Claude Critical Rules MCP

What optimaquantum/claude-critical-rules-mcp MCP server does

The optimaquantum/claude-critical-rules-mcp MCP server makes a set of operational rules available to Claude through the Model Context Protocol. Its primary workflow is a pre-flight compliance check before a technical task begins. The check presents 21 mandatory items covering verification, backups and permissions, execution and validation, database and security practices, and advanced workflow rules.

The rules are derived from more than 96 documented failure patterns and are intended to reduce issues such as acting without reading instructions, modifying files without confirmation, continuing after an error, or validating results without evidence. The material also describes a six-step process: ask for scope, analyze, plan, create backups, execute, validate, and document the changes.

How it works

After the server is added to an MCP client, Claude can call verify_compliance with a task description. The result contains the checklist, rule descriptions, confirmation requirements, and version information. The documented workflow expects this check to happen before any technical task, followed by reviewing relevant skill documentation when working with a specific technology or creating documents.

get_rules_summary provides a shorter reference to the rules, their categories, core principles, and the mandatory workflow. The server also exposes the critical-rules://instructions and critical-rules://changelog resources for the full rules document and update history.

The optimaquantum/claude-critical-rules-mcp MCP server stores and tracks rule versions. Update-related operations can compare the local and remote versions, consult GitHub, download a newer ruleset, verify its SHA256 hash, and save a backup before installation. update_rules accepts a force option for an explicit reinstall.

Setup and configuration

The README documents installation through the npm package @optima-quantum/claude-critical-rules-mcp-new. For Claude Desktop, add an MCP server entry using npx and the package name, then restart Claude Desktop. A global npm installation is also documented; that setup uses the claude-critical-rules-mcp command in the client configuration.

No API key, token, database, or external service credential is specified for normal operation. GitHub is used for checking and downloading rule updates. The repository identifies the project as MIT licensed.

Tools and capabilities

The optimaquantum/claude-critical-rules-mcp MCP server provides these MCP tools:

• verify_compliance: Displays the mandatory 21-point checklist for a technical task.
• get_rules_summary: Returns a concise summary of rule categories and requirements.
• get_version_info: Reports the local version and can check whether a remote update exists.
• check_for_updates: Checks GitHub for a newer rules version, including version and release information.
• update_rules: Downloads and installs the latest rules, reports SHA256 verification, and identifies the backup location.

The 21 rules include guidance to verify file and server locations, read files before editing, create timestamped backups, ask before critical changes, stop after failures, distinguish production from development, and validate work with evidence. They also include specific operational instructions such as backgrounding commands longer than 30 seconds and checking file line counts before and after edits.

Limitations and notes

The server supplies checklists, summaries, rule documents, and update operations; the provided material does not describe it as an executor for deployments, database changes, file edits, or other technical actions. Compliance still depends on Claude following the returned checklist and on the user confirming the required items.

The README describes the rules as mandatory before technical tasks, but it does not document enforcement outside the MCP interaction. It also references skill documentation that may exist separately, including a sysadmin skill file, so those skills are not bundled capabilities of this server based on the available material.