AGENTS.md Generator

What Is AGENTS.md?

AGENTS.md is a markdown file placed in your project root that provides instructions to AI coding assistants. It tells AI tools how to work with your codebase — coding conventions, architectural decisions, testing requirements, and workflow preferences. Unlike Cursor-specific rules, AGENTS.md is designed to be portable across multiple AI tools including Cursor, Codex, GitHub Copilot, and Windsurf.

Why Use AGENTS.md?

A well-crafted AGENTS.md file eliminates repetitive prompting. Instead of explaining your project conventions in every AI session, encode them once in AGENTS.md and let the AI reference them automatically. This is especially valuable for teams — everyone gets consistent AI behavior without manual coordination.

AGENTS.md vs. Cursor Rules

While Cursor rules (.cursor/rules/) are Cursor-specific, AGENTS.md works across multiple tools. Many projects use both: AGENTS.md for portable, high-level instructions and Cursor rules for Cursor-specific behaviors like per-file glob matching.

What to Include in AGENTS.md

• Project overview and tech stack
• Coding conventions and style guides
• Architecture patterns and design decisions
• Testing framework and expectations
• Build and deployment instructions
• File naming and directory structure conventions
• External dependencies and API documentation references

Example AGENTS.md Structure

A useful AGENTS.md file gives AI tools the same context a new contributor would need before changing code:

# AGENTS.md

## Project Overview
This repository is a Next.js application using TypeScript and Tailwind CSS.

## Commands
- npm run lint
- npm run test
- npm run build

## Coding Rules
- Prefer Server Components unless client interactivity is required.
- Keep shared UI in components/.
- Use named exports for reusable utilities.

## Testing
- Add tests for business logic and generated output.
- Run lint and build before proposing large changes.

When AGENTS.md Works Best

• Open-source repositories where contributors use different AI coding tools.
• Small projects that do not need per-directory Cursor rules yet.
• Teams that want one readable source of truth for AI coding behavior.
• Repos that already have Project Rules but need a tool-agnostic overview.

Related Tools

Generate complete rule sets with the Cursor Rules Generator. Learn about the project rules format or browse templates for pre-built configurations. Also check out the .cursorrules generator for the legacy format.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should AGENTS.md live?

Place AGENTS.md in the project root so AI coding assistants can discover the repository-level instructions.

Is AGENTS.md a replacement for Cursor Project Rules?

Not always. AGENTS.md is ideal for portable high-level guidance, while Cursor Project Rules are better for file-specific behavior with globs and frontmatter.

What should an AGENTS.md generator include?

It should include project context, tech stack, commands, coding conventions, testing expectations, review rules, and boundaries for safe changes.