Rules system is broke and a mess

Hey, thanks for the report.

This issue is actively tracked here: Project Rules: Documented RULE.md folder format not working, only undocumented .mdc format works - multiple users confirm the same behavior on 2.2.x.

Right now there’s an inconsistency with the new folder-based RULE.md format. A temporary workaround is to use the legacy .mdc files directly in .cursor/rules/.

For debugging, please share:

  • The exact .cursor/rules/ structure (show the file tree)
  • A screenshot of Settings > Rules > Project Rules
  • Whether the rules were created manually or via Settings > Rules > + Add Rule
  • Try Reload Window (CMD+Shift+P > Reload Window) and tell me if it helped

Let me know the results.