AGENTS.md

Put AGENTS.md at the root of a repository to keep setup, architecture, and conventions with the code. In a local desktop session started from that folder, Indent loads the first 16 KiB at session start. In a cloud session, the file is available in the cloned repository but is not loaded automatically, so ask Indent to read it before starting work.

What belongs here

Use AGENTS.md for guidance that applies across most tasks in the repository — the kind of thing you’d tell a new teammate on their first day:

• Setup and key commands — how to install dependencies, run the development server, run tests.
• Architecture — how the codebase is organized, what the major modules are, where to find things.
• Conventions — naming patterns, file structure rules, import ordering, error handling style.
• Testing expectations — what kinds of tests are expected for different types of changes.
• Deployment and rollout — how releases work, what environments exist, any gates or constraints.

Example

# AGENTS.md

## Setup

- `pnpm install` to install dependencies
- `pnpm dev` to start the development server on port 3000
- `pnpm test` to run the test suite (Jest)

## Architecture

- `src/api/` — Express route handlers, one file per resource
- `src/services/` — business logic, no direct database access
- `src/db/` — Prisma schema and migrations
- `src/workers/` — background job processors (BullMQ)

## Conventions

- Use named exports, not default exports
- Error responses use `src/lib/errors.ts` helpers, never raw status codes
- All new API endpoints need an integration test in `tests/api/`

## Testing

- Unit tests live next to the file they test (`foo.test.ts`)
- Integration tests go in `tests/api/` and run against a real Postgres instance
- Run `pnpm test:integration` separately — these require Docker

## Deployment

- Main branch auto-deploys to staging
- Production deploys go through the `release` branch and require a passing CI check
- Database migrations run automatically on deploy — never run them manually

AGENTS.md, memory, and skills

AGENTS.md, memory, and skills all give Indent context that persists, but each fits a different kind of guidance.

• AGENTS.md holds repository facts that stay true across most tasks. You write it and commit it to the repository, so it is versioned and reviewed in pull requests. Local desktop sessions load the first 16 KiB from the selected folder automatically; in cloud sessions, ask Indent to read the file. Use it for setup, architecture, conventions, testing, and deployment.
• Memory holds durable context Indent learns as it works. Memories can apply to a person, organization, repository or integration, or automation. Use them for preferences, cross-repository conventions, resource-specific facts, and details you teach Indent in passing.
• Skills hold a specific, repeatable procedure that’s too narrow for AGENTS.md. You commit a skill to the repository, and Indent pulls it in only when a task matches. Use it for a workflow like deploying one service or triaging a class of incident.