A fast CLI to manage local-only context files using Git’s .git/info/exclude.
layer keeps your personal AI context (Claude instructions, Cursor rules, Aider configs, project notes) out of git without touching .gitignore.
If you use AI coding tools, you accumulate context files like CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, .aider.conf.yml, and custom markdown docs per project. These are personal to your workflow — teammates don't need them, and they shouldn't clutter the repo's .gitignore.
Git already has a mechanism for this: .git/info/exclude. But managing it manually (finding the file, editing it, remembering the syntax) is tedious. layer automates the entire workflow.
Since .git/info/exclude is local to each clone, it disappears if you delete the repo and re-clone. layer backup saves your entries to ~/.layer-backups/, and layer restore brings them back in seconds.
layer treats local context as a layer on top of your repository:
- Repo layer — tracked files
- Local layer — personal context hidden via
.git/info/exclude
This keeps personal AI context separate from the project itself.
cargo install git-layer# Discover and layer local AI context files
layer scan
# Or add files directly
layer add CLAUDE.md .claude/ .cursorrules
# Check your dashboard
layer status| Command | Description |
|---|---|
layer add [files...] |
Add files or patterns to your local layer (interactive picker if no args) |
layer rm [files...] |
Remove layered entries (interactive if no args) |
layer ls |
List all layered entries with status |
layer scan |
Auto-detect context files and layer them |
layer status |
Dashboard — layered, exposed, and discovered files |
layer off [files...] |
Temporarily disable entries (files become visible to git) |
layer on [files...] |
Re-enable disabled entries |
Editors like VS Code, Claude Code, and Cursor use git's exclude rules to filter their file indexes. Once a file is layered, it disappears from autocomplete, file pickers, and @-mentions — so you can't easily reference CLAUDE.md or CUSTOM_INSTRUCTIONS.md when prompting an AI agent to read or edit them.
layer off comments out your managed entries so editors see the files again. When you're done, layer on re-enables layering before you stage and commit.
layer off # disable all — files reappear in editor autocomplete
layer off CLAUDE.md # disable a specific entry
layer on # re-enable all before committingBoth commands support --dry-run to preview changes.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
layer doctor |
Health check — finds exposed, stale, and redundant entries |
layer why <file> |
Explain why a file is or isn't ignored by git |
layer why <file> -v |
Same, with git ignore precedence explanation |
layer patterns |
List all auto-detected file patterns |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
layer clean |
Remove stale entries (files that no longer exist) |
layer clean --all |
Also clean stale entries you added manually to the exclude file |
layer clean --dry-run |
Preview what would be removed |
layer clear |
Remove all layered entries (with confirmation) |
layer edit |
Open .git/info/exclude in your $EDITOR |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
layer backup |
Snapshot current layered entries to ~/.layer-backups/ |
layer restore |
Restore from a backup (interactive) |
layer restore --list |
List available backups |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
layer global add <files...> |
Add entries to ~/.config/git/ignore (applies to all repos) |
layer global ls |
List all global gitignore entries (managed + external) |
layer global rm [files...] |
Remove global gitignore entries (interactive if no args) |
layer uses consistent terms across all commands:
- Layered — file is in
.git/info/excludeand hidden from git - Exposed — file is excluded but still tracked by git (needs
git rm --cached) - Discovered — known context file found on disk that isn't layered yet
- Stale — layered entry that no longer matches any file on disk
layer scan and layer status automatically detect these files:
| Tool | Files |
|---|---|
| Claude Code | CLAUDE.md, .claude/, .claude.json, Agents.md |
| OpenAI Codex | AGENTS.md |
| Cursor / PearAI | .cursorrules, .cursor/, .cursorignore, .pearai/ |
| Windsurf | .windsurfrules, .windsurf/ |
| Aider | .aider*, .aider.conf.yml, .aiderignore |
| Cline / Roo Code | .clinerules, .cline/, .roocodes/, .roocoderules |
| GitHub Copilot | .github/copilot-instructions.md, .github/copilot-custom-instructions.md |
| Continue / Void | .continue/, .void/ |
| Generic AI Context | agents.md, AI.md, AI_CONTEXT.md, CONTEXT.md, INSTRUCTIONS.md, PROMPT.md, SYSTEM.md |
You can always add any file manually with layer add <file>.
Git checks ignore rules in this order:
.git/info/exclude— local to this clone, never shared (this is what layer manages).gitignore— tracked and shared with the team~/.config/git/ignore— global, applies to all repos
A file must be untracked for any ignore rule to take effect. If a file is already tracked, layering it will mark it as "exposed" and tell you exactly how to fix it.
cargo check
cargo test
cargo clippy
cargo build --release- Tree picker for
layer add— interactive mode now shows a collapsible tree instead of a flat list. Directories are collapsed by default; use←/→to expand/collapse at any nesting depth. - Nested directory grouping — sub-directories are independently expandable. Single-file directories are promoted to the parent level.
- Exposed file details —
layer statusandlayer lsnow show which specific files are tracked inside a directory entry. layer off/layer on— temporarily disable/enable managed entries so editors can see layered files in autocomplete.
MIT