Debuly

AI Context Linter

GitHub Action that lints CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules and AGENTS.md files for leaked keys, weak structure and vague instructions.

Open source
Visit github.com AI Context Linter (official site)Compare coding

What is AI Context Linter?

AI Context Linter is a free GitHub Action that reviews the instruction files you give to AI coding agents. Add one line to a workflow and it auto-detects CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, AGENTS.md, COPILOT.md, .windsurfrules and .clinerules, then checks them against a rule set. Security rules catch hardcoded API keys and leaked home-directory paths and fail the build. Structure rules warn about files over a token limit, long text with no headings, empty sections and a missing project description. Anti-pattern rules flag vague advice such as be good, conflicting instructions and redundant directives, and info-level checks suggest tool references in CLAUDE.md or file globs in .cursorrules. You can set a token cap, choose whether warnings fail the run, disable rules in a .ai-context-linter.yml file, and read issue counts as outputs. It is MIT licensed, with no paid plans.

Use cases

  • Catch leaked API keys in agent files
  • Check CLAUDE.md structure in CI
  • Find conflicting rules in .cursorrules
  • Keep AGENTS.md files short and clear
  • Fail builds on insecure context files
  • Set a token limit for instruction files

Who it's for

  • Developers using AI coding agents
  • Engineering teams
  • DevOps engineers
  • Open-source maintainers

Why use AI Context Linter

  • A hardcoded key in an example block is caught in CI before it reaches the repository history.
  • Agents read these files at every start, so cleaning up vague or conflicting rules improves their output.
  • Setup is a single workflow line, and defaults work without configuration.
  • Rules and token limits can be tuned per repository.

AI Context Linter features

  • Auto-detects CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, AGENTS.md and similar files
  • Security rules for API keys and private paths
  • Structure rules for length, headings and empty sections
  • Anti-pattern rules for vague or conflicting instructions
  • File-type checks for CLAUDE.md and .cursorrules
  • Configurable token limit and fail-on-warnings option
  • Rules can be disabled in a YAML config
  • Outputs for issues found and files checked

AI Context Linter integrations

  • GitHub Actions
  • Claude Code
  • Cursor
  • GitHub Copilot
  • Windsurf
  • Cline

How to get started with AI Context Linter

  1. Add the ai-context-linter action to a GitHub workflow that runs on push or pull request.
  2. Optionally set the files pattern, a token limit and whether warnings should fail the job.
  3. The action finds your context files and runs its rules against each one.
  4. Errors such as leaked keys fail the build, while warnings and info items are reported.
  5. Fix the findings, or disable rules in .ai-context-linter.yml if they do not fit.

AI Context Linter limitations

  • Checks the text of context files only and does not test agent behavior
  • Runs as a GitHub Action, so it fits GitHub-based workflows

AI Context Linter pricing

AI Context Linter is open source, so you can use and self-host it for free.

Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

AI Context Linter alternatives

The main AI Context Linter alternatives listed on Debuly are agent-top, ContextStream, Graft (now Trail-code), Packmind, Poirot and Qodo. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

AI Context Linter compared with its alternatives
ToolPricingStarting pricePlatforms
AI Context LinterOpen source—GitHub Action
agent-topPricing unknown—macOS, Linux, CLI
ContextStreamFreemium$19/moWeb, CLI, VS Code extension, API
Graft (now Trail-code)Open source—CLI
PackmindOpen source—CLI, Self-hosted
PoirotOpen source—macOS
QodoFree trial—Web, Self-hosted

  1. agent-top

    Terminal dashboard that lists every local Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and OpenCode session with its state, tokens and cost.

    CodingDeveloper platformsProductivity
    Visit agent-top (official site)

  2. ContextStream

    Shared project memory, code search and agent coordination for AI coding tools, connected through MCP and a browser workspace.

    CodingDeveloper platformsAutomation and agents
    FreemiumVisit ContextStream (official site)

  3. Graft (now Trail-code)

    Open source context layer that maps a codebase for coding agents and stores team learnings as Markdown files in git.

    CodingDeveloper platformsAutomation and agents
    Open sourceVisit Graft (now Trail-code) (official site)

  4. Packmind

    Open source context engineering for AI coding agents: capture your engineering playbook and distribute it to every assistant and repo.

    CodingDeveloper platformsAutomation and agents
    Open sourceVisit Packmind (official site)

  5. Poirot

    Free, open-source macOS app that shows what Claude Code did in each session, with usage analytics and cost views.

    CodingDeveloper platformsProductivity
    Open sourceVisit Poirot (official site)

  6. Qodo

    AI code review and governance for teams shipping agent-written code, with pull request review, IDE skills and rules enforcement.

    CodingAutomation and agentsDeveloper platforms
    Free trialVisit Qodo (official site)

AI Context Linter FAQ

How much does AI Context Linter cost?

It is free. The project is released under the MIT license, and the README lists no paid plans.

Is there a free plan for AI Context Linter?

There are no plans or tiers. The whole action is free to use in your own GitHub workflows.

Which files does AI Context Linter check?

It detects CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, AGENTS.md, COPILOT.md, .windsurfrules and .clinerules, or any glob pattern you pass with the files input.

Does AI Context Linter have an API or integrations?

It is a GitHub Action with a config file and two outputs, issues-found and files-checked, which later workflow steps can read.

Is AI Context Linter open source?

Yes. The README states the license is MIT and the code is on GitHub.

What are alternatives to AI Context Linter?

Alternatives include general linters like markdownlint, secret scanners such as Gitleaks, and manual review of your agent instruction files. On Debuly, compare agent-top, ContextStream and Graft (now Trail-code).

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

SourceTypeAccessed
github.com/MrDwarf7/ai-context-linterofficial

Image credits

  • Logo: none collected yet, so a monogram is shown.
  • Cover: none collected yet, so a generated tile is shown.

Spot an error? Report an issue with this listing. We also remove a logo or image on the owner's request.