---

name: run-rails description: "Run configured NeMo Guardrails through Python APIs, CLI chat and servers, OpenAI-compatible endpoints, streaming, state and thread handling, and LangChain integrations." disable-model-invocation: true metadata: disco-role: operating license: NOASSERTION

run-rails

Use this sub-skill when a guardrails configuration already exists and you need to run it, serve it, stream it, or integrate it into LangChain or LangGraph.

Route here for

• Python runtime choice: Guardrails, LLMRails, IORails, generate, check, stream_async, generate_events, process_events.
• CLI usage: nemoguardrails chat, server, actions-server, convert.
• HTTP usage: /v1/chat/completions, /v1/checks, /v1/rails/configs, /v1/models, /v1/health, /v1/challenges.
• LangChain and LangGraph wrapping, tool-call handling, and framework selection.
• Local no-provider smoke checks before live provider or server deployment work.

Route away

• Config authoring, rail catalog design, prompts, Colang, custom actions, or provider registration -> ../configure-rails/SKILL.md
• Eval, tracing, metrics, telemetry, or reporting -> ../evaluate-and-observe/SKILL.md
• Source checkout edits, tests, pre-commit, docs authoring, or PR policy -> ../repo-development/SKILL.md
• Install, import, or CLI discovery only -> ../setup-and-basics/SKILL.md

Important runtime rules

• Guardrails tries IORails first when the config and arguments are compatible, then falls back to LLMRails unless require_iorails=True.
• LLMRails is the direct Colang runtime. Use it when you need process_events_async, generate_events, or explicit state control.
• IORails is stateless, Colang 1.0 only, and supports only the narrow input/output/tool rail set it can serve.
• The top-level LLMRails import can be aliased to the wrapper when NEMO_GUARDRAILS_IORAILS_ENGINE is set; if behavior looks unexpected, check that compatibility mode first.

Working order

1. Read references/python-api.md for engine selection, method signatures, message/state shapes, and return shapes.
2. Read references/cli-and-server.md for CLI flags, endpoint contracts, and HTTP guardrails fields.
3. Read references/integrations.md for RunnableRails, LangGraph, and tool-call patterns.
4. Run scripts/deterministic_chat_smoke.py for a no-provider local chat/stream check.
5. Run scripts/server_schema_smoke.py for schema normalization plus health/config discovery.
6. Use references/troubleshooting.md when a request fails or a runtime restriction appears.

Safe bundled helpers

• python scripts/deterministic_chat_smoke.py
• python scripts/deterministic_chat_smoke.py --json
• python scripts/server_schema_smoke.py
• python scripts/server_schema_smoke.py --json

These helpers use only bundled deterministic checks and public package APIs. They do not call live providers or depend on the source checkout.