Route and scope
Tell the assistant which work belongs in Brownfield, Greenfield, or Config/Infrastructure flow.
AGENTS.md preview
Give AI coding agents durable repository rules before they edit code.
Use this preview to understand what repository instructions should cover. The implementation-ready AGENTS.md starter is included in the AIDLC Team Starter Kit.
What to include
Repository instructions for AIDLC Studio workflows
A useful AGENTS.md file should make the assistant respect route selection, scope, verification, and human review before a candidate change is accepted.
Safety boundaries
Name what the assistant may do, what requires approval, and what must stay out of context.
Review evidence
Require checks, review notes, open decisions, and human acceptance before release.
Need the implementation-ready AGENTS.md starter?
The full repository instruction starter is part of the AIDLC Team Starter Kit.
Avoid smells
Keep agent instructions useful
Avoid context bloat
Keep durable rules in AGENTS.md and task-specific context in the prompt or issue. Do not turn the file into a second wiki.
Avoid conflicting rules
Make one rule source authoritative for tests, style, security, and release gates.
Avoid hidden approvals
Say exactly when the agent must stop and ask before changing dependencies, infrastructure, secrets, or production behavior.
FAQ
AGENTS.md questions
What is AGENTS.md?
AGENTS.md is a repository instruction file for AI coding agents. It gives persistent rules for how the agent should work in the project.
Is AGENTS.md the same as CLAUDE.md?
No. CLAUDE.md is specific to Claude Code. AGENTS.md is commonly used as a model-agnostic instruction file for coding agents such as Codex and other assistants.
Where should I put AGENTS.md?
Put it at the repository root unless your tool expects a different location. Keep team-wide rules in the root file and avoid duplicating conflicting instructions deeper in the repo.
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