The Zero-Install CLI for
AI Agent & IDE Rulebooks
Scaffold, audit, and install production-hardened AI guidelines directly inside your project workspace. Built with 100% offline privacy, zero runtime dependencies, and instant multi-assistant compatibility.
Live Terminal Command Simulator
Preview exact terminal stdout responses and local filesystem actions
Fetching rules for "nextjs-15" in format "cursor-rules"...
Visual AI Skill Studio
Design, customize, and test AI rules in an interactive editor with real-time heuristic quality scoring.
Universal Rules Converter
Deconstruct legacy .cursorrules or CLAUDE.md into modular rules for Windsurf, Copilot, or Gemini.
28 Offline Dev Utilities
Formatters, cryptographic hashing, JWT inspectors, regex testing, and JSON schema tools in local memory.
Engineered for Enterprise Privacy & Speed
Why leading developers use the DevScratchpad headless terminal workflow
Zero Server Data Leakage
Audits repository rules in local memory. Slugs are strictly validated against directory traversal and file writes are strictly confined within current workspace boundaries.
Zero External Dependencies
Zero npm dependency bloat. Operates purely on native Node.js standard libraries (node:fs, node:path, node:https). Installs in under 1.5 seconds via npx.
Universal Assistant Sync
Export and scaffold for Cursor (.mdc), Claude Code (SKILL.md), Windsurf Cascade, GitHub Copilot, OpenAI, and Gemini from a single command syntax.
How It Works in 3 Simple Steps
From zero installation to production-grade AI agent steering in seconds
Pick Assistant & Stack
Choose your AI IDE format (Cursor .mdc, Claude SKILL.md, Windsurf, Copilot, OpenAI, Gemini) and framework preset.
Run Terminal One-Liner
Execute directly via npx, pnpm dlx, or bunx. No npm install or global binaries needed.
Instant Local Activation
Rules are automatically placed in standard paths (e.g. .cursor/rules/) ready to steer your assistant.
Under the Hood: 100% Local & Auditable
Every execution runs strictly inside your local Node.js process without analytics, telemetry, or remote prompt logging. Inspect the open-source runner or execute with dry-run mode to verify zero network requests outside of static preset delivery.
$ npx devscratchpad --dry-runCLI Command Reference
Comprehensive syntax and options for terminal execution
| Command | Description | Example Invocation | Target Filesystem Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| add <format>/<preset> | Installs rulebook into standard folder | $npx devscratchpad add cursor-rules/nextjs-15 | .cursor/rules/nextjs-15.mdc |
| add <preset> --format <fmt> | Installs rulebook via flag syntax | $npx devscratchpad add fastapi -f claude-skills | .claude/skills/fastapi/SKILL.md |
| audit [dir] | Scans and scores existing repo rule health (0-100) | $npx devscratchpad audit | Read-only static heuristic scan |
| list | Lists all 9 formats & 23+ technology presets | $npx devscratchpad list | Terminal stdout catalog |
| init | Scaffolds universal multi-agent starter rules | $npx devscratchpad init | .cursor/rules/cursor-rules-pro.mdc |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install devscratchpad globally?
No. Because devscratchpad is published as an executable on npm, you can run any command directly via npx devscratchpad <command> without leaving permanent files on your machine.
How does the rule auditor evaluate my AI rules?
The auditor scores your files against 4 static heuristics: Negative Guardrail Presence (banning antipatterns), Rule Density (detecting monolithic prompt degradation over 300 lines), Trigger & Glob Specificity, and Vague Directive Detection ("clean code").
Can I use this when developing air-gapped without internet?
Yes. If internet connectivity is unavailable, the CLI automatically falls back to its bundled local templates to scaffold your workspace rules without failing.
How do I migrate my legacy .cursorrules file?
Visit the Universal Rules Converter to paste your legacy rule file and convert it into modular Cursor .mdc, Claude SKILL.md, or Windsurf rules.
Prefer a Visual Interface?
Explore the DevScratchpad AI Skill Studio to design, customize, and test your AI rulebooks with real-time preview and 100% offline security.