AI Rules for Monorepo Governance and Cross-Team Consistency
How to structure AI coding rules in monorepos so standards stay consistent without blocking domain autonomy.
February 16, 2026 · 9 min read
The governance challenge
Monorepos mix shared standards with domain-specific constraints. One global AI rules file is usually too blunt.
Recommended hierarchy
- root rules: security, testing minimums, architectural boundaries
- package-level rules: framework conventions and local constraints
- team overrides: explicit and time-bounded
Enforcement model
Use CI checks for required files and static validations. Add CODEOWNERS for policy-changing files.
Exception process
Allow temporary exceptions with:
- owner
- rationale
- expiry date
This avoids policy bypass becoming permanent entropy.
Practical tip
Version your standards and include `policy_version` in rule files. During incidents, you can quickly identify repos on outdated guidance.