Agent Surface

Make your product agent-ready

Context Files

AGENTS.md as the baseline, plus optional tool-specific overlays that define agent boundaries and conventions

Last verified 2026-09-25

Summary

Context Files are repository and editor instructions for coding agents working inside a codebase. Use them to document commands, boundaries, architecture cues, package , and tool-specific overlays.

  • Owns: AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, Cursor rules, Copilot instructions, nested monorepo context, and drift detection.
  • Does not own: public web discovery files like llms.txt, robots.txt, or ; see Discovery.
  • Agent-ready means: agents can start safely, run the right commands, follow local conventions, and know when to ask before risky work.

Start Here

  1. AGENTS.md - Create the cross-tool baseline. Most repos need nothing else.
  2. CLAUDE.md - Optional overlay, only when Claude Code needs instructions no other tool should see.
  3. Cursor and Copilot - Scope editor-specific rules without duplicating the baseline.
  4. Monorepos - Use nested files where package ownership differs.
  5. Drift Detection - Keep commands and paths current.
  6. Anti-Patterns - Avoid generated sludge, stale commands, and context sprawl.
  1. Discovery - Public agent-readable web files and crawl policy.
  2. CLI Design - Command behavior that context files should reference.
  3. Scoring Framework - How context files are evaluated in audits.
  4. Testing - Verify documented commands and workflows stay true.

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