Cline Integration

Cline is an autonomous AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code. It supports custom instructions that guide how it writes, edits, and reasons about code. Any skill from Skills Playground can be used as Cline custom instructions.

What Is Cline?

Cline (formerly Claude Dev) is a VS Code extension that acts as an autonomous coding agent. Unlike inline copilots, Cline can read files, write code, run terminal commands, and iterate on tasks independently. Custom instructions shape how Cline approaches your project.

Custom Instructions

Cline supports custom instructions through its settings panel. These instructions act as a system prompt -- they are prepended to every conversation and guide Cline's behavior across all interactions.

To set custom instructions:

1. Open VS Code
2. Click the Cline icon in the sidebar
3. Click the gear icon to open settings
4. Find the Custom Instructions text area
5. Paste your skill's system prompt

Quick Setup

1. Browse the Skills Playground directory and find a skill for your project
2. Copy the system prompt text
3. Open Cline's settings in VS Code
4. Paste the system prompt into Custom Instructions
5. Start a new Cline session to apply the instructions

The instructions take effect immediately on new conversations.

.clinerules File

Cline also supports a .clinerules file at the root of your project. This is the project-level equivalent of custom instructions -- it is automatically loaded when Cline works in that project directory.

# .clinerules

## Project: Dashboard App

## Tech Stack
- React 19 with TypeScript
- Next.js App Router
- Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui components
- Drizzle ORM with PostgreSQL

## Conventions
- Server components by default
- Named exports only
- Colocate tests with source files
- Use Zod for all validation

## Behavior
- Always read existing code before making changes
- Run tests after modifying code
- Ask before deleting files
- Prefer small, focused changes

The .clinerules file is version-controlled, so your whole team gets the same Cline behavior. It works alongside the global custom instructions -- both are loaded together.

Tips

• Include behavior rules. Since Cline acts autonomously, include instructions about when to ask for confirmation and how aggressively to make changes.
• Set boundaries. Tell Cline what files or directories it should not modify (e.g., "never edit files in migrations/").
• Combine skills. Use one skill for coding conventions and another for Cline-specific behavior guidelines.
• Keep it focused. Cline loads custom instructions on every interaction. Shorter, more targeted instructions produce better results.

Browse the skills directory to find skills for your project.