How-to: Build Rhino apps with LLM tools

LLM tools like GitHub Copilot and Claude Code can be extremely helpful when building apps with Rhino. However, the unique project structure and the use of the box package for module imports can make it harder for these tools to understand and assist effectively. The good news is that their performance can be significantly improved by providing custom instructions.

AGENTS.md

Many AI coding tools (including Claude Code, Cursor, and others) read an AGENTS.md file at the project root for repository-specific guidance. Rhino ships a curated AGENTS.md template tailored to Rhino projects, covering box imports, the Rhino module layout, unit-test conventions, and code style.

• rhino::init() adds it by default. Set agents_instructions = FALSE to opt out.
• To add it to an existing Rhino project, run rhino::use_agents_md(). If AGENTS.md already exists you will be prompted to either abort or back up the existing file as AGENTS.md.bak.

Tool-specific instruction files

Some AI coding tools read instructions from their own dedicated file rather than AGENTS.md. If the tool you use does not pick up AGENTS.md automatically, copy the content of the Rhino AGENTS.md template into the file that tool expects, for example:

• GitHub Copilot: .github/copilot-instructions.md
• Claude Code: CLAUDE.md
• Cursor: .cursor/rules/ or .cursorrules

Refer to your tool’s documentation for the exact path it reads.