# AGENTS.md

Concept · [Building with AI](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/ai)

Also called: agents.md, agents md, agents dot md, CLAUDE.md, claude md, agent instructions file, rules file

A plain text file in a project that many [coding agents](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/coding-agent) read automatically at the start of every [session](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/session). It holds the project's standing [instructions](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/prompt), such as how to run it, which conventions to follow and what to avoid. Some tools use their own file name for the same idea, for example CLAUDE.md for [Claude Code](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/claude-code).

**For example:** A [founder](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/founder) adds a line to AGENTS.md saying 'ask before changing anything in billing', and every later [session](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/session) follows it.

## Connects to (12)

- [System prompt](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/system-prompt): Standing instructions that the builder of an AI product gives the model before any user types.
- [Coding agent](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/coding-agent): An AI agent that writes and changes code.
- [Repository](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/repository): The folder where a project's code lives, together with the full history of every change made to it.
- [Context pointer](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/context-pointer): A short mention in one document that tells an agent where to find more, such as 'deployment steps are in the deploy guide'.
- [Agent skills](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/agent-skills): A packaged set of instructions, sometimes with scripts, that an agent loads when a task calls for it, such as how to write a press release…
- [Progressive disclosure](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/progressive-disclosure): Giving an agent only what it needs right now, with pointers to the rest, instead of loading everything at the start.
- [Claude Code](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/claude-code): An AI coding agent made by Anthropic.
- [Startup ecosystem](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/startup-ecosystem): The people, money and organizations in one place that help new companies start and grow.
- [Filesystem](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/filesystem): The files and folders on a computer.
- [Memory system](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/memory-system): A setup that tries to give an agent memory across sessions by saving notes to files or a database and loading them back when a new session…
- [Home repo](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/home-repo): One repository that acts as your base for working with agents.
- [AX](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/ax): Agent experience: how well a project is set up for an AI agent to do good work, with a clear structure, automated checks that catch…

## Sources

- <https://agents.md/>
- <https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory>


Map view: https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/agents-md