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Claude Code now reads AGENTS.md if there is no Claude.md

Claude Code now reads AGENTS.md if there is no Claude.md

datadrivenangel

Comments (182)

  • stillpointlab
    I recently had Claude Fable set up a new project for me and I pointed it at some existing projects to use as a guide on how I like to structure things. It created, unprompted, an AGENTS.md file and a CLAUDE.md symlink to AGENTS.mdI didn't even have that symlink in any other project - it just did it. I think it saw that one of the projects I already had was set up by Codex and that project had an AGENTS.md so perhaps it inferred that I was using both Claude and Codex, so it was politely covering both? Or maybe a recent change made this behavior default?I was surprised and I hope they continue to seek standards.
  • clutter55561
    Don’t get too excited, Claude code still won’t detect skills on .agents/skills.
  • rukuu001
    Once I asked, puckishly, Claude Code to “follow the instructions in this directory” when there was only an AGENTS.md there.In the manner of someone finding a dead mouse and holding it up for examination CC said it could find no instructions but perhaps it should check this AGENTS.md file.
  • chr15m
    This is simply the obvious, non-stupid thing to do, like Apple switching to USB-C.
  • throwaw12
    Remember they didn't do this because they wanted to help community, they did it because community was angry and they were losing users to other harnesses.Doesn't look like Anthropic care about dev community
  • budoso
    This just be a recession indicator
  • jtbaker
    LOL https://thenewstack.io/shopify-claude-code-agentsmd/> “I’m thinking about banning Claude Code at Shopify until they change their mind and read AGENTS.md and .agents/skills etc.,” Lütke posted Tuesday on X.
  • TomGarden
    Caught myself about to praise this, but it's the absolute bare minimum.Time to delete the symlinks
  • sscaryterry
    Still can't read what their models vomit at me.
  • aroman
    Finally, I can delete `sync-agent-docs.sh`, which recursively symlinked AGENTS.md to GEMINI.md and CLAUDE.md...
  • cjonas
    Meanwhile, I just setup codex for the first time (to try Astra) and it offered to load my Claude and Cursor conversations and claims to even do it in a way where it says in sync if you use both. The only reason to use Claude Code is the 20x usage of the 200$ plan is ridiculous value if you have the need for that volume.
  • anon
    undefined
  • mitchitized
    Claude also checks your settings.json first, and if it sees a default there it then prefers that over anything in CLAUDE.md. This is particularly nefarious as they ship logic to presume a default if a setting is not there in settings.json, even if there are instructions in CLAUDE.md for exactly that.For instance, say you added "do not add 'Made with Claude Code' in any issues, pull requests or wiki entries" in your CLAUDE.md. So far, so good.Well the latest update now looks for something in your settings.json. Since you don't know about it, it is not set. Claude then says "not explicitly set, so now it is true by default". It completely ignores your CLAUDE.md.Wait, what?You shouldn't be shipping logic that arbitrarily redefines the behavior of the program, especially if your new logic actually ignores your own configuration or directives.
  • bcorigliano
    Finalllyyyy!! We need industry wide standards. I come from the 3d industry and oh god changing softwares and adapting to different hotkeys it's a pain. I have always thought every industry should be standardized for the sake of the users.
  • marcelo-earth
    Oh, finally! Time to delete symlinksThat said, AGENTS.md doesn't seem like a good name, right?, technically, it's an instructions file read by a single agent, not necessarily for agents, so it always struck me as a bit oddBut until the next standardization, keeping just AGENTS.md is the best approach.
  • getnormality
    I gotta hand it to programmers (or whatever we call ourselves now) for sticking to principle on something this trivial.It was either this or Claude had to become a generic term like sheetrock.
  • seaal
    The madlads finally did it, now if only I could use my Claude sub in other harnesses without risking getting banned.
  • askonomm
    Finally doing something standards-compliant instead of forcing users into a proprietary workflow.
  • dinga
