AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Life Cycle)

AI-DLC is an intelligent software development workflow that adapts to your needs, maintains quality standards, and keeps you in control of the process. For learning more about AI-DLC Methodology, read this blog and the Method Definition Paper referred in it.

Tenets

These are our core principles to guide our decision making.

No duplication. The source of truth lives in one place. If we add support for new tools or formats that require specific files, we generate them from the source rather than maintaining separate copies.
Methodology first. AI-DLC is fundamentally a methodology, not a tool. Users shouldn't need to install anything to get started. That said, we're open to convenience tooling (scripts, CLIs) down the road if it helps users adopt or extend the methodology.
Reproducible. Rules should be clear enough that different models produce similar outcomes. We know models behave differently, but the methodology should minimize variance through explicit guidance.
Agnostic. The methodology works with any IDE, agent, or model. We don't tie ourselves to specific tools or vendors.
Human in the loop. Critical decisions require explicit user confirmation. The agent proposes, the human approves.

Prerequisites

Have one of our supported platforms/tools for Assisted AI Coding installed:

Platform	Installation Link
Kiro	Install
Kiro CLI	Install
Amazon Q Developer IDE Plugin	Install
Cursor IDE	Install
Cline VS Code Extension	Install
Claude Code CLI	Install
GitHub Copilot	Install + Chat

Get the AIDLC

From Packaged Zip

Download the latest release zip (e.g., ai-dlc-rules-v1.0.0.zip) from the Releases page to a folder outside your project directory (e.g., ~/Downloads).
Extract the zip. It contains an aidlc-rules/ folder with two subdirectories:
- aws-aidlc-rules/ — the core AI-DLC workflow rules
- aws-aidlc-rule-details/ — supporting documents referenced by the rules
Note the path to the extracted aidlc-rules/ folder — you'll need it in the platform-specific setup commands below.

Tip: Download the release artifact (named ai-dlc-rules-vX.X.X.zip), not the auto-generated "Source code" archive. The release artifact contains aidlc-rules/ directly, while the source archive wraps everything in an extra directory.

Clone from Repository

Step 1: Clone this Repository

git clone <this-repo>

Step 2: Create a New Project Folder

Unix/Linux/macOS:

mkdir <my-project>
cd <my-project>

Windows PowerShell:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Name "<my-project>"
Set-Location "<my-project>"

Windows CMD:

mkdir <my-project>
cd <my-project>

Step 3: Follow Platform-Specific Setup

Choose your platform below and follow the setup instructions.

ZIP users: The commands below use ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules (Unix) and ..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules (Windows) as the source path, which assumes the clone layout. If you downloaded the ZIP, replace that path with the location of your extracted aidlc-rules folder (e.g., ~/Downloads/aidlc-rules or %USERPROFILE%\Downloads\aidlc-rules).

Amazon Q Developer IDE Plugin/Extension

AI-DLC uses Amazon Q Rules to implement its intelligent workflow.

Unix/Linux/macOS:

mkdir -p .amazonq/rules 
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules .amazonq/rules/ 
mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".amazonq\rules"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules" ".amazonq\rules\" -Recurse
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD:

mkdir .amazonq\rules
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules" ".amazonq\rules\" /E /I
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Verify Setup:

In the Amazon Q Chat window, locate the Rules button in the lower right corner
Verify that you see entries for .amazonq/rules/aws-aidlc-rules in the displayed list

Directory Structure:

<my-project>/
├── .amazonq/
│   └── rules/
│       └── aws-aidlc-rules/
│           └── core-workflow.md
└── .aidlc-rule-details/
    ├── common/
    ├── inception/
    ├── construction/
    └── operations/

Kiro CLI (formerly Amazon Q CLI)

AI-DLC uses Kiro Steering Files to implement its intelligent workflow.

Unix/Linux/macOS:

mkdir -p .kiro/steering
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules .kiro/steering/
mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".kiro\steering"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules" ".kiro\steering\" -Recurse
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD:

mkdir .kiro\steering
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules" ".kiro\steering\" /E /I
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Verify Setup:

Start Kiro CLI: kiro-cli
Check your context contents: /context show
Verify that you see all entries for .kiro/steering/aws-aidlc-rules

Directory Structure:

<my-project>/
├── .kiro/
│   └── steering/
│       └── aws-aidlc-rules/
│           └── core-workflow.md
└── .aidlc-rule-details/
    ├── common/
    ├── inception/
    ├── construction/
    └── operations/

Cursor IDE

AI-DLC uses Cursor Rules to implement its intelligent workflow.

