AGENTS.md

When a coding agent works on a repository, it often needs context a human contributor would normally get from a README, a CONTRIBUTING guide, or just tribal knowledge — how to install dependencies, which command runs the tests, what code style the project expects. AGENTS.md is a convention for putting that context in one predictable place so an agent can find it without being told each time.

It's a plain-text (usually Markdown) file read by multiple different coding agents, not a format tied to one vendor. A project maintainer writes it once, and any AGENTS.md-aware agent that works on the repo picks it up automatically, the same way many tools already look for a README.md by convention.

AGENTS.md is a convention, not an enforced standard — nothing requires a project to have one, and an agent that doesn't recognize the file just won't use it. Projects that do add one typically keep it focused: setup and run commands, testing instructions, and any code-style or workflow rules that matter for that specific codebase.

Example

# AGENTS.md

## Setup
Run `npm install` to install dependencies.

## Testing
Run `npm test` before committing. All tests must pass.

## Code style
Use 2-space indentation. Prefer named exports over default exports.

Common misconceptions

FAQ