README.md

Continue.dev Configuration Guide

Overview

Continue.dev is an open-source AI code assistant extension for VS Code and JetBrains. It reads rules from:

1. Rule files: .continue/rules/*.md with YAML frontmatter
2. Model config: .continuerc.json for model and provider settings
3. AGENTS.md: Can be referenced as a rule file

Setup

1. Create .continue/rules/ directory in your project root
2. Copy the rule files from this folder's .continue/rules/ directory
3. Customize the rules for your project
4. Optionally create .continuerc.json for model configuration

Rule File Format

Each rule file is a Markdown file with optional YAML frontmatter:

---
name: Rule Name
globs: "**/*.tsx"
alwaysApply: true
---

# Rule Title

Your rules in Markdown here...

Frontmatter Options

Field	Type	Description
name	string	Human-readable name for the rule
globs	string or string[]	File patterns that activate the rule
alwaysApply	boolean	If true, rule is active in every conversation
regex	string	Content pattern that activates the rule

Rule Types

Type	Config	When Active
Always	alwaysApply: true	Every conversation
Glob-Based	globs: "pattern"	When matching files are in context
Regex-Based	regex: "pattern"	When content matches the pattern
Manual	No activation fields	Only when explicitly referenced

File Structure

your-project/
├── .continue/
│   ├── rules/
│   │   ├── core-principles.md      # Always active
│   │   ├── code-style.md           # Always active
│   │   ├── security.md             # Always active
│   │   ├── testing.md              # Active for test files
│   │   └── workflow.md             # Always active
│   └── config.json                 # Model configuration (optional)
└── .continuerc.json                # Project-level model config (optional)

Model Configuration

Create .continuerc.json in your project root to configure models:

{
  "models": [
    {
      "title": "Claude Sonnet",
      "provider": "anthropic",
      "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
      "apiKey": "env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
    }
  ]
}

Tips

• Keep each rule file focused on one topic for clarity
• Use alwaysApply: true for rules that should apply universally
• Use globs to activate rules only for relevant file types (e.g., test files)
• Use regex to activate rules based on file content patterns
• Continue.dev supports multiple LLM backends: OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, and more

Examples

See .continue/rules/ in this directory for ready-to-use rule files covering core principles, code style, security, testing, and workflow.

Cross-IDE Compatibility

To use the same rules across IDEs, create an AGENTS.md in your project root. You can reference it from Continue.dev or use the individual rule files alongside other IDE configurations.