Settings file

You do not need this file: codeTAC works without it. Create it only when you want to change how Structure reads your project.

The file is called codetac.structure.json and goes in your project's main folder. codeTAC never creates it on its own — except when you move a file with codetac structure --reclassify. A mistake in the file is shown on the plan and never stops it.

Example

json

{
  "version": 1,
  "ignore": ["generated/", "*.stories.tsx"],
  "layers": { "src/jobs/": "logic", "packages/db/": "data" },
  "reclassify": { "misc/seed.js": "data" },
  "services": [
    { "id": "openai", "jurisdiction": "USA" },
    {
      "id": "acme",
      "name": "Acme CRM",
      "category": "http",
      "hosts": ["api.acme.example"],
      "jurisdiction": "EU (Frankfurt)"
    }
  ],
  "env": { "platform": ["PORT", "DATABASE_URL"] },
  "smells": { "largeFileLines": 600, "off": ["unused-export"] },
  "snapshots": { "keep": 20 },
  "diff": { "keep": 50 },
  "live": { "minInterval": 1500 }
}

Each setting

Setting	What it does
`ignore`	files left out of the plan, on top of `.gitignore` (same patterns: ``, `*`, a `/` at the end for a folder)
`layers`	your own rules, pattern → block, applied before codeTAC's (the first that matches wins)
`reclassify`	one file → block; always wins
`services`	the jurisdiction of a service (where it keeps the data), or a service of your own
`env.platform`	variables set outside the `.env` files (hosting platform, CI), so they are not listed as “used but never defined”
`smells`	the limits of the structure health checks, and kinds turned off
`snapshots.keep`	how many snapshots are kept for this project (default 20; the oldest go first)
`diff.keep`	how many prompts What did my last prompt change? keeps for this project, with their files (default 50; the oldest go first); also how many Claude Code sessions the live window keeps
`live.minInterval`	in the live window, how often at most the smaller line (the newest action) changes, in milliseconds: 200 to 60000 (default 1500)

Blocks: interface, routes, logic, data, external, config, utilities, tests, unknown.

A service of your own

Give it an id, a name, a category and how to recognise it:

categories: ai, database, payments, analytics, monitoring, email, messaging, storage, auth, http;
by address: "hosts": ["api.acme.example"];
by npm SDK: "sdk": [{ "package": "@acme/sdk", "create": ["Acme"] }];
by Python SDK: "python": [{ "module": "acme_sdk", "create": ["Client"] }];
"*" means any call through the module.

About 50 services are known out of the box.

Structure health limits

Key	Default
`largeFileLines`	400
`duplicateTokens`	80
`duplicateLines`	8
`couplingFiles`	25
`couplingBlocks`	4

Turn a kind off with "off": ["unused-export"].

AI settings

The AI model is set in a different file, ~/.codetac/ai.json, in your home folder — not in the project. See Privacy and AI.

Settings file ​

Example ​

Each setting ​

A service of your own ​

Structure health limits ​

AI settings ​