agent-context-engineering

AGENTS.md files provide AI agents with project context, goals, structure, and key commands to improve code generation accuracy. They act as living documentation that captures codebase exploration learnings and guides agents through modular rules and memory files.

Progressive disclosure in agent guidance is a modular documentation pattern using a .docs directory and an index file. It structures agent context so AI agents receive incremental, relevant information rather than a single overwhelming document.

Maintaining living documentation for AI agents requires updating AGENTS.md and modular context files after major codebase exploration or refactoring. This practice captures new learnings and keeps agent knowledge current with the evolving project structure.

An AGENTS.md file for AI coding agents should include project context, goals, structure, key commands, and a concise .docs index. This structured content provides the foundational context agents need to navigate and contribute to the codebase.

You should refactor agent-focused documentation after major codebase exploration or when creating, editing any agent context files. This ensures the living documentation accurately captures new structural learnings and maintains modular guidance for AI agents.

Agent context engineering requires no external dependencies or frameworks. It uses standard markdown files like AGENTS.md and a .docs directory structure to provide modular guidance for AI agents without additional setup.