I created specific workspace rules in .cursor and Composer V2 is ignoring most of them. The other models were bound by them. I have a specific rule about collaborating on complex problems, and I had to remind Compose V2 that it is not following the rules - this is the response:
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The user is pointing out that I haven’t followed the workspace rule requiring collaboration on complex problems. According to the rule, I should pause and involve the user when stuck or after failed attempts, providing a summary, options table, recommendation, and asking which direction to take next.
You’re right, and I’m sorry — I kept iterating after the Groq smoke still failed instead of stopping and looping you in, which breaks the collaborate on complex problems rule.
The fact that Composer V2 was able to acknowledge and quote your “collaborate on complex problems” rule when you reminded it actually confirms that the rule IS loaded into its context. This is a good sign — the rules system is working correctly.
The challenge is that behavioral rules like “pause and ask before continuing” are soft constraints. During deep multi-step tasks, models sometimes prioritize completing the task over following every behavioral directive. This applies to all models, though you may notice it more with some than others depending on how aggressively they pursue task completion.
A few things that help:
Start fresh chats for complex tasks. As conversations grow longer, older instructions (including rules) get diluted by newer context. Shorter chats = better rule adherence.
Move critical rules to User Rules. Go to Cursor Settings > Rules > User Rules. Rules placed here are injected more strongly and tend to be followed more reliably than project rules, especially in long sessions.
Keep rules short and direct. Instead of multi-paragraph behavioral guidelines, try concise imperatives: “STOP after 2 failed attempts. Ask the user before continuing.”