    url: https://github.com/yourorg/rules
    ref: main
    path: .aligntrue.yaml

First sync will prompt for privacy consent.

Full documentation: Git Sources Guide

Team collaboration

Enable team mode for shared rules with lockfiles and drift detection.

For repository owners


# 1. Enable team mode
aligntrue team enable
 
# 2. Approve rule sources
aligntrue team approve sha256:abc123...
 
# 3. Sync to generate lockfile
aligntrue sync
 
# 4. Commit team files
git add .aligntrue/
git commit -m "Enable AlignTrue team mode"

For team members


# Clone and sync (validated against allow list)
git clone <repo> && cd <repo>
aligntrue sync

Team mode provides:

Lockfile validation (soft/strict modes)
Drift detection
Approved source tracking
Reproducible builds

Complete workflows: Team Mode Guide

Supporting more agents

AlignTrue supports 28+ AI coding agents out of the box.

List available adapters


aligntrue adapters list

Enable additional agents

Edit .aligntrue/config.yaml:


exporters:
  - cursor
  - agents-md
  - windsurf
  - claude-md
  - cline
  - copilot
  - aider

Common agent formats:

cursor - Cursor .mdc files
agents-md - Universal AGENTS.md format (works with Copilot, Claude Code, Aider)
windsurf - Windsurf rules format
cline - Cline configuration
vscode-mcp - VS Code MCP configuration

Customization features

AlignTrue provides three powerful mechanisms for customizing rules without forking:

Plugs

Fill template slots with stack-specific values:


aligntrue plugs set test.cmd "pnpm test"

Overlays

Customize third-party packs without losing upstream updates:


aligntrue override add --selector 'rule[id=no-console-log]' --set severity=error

Scopes

Apply different rules to different directories:


scopes:
  - path: "apps/web"
    rulesets: ["base-rules", "nextjs-rules"]
  - path: "packages/api"
    rulesets: ["base-rules", "node-rules"]

Complete guides: Customization Overview

Custom exporters

Add support for new agents by creating custom exporters.

Extension guide: Adding Exporters

Importing existing rules

Migrate from existing agent configurations to AlignTrue.

Detect and analyze


aligntrue import cursor --dry-run

Import with coverage report


aligntrue import cursor --write

Complete migration guide: Import Workflow

Workflow examples

Solo developer workflow


# Daily workflow
cd your-project
vim AGENTS.md           # Edit rules
aligntrue sync           # Update agents
git add .
git commit -m "Update project rules"

Team workflow


# Repository owner
aligntrue team enable
aligntrue sync
git add .aligntrue/
git commit -m "Add AlignTrue configuration"
git push
 
# Team member
git pull
aligntrue sync  # Validates against lockfile

Multi-project workflow


# Create shared rules in a separate repo
cd shared-rules
aligntrue init
# Add rules that apply to all projects
 
# Use in projects
cd project-1
aligntrue pull ../shared-rules --save
aligntrue sync

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

Rules not showing in agent?

Check agent is enabled in .aligntrue/config.yaml
Run aligntrue sync again
Restart your IDE

Syntax errors?

Run aligntrue check for validation
Run aligntrue md lint for markdown issues

Network consent prompts?

First-time git source access requires consent
Use --offline flag to skip network operations
See Privacy Guide

Full troubleshooting: Troubleshooting Guide

Learning resources

Guides

Sync Behavior - How two-way sync works
Drift Detection - Track alignment changes
Git Workflows - Pull and vendor workflows
Backup & Restore - Protect your configuration

Reference

CLI Reference - Complete command documentation
Privacy Controls - Network consent and telemetry

Contributing

Getting Started - Contribute to AlignTrue
Testing Workflow - Test standards
Team Onboarding - Internal dev guide

Community

Need help?

Want to contribute?

Ready to dive deeper? Pick a topic from the guides above and explore AlignTrue’s full capabilities.