Option 1: Project Rules (Recommended)

Unix/Linux/macOS:

# Create .cursor/rules directory
mkdir -p .cursor/rules

# Create .mdc file with frontmatter and workflow content
cat > .cursor/rules/ai-dlc-workflow.mdc << 'EOF'
---
description: "AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Life Cycle) adaptive workflow for software development"
alwaysApply: true
---

EOF
cat ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md >> .cursor/rules/ai-dlc-workflow.mdc

# Copy rule details to .aidlc-rule-details (loaded on-demand by the workflow)
mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell:

# Create .cursor/rules directory
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".cursor\rules"

# Create frontmatter and write to .mdc file
$frontmatter = @"
---
description: "AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Life Cycle) adaptive workflow for software development"
alwaysApply: true
---

"@
$frontmatter | Out-File -FilePath ".cursor\rules\ai-dlc-workflow.mdc" -Encoding utf8

# Append core workflow content to .mdc file
Get-Content "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" | Add-Content ".cursor\rules\ai-dlc-workflow.mdc"

# Copy rule details to .aidlc-rule-details (loaded on-demand by the workflow)
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD:

REM Create .cursor/rules directory
mkdir .cursor\rules

REM Create frontmatter in .mdc file
(
echo ---
echo description: "AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Life Cycle) adaptive workflow for software development"
echo alwaysApply: true
echo ---
echo.
) > .cursor\rules\ai-dlc-workflow.mdc

REM Append core workflow content to .mdc file
type "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" >> .cursor\rules\ai-dlc-workflow.mdc

REM Copy rule details to .aidlc-rule-details (loaded on-demand by the workflow)
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Option 2: AGENTS.md (Simple Alternative)

Unix/Linux/macOS:

cp ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md ./AGENTS.md
mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell:

Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".\AGENTS.md"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD:

copy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".\AGENTS.md"
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Verify Setup:

Open Cursor Settings → Rules, Commands
Under Project Rules, you should see ai-dlc-workflow listed
For AGENTS.md, it will be automatically detected and applied

Directory Structure (Option 1):

<my-project>/
├── .cursor/
│   └── rules/
│       └── ai-dlc-workflow.mdc
└── .aidlc-rule-details/
    ├── common/
    ├── inception/
    ├── construction/
    └── operations/

Cline

AI-DLC uses Cline Rules to implement its intelligent workflow.

Option 1: .clinerules Directory (Recommended)

Unix/Linux/macOS:

mkdir -p .clinerules
cp ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md .clinerules/
mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".clinerules"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".clinerules\"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD:

mkdir .clinerules
copy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".clinerules\"
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Option 2: AGENTS.md (Alternative)

Unix/Linux/macOS:

cp ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md ./AGENTS.md
mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell:

Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".\AGENTS.md"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD:

copy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".\AGENTS.md"
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Verify Setup:

In Cline's chat interface, look for the Rules popover under the chat input field
Verify that core-workflow.md is listed and active
You can toggle the rule file on/off as needed

Directory Structure (Option 1):

<my-project>/
├── .clinerules/
│   └── core-workflow.md
└── .aidlc-rule-details/
    ├── common/
    ├── inception/
    ├── construction/
    └── operations/

Claude Code

AI-DLC uses Claude Code's project memory file (CLAUDE.md) to implement its intelligent workflow.

Option 1: Project Root (Recommended)

Unix/Linux/macOS:

cp ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md ./CLAUDE.md
mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell:

Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".\CLAUDE.md"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD:

copy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".\CLAUDE.md"
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Option 2: .claude Directory

Unix/Linux/macOS:

mkdir -p .claude
cp ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md .claude/CLAUDE.md
mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".claude"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".claude\CLAUDE.md"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD:

mkdir .claude
copy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".claude\CLAUDE.md"
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Verify Setup:

Start Claude Code in your project directory (CLI: claude or VS Code extension)
Use the /config command to view current configuration
Ask Claude: "What instructions are currently active in this project?"

Directory Structure (Option 1):

<my-project>/
├── CLAUDE.md
└── .aidlc-rule-details/
    ├── common/
    ├── inception/
    ├── construction/
    └── operations/

GitHub Copilot

AI-DLC uses project context files and Copilot's Chat capabilities to implement its intelligent workflow.

Option 1: .copilot Directory (Recommended)

Unix/Linux/macOS:

mkdir -p .copilot
cp ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md .copilot/instructions.md
mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".copilot"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".copilot\instructions.md"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD:

mkdir .copilot
copy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".copilot\instructions.md"
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Option 2: Project Root COPILOT.md

Unix/Linux/macOS:

cp ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md ./COPILOT.md
mkdir -p .aidlc-rule-details
cp -R ../aidlc-workflows/aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/* .aidlc-rule-details/

Windows PowerShell:

Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".\COPILOT.md"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".aidlc-rule-details"
Copy-Item "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details\*" ".aidlc-rule-details\" -Recurse

Windows CMD:

copy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rules\core-workflow.md" ".\COPILOT.md"
mkdir .aidlc-rule-details
xcopy "..\aidlc-workflows\aidlc-rules\aws-aidlc-rule-details" ".aidlc-rule-details\" /E /I

Verify Setup:

Open VS Code with your project folder
Open the Copilot Chat panel (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+I)
Reference the instructions by typing #file .copilot/instructions.md or #file COPILOT.md in the chat

Directory Structure (Option 1):

<my-project>/
├── .copilot/
│   └── instructions.md
└── .aidlc-rule-details/
    ├── common/
    ├── inception/
    ├── construction/
    └── operations/

