Rules files that tell coding agents how to work, including workflow, commit style and personality. Supported by most tools except Claude Code, which uses CLAUDE.md.
Open Markdown format for giving coding agents project instructions, like a README for agents.
Updated EU status checked Last shown
AGENTS.md at a glance
- What is AGENTS.md?
- AGENTS.md is a library. Open Markdown format for giving coding agents project instructions, like a README for agents.
- Does AGENTS.md work in the EU?
- Available in the EU. It is an open, vendor-neutral Markdown file convention with no accounts, services or geographic restrictions, so it can be used anywhere, including the EU/EEA. Last verified 14 Nov 2026.
- How much does AGENTS.md cost?
- Open source, open source. Free open format; no pricing.
- Where was AGENTS.md shown?
- In 1 creator video by Matthew Berman. Most recently by Matthew Berman on 18 Jun 2026, at 1:55 in “I figured out the best way to vibe code”.
Sources: the vendor's own pages (linked above) and creator videos at the linked timestamps. EU status is information, not legal advice; see how we check.
AGENTS.md is a plain Markdown file convention for giving AI coding agents project-specific context: build steps, test commands, code style and PR conventions. It sits alongside README.md, which stays aimed at human contributors. The format has no required fields, and a repository can use nested AGENTS.md files for subprojects in a monorepo.
The format came out of collaboration between OpenAI Codex, Amp, Jules from Google, Cursor and Factory. The site says it is used by over 60k open-source projects and is now stewarded by the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation. Typical sections are project overview, build and test commands, code style, testing instructions and security considerations.
It is read by a growing set of coding agents and tools. Some tools need configuration to pick it up, for example read: AGENTS.md in Aider's .aider.conf.yml or a context.fileName setting in Gemini CLI. According to a YouTube creator, Claude Code uses CLAUDE.md instead, so projects often symlink or rename files for compatibility. The site suggests ln -s AGENTS.md AGENT.md for migrating older files. It is a file convention, not software, and how an agent follows the instructions depends on the agent.
- Plain Markdown file with no required fields
- Complements README.md with agent-specific build, test and style guidance
- Nested AGENTS.md files for monorepo subprojects
- Works across many coding agents, such as Codex, Cursor, Jules, Amp, Factory, Aider and Gemini CLI
- Vendor-neutral, stewarded by the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation
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