AI Coding Dictionary

    Section 6 — Memory and Steering

    AGENTS.md

    A file in the environment that the harness loads into the context window at session start — the project's standing brief to the agent. Crossharness convention.

    Matt Pocock
    Matt Pocock

    A file in the environment that the harness loads into the context window at session start — the project's standing brief to the agent. Cross-harness convention.

    Avoid: using AGENTS.md for content that should be progressively disclosed — anything in it pays a token cost every turn.

    Usage:

    "Why is every session starting with 4k tokens already burned?"

    "Check AGENTS.md — someone pasted the entire style guide in there instead of putting it behind a skill."

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