> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://goldengoose.zue.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Lead Rules

> Reusable instructions that shape how your team lead coordinates work.

Lead rules are a lightweight way to give your team lead a “house style” for how you want work done.

When you create a team (or designate a lead), gg can load lead instructions from a `lead-readme.md` file and use them as onboarding context for the lead.

## What lead rules are (and aren’t)

* They **are**: a markdown playbook for coordination (testing expectations, PR style, communication patterns, safety rules).
* They **aren’t**: a security boundary. If you want to restrict commands, use Process Manager permissions.

## Where lead rules live

gg supports two scopes:

* **Global** (applies to all workspaces):
  * `$HOME/.agents/gg/lead-readme.md`
* **Workspace** (repo-specific):
  * `<workspace>/.agents/gg/lead-readme.md`

Workspace rules let you capture repo-specific conventions without polluting your global defaults.

## What to include

Good lead instructions usually cover:

* “What does success look like?” (definition of done)
* Testing / checks you expect before declaring completion
* How to handle tool approvals (ask before running installs, etc.)
* Coding conventions (formatting, naming, commit style)
* How to communicate (short updates, when to broadcast vs DM)
* Escalation rules (when to ask a human)

## Editing lead rules

You can edit lead rules either:

* in-app (Preferences / Rules), or
* directly in the `lead-readme.md` file on disk.

## Related pages

* [Configure: Lead Instructions](/configure/lead-instructions)
* [Team Management](/how-it-works/team-management)