/promote

name: "promote"
description: "Graduate a proven pattern from auto-memory (MEMORY.md) to CLAUDE.md or .claude/rules/ for permanent enforcement. Use when the user runs /si:promote or asks to make a learned behavior permanent."

/si:promote — Graduate Learnings to Rules

Moves a proven pattern from Claude's auto-memory into the project's rule system, where it becomes an enforced instruction rather than a background note.

Usage

/si:promote <pattern description>                    # Auto-detect best target
/si:promote <pattern> --target claude.md             # Promote to CLAUDE.md
/si:promote <pattern> --target rules/testing.md      # Promote to scoped rule
/si:promote <pattern> --target rules/api.md --paths "src/api/**/*.ts"  # Scoped with paths

Workflow

Step 1: Understand the pattern

Parse the user's description. If vague, ask one clarifying question:

• "What specific behavior should Claude follow?"
• "Does this apply to all files or specific paths?"

Step 2: Find the pattern in auto-memory

# Search MEMORY.md for related entries
MEMORY_DIR="$HOME/.claude/projects/$(pwd | sed 's|/|%2F|g; s|%2F|/|; s|^/||')/memory"
grep -ni "<keywords>" "$MEMORY_DIR/MEMORY.md"

Show the matching entries and confirm they're what the user means.

Step 3: Determine the right target

| Pattern scope | Target | Example | |---|---|---| | Applies to entire project | `./CLAUDE.md` | "Use pnpm, not npm" | | Applies to specific file types | `.claude/rules/<topic>.md` | "API handlers need validation" | | Applies to all your projects | `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` | "Prefer explicit error handling" |

If the user didn't specify a target, recommend one based on scope.

Step 4: Distill into a concise rule

Transform the learning from auto-memory's note format into CLAUDE.md's instruction format:

**Before** (MEMORY.md — descriptive): > The project uses pnpm workspaces. When I tried npm install it failed. The lock file is pnpm-lock.yaml. Must use pnpm install for dependencies.

**After** (CLAUDE.md — prescriptive):

## Build & Dependencies
- Package manager: pnpm (not npm). Use `pnpm install`.

**Rules for distillation:**

• One line per rule when possible
• Imperative voice ("Use X", "Always Y", "Never Z")
• Include the command or example, not just the concept
• No backstory — just the instruction

Step 5: Write to target

**For CLAUDE.md:** 1. Read existing CLAUDE.md 2. Find the appropriate section (or create one) 3. Append the new rule under the right heading 4. If file would exceed 200 lines, suggest using `.claude/rules/` instead

**For `.claude/rules/`:** 1. Create the file if it doesn't exist 2. Add YAML frontmatter with `paths` if scoped 3. Write the rule content

---
paths:
  - "src/api/**/*.ts"
  - "tests/api/**/*"
---

# API Development Rules

- All endpoints must validate input with Zod schemas
- Use `ApiError` class for error responses (not raw Error)
- Include OpenAPI JSDoc comments on handler functions

Step 6: Clean up auto-memory

After promoting, remove or mark the original entry in MEMORY.md:

# Show what will be removed
grep -n "<pattern>" "$MEMORY_DIR/MEMORY.md"

Ask the user to confirm removal. Then edit MEMORY.md to remove the promoted entry. This frees space for new learnings.

Step 7: Confirm

✅ Promoted to {{target}}

Rule: "{{distilled rule}}"
Source: MEMORY.md line {{n}} (removed)
MEMORY.md: {{lines}}/200 lines remaining

The pattern is now an enforced instruction. Claude will follow it in all future sessions.

Promotion Decision Guide

Promote when:

• Pattern appeared 3+ times in auto-memory
• You corrected Claude about it more than once
• It's a project convention that any contributor should know
• It prevents a recurring mistake

Don't promote when:

• It's a one-time debugging note (leave in auto-memory)
• It's session-specific context (session memory handles this)
• It might change soon (e.g., during a migration)
• It's already covered by existing rules

CLAUDE.md vs .claude/rules/

| Use CLAUDE.md for | Use .claude/rules/ for | |---|---| | Global project rules | File-type-specific patterns | | Build commands | Testing conventions | | Architecture decisions | API design rules | | Team conventions | Framework-specific gotchas |

Tips

• Keep CLAUDE.md under 200 lines — use rules/ for overflow
• One rule per line is easier to maintain than paragraphs
• Include the concrete command, not just the concept
• Review promoted rules quarterly — remove what's no longer relevant