    My claude.md:# CLAUDE.mdThis project uses `AGENTS.md` as its agent instruction file (kept provider-agnostic). Treat any `AGENTS.md` file exactly as you would a `CLAUDE.md` file — at the root level and in any subdirectory you are working in.@AGENTS.md
  • winwang
    Gotta say, it is hilarious that this is the current top HN post. I feel like it's gotta say something about our current AI zeitgeist, that there is such vigorous attention on a seemingly-minor change. Feels like something is on the tip of my tongue but I can't name it at the moment.If anyone wants to write/link a much better-thought-out post, I'm all ears!
  • orlp
    I wonder when they'll finally fix the VS Code plugin to not constantly dump your current file into the context.
  • laluneodyssee
    Just to touch on the wording of "in a project with no CLAUDE.md" does that mean user-level ~/AGENTS.md or ~/.agents/AGENTS.md isnt supported?
  • osr00
    Better late than never... Now it's time for Claude Code to load skills from .agents/skills!
  • neverrroot
    Thanks guys, you did the right thing.
  • mrkpdl
    Wild that it didn’t already do this
  • mococa
    This is not a news to celebrate, they must follow standards
  • anukin
    Thank you Tobi Lutke.
  • Bluestein
    AGENTS.md is the new autoexec.bat.-
  • datadrivenangel
    This allows us to remove our one line Claude.md files that just say "AGENTS.MD"
  • jampekka
    Commoditization commoditizes commodities.
  • zaps
    Thank Christ
  • getpokedagain
    Wow..... Progress and technical innovation right here!!!
  • anon
    undefined
  • csomar
    Before anyone even contemplates if Anthropic has any good intentions, remember, this is how petty and small minded they are.Truly the last people you want with this kind of power.
  • egorfine
    Hell froze over?
  • orliesaurus
    finally! Now this might sound sorta off-topic but i really wonder how people feel about skills.md, skill.md, skills.sh domains...the fact that they're owned by different companies (ok vercel is a little less random) still leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth when thinking about the fact that they should all point to 1 place about how to create and find skills for ai agents?!
  • vindex10
    First feature to borrow after peaking into openai repos? ))
  • bakugo
    Forcing their own proprietary filename was clearly a business decision (it's free advertising, along with commit co-authorship). I wonder what made them go back on it.
  • skeptic_ai
    I just wiped all agents and it’s always readme.md
  • aussieguy1234
    So far I've been managing this with a symlink.Same with skills, symlink to skills at .claude/skills
  • Art9681
    Great. Now if they could support the `~/.agents/skills` path next like everyone else does that would be even better.
  • moecables
    great, one less step for me.I was using my claude.md file as a pointer to my agents.md file
  • SrslyJosh
    Truly incredible innovation.
  • uptownhr
    didn't it always read it?
  • anon
    undefined
  • cmrdporcupine
    Only took them a year and a half of everyone complaining to finally do the right thing.Congrats.
  • Havoc
    Sanity prevails
  • a3w
    Can it read copilot.md if neither of the other files are present? Also: agents should be the standard, or we need to invoke the XKCD for "one more standard to rule them all"?
  • hbarka
    Great, now I have to redo my scaffold harness. I guess this agent.md awareness is part of the system prompt?
  • davidkunz
    Great, now please standardize the skills folder and the MCP config.
  • armcat
    About time!
  • yieldcrv
    Hi, September 2026, meet September 2025
  • Madmallard
    Still don't understand the point of the markdown files.Isn't it literally all just more text you're adding to the prompt. How can you even be sure it isn't just clouding context with nonsense for whatever you're asking for?
  • kislakiruben
    why did it take so long?
  • anon
    undefined
  • blueaquilae
    Forced to do something for the users...
  • alansaber
    Ah yes, the peak of technology.
  • krferriter
    Now do skills
  • rvz
    A reminder that needs to be said: Don't use a closed-source harness.Why? This is why. [0][0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49750694
  • kevinbaiv
    [flagged]
  • 075326899532
    [dead]
  • lightbendover
    [dead]
  • core_stream
    [dead]
  • huflungdung
    [dead]
  • nunodonato
    yay! /sWhy are people still putting up with this kind of attitude, especially when there are so many good alternatives available?
  • aydb
    [flagged]