Usage

Start any software development project by stating your intent starting with the phrase "Using AI-DLC, ..." in the chat
AI-DLC workflow automatically activates and guides you from there
Answer structured questions that AI-DLC asks you
Carefully review every plan that AI generates. Provide your oversight and validation
Review the execution plan to see which stages will run
Carefully review the artifacts and approve each stage to maintain control
All the artifacts will be generated in the aidlc-docs/ directory

Three-Phase Adaptive Workflow

AI-DLC follows a structured three-phase approach that adapts to your project's complexity:

🔵 INCEPTION PHASE

Determines WHAT to build and WHY

Requirements analysis and validation
User story creation (when applicable)
Application Design and creating units of work for parallel development
Risk assessment and complexity evaluation

🟢 CONSTRUCTION PHASE

Determines HOW to build it

Detailed component design
Code generation and implementation
Build configuration and testing strategies
Quality assurance and validation

🟡 OPERATIONS PHASE

Deployment and monitoring (future)

Deployment automation and infrastructure
Monitoring and observability setup
Production readiness validation

Key Features

Feature	Description
Adaptive Intelligence	Only executes stages that add value to your specific request
Context-Aware	Analyzes existing codebase and complexity requirements
Risk-Based	Complex changes get comprehensive treatment, simple changes stay efficient
Question-Driven	Structured multiple-choice questions in files, not chat
Always in Control	Review execution plans and approve each phase

Troubleshooting

General Issues

Problem	Solution
Rules not loading	Check file exists in the correct location for your platform
File encoding issues	Ensure files are UTF-8 encoded
Rules not applied in session	Start a new chat session after file changes
Rule details not loading	Verify `.aidlc-rule-details/` exists with subdirectories

Platform-Specific Issues

Amazon Q Developer / Kiro CLI

Use /context show to verify rules are loaded
Check .amazonq/rules/ or .kiro/steering/ directory structure

Cursor

For "Apply Intelligently", ensure a description is defined in frontmatter
Check Cursor Settings → Rules to ensure the rule is enabled
If rule is too large (>500 lines), split into multiple focused rules

Cline

Check the Rules popover under the chat input field
Toggle rule files on/off as needed using the popover UI

Claude Code

Use /config command to view current configuration
Ask "What instructions are currently active in this project?"

GitHub Copilot

Use #file <path> syntax to reference instruction files
For large instructions, reference specific rule detail files instead of pasting everything

File Path Issues on Windows

Use forward slashes / in file paths within markdown files
Windows paths with backslashes may not work correctly

Version Control Recommendations

Commit to repository:

# These should be version controlled
CLAUDE.md
COPILOT.md
AGENTS.md
.amazonq/rules/
.kiro/steering/
.cursor/rules/
.clinerules/
.copilot/
.aidlc-rule-details/

Optional - Add to .gitignore (if needed):

# Local-only settings
.claude/settings.local.json
.copilot/context/

Additional Resources

Resource	Link
AI-DLC Methodology Blog	AWS Blog
AI-DLC Method Definition Paper	Paper
Amazon Q Developer Documentation	Docs
Kiro CLI Documentation	Docs
Cursor Rules Documentation	Docs
Claude Code Documentation	GitHub
GitHub Copilot Documentation	Docs
Contributing Guidelines	CONTRIBUTING.md
Code of Conduct	CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md

Security

See CONTRIBUTING for more information.

License

This library is licensed under the MIT-0 License. See the LICENSE file.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 86 Commits
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
aidlc-rules		aidlc-rules
assets/images		assets/images
.gitignore		.gitignore
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
cliff.toml		cliff.toml

License

inariku/aidlc-workflows

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Latest commit

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AI-DLC (AI-Driven Development Life Cycle)

Table of Contents

Tenets

Prerequisites

Get the AIDLC

From Packaged Zip

Clone from Repository

Step 1: Clone this Repository

Step 2: Create a New Project Folder

Step 3: Follow Platform-Specific Setup

Platform-Specific Setup

Amazon Q Developer IDE Plugin/Extension

Kiro CLI (formerly Amazon Q CLI)

Cursor IDE

Option 1: Project Rules (Recommended)

Option 2: AGENTS.md (Simple Alternative)

Cline

Option 1: .clinerules Directory (Recommended)

Option 2: AGENTS.md (Alternative)

Claude Code

Option 1: Project Root (Recommended)

Option 2: .claude Directory

GitHub Copilot

Option 1: .copilot Directory (Recommended)

Option 2: Project Root COPILOT.md

Usage

Three-Phase Adaptive Workflow

🔵 INCEPTION PHASE

🟢 CONSTRUCTION PHASE

🟡 OPERATIONS PHASE

Key Features

Troubleshooting

General Issues

Platform-Specific Issues

Amazon Q Developer / Kiro CLI

Cursor

Cline

Claude Code

GitHub Copilot

File Path Issues on Windows

Version Control Recommendations

Additional Resources

Security

License

About

Resources

License

Code of conduct

Contributing

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