What is AGENTS.md? Proposed by OpenAI | List of standardized AI agents | Codex, Cursor, VSCode, RooCode, Gemini, Kilo Code, Android Studio, GitHub Copilot, and more [Updated as of 2025]

Introduction

In recent years, various AI coding agents , such as Claude, Cursor, Gemini in Android Studio, and Devin, have been incorporated into developer workflows. However, each tool requires its own configuration files (e.g., CLAUDE.md and ), which can lead to inefficiencies in having to write similar content in multiple files ...cursor/rules

This is what emerged as a solution AGENTS.md.

OpenAI is the driving force behind the proposal

AGENTS.md AGENTS.md The format was proposed and released primarily by OpenAI . The official website is run by OpenAI, and it is released under the MIT License .

Official website:

• AGENTS.md
  https://agents.md/
• GitHub repository
  license: MIT License
  https://github.com/openai/agents.md

What is AGENTS.md?AGENTS.mdとは？

AGENTS.md is a unified format that outlines the rules and procedures that AI coding agents need to understand and operate correctly on a project .

It may be easier to understand if you think of README.md as a README for humans, while AGENTS.md is a README for AI .

Examples of what will be included

• Environment setup procedure (installation of dependencies, setup of tools)
• How to run the test (e.g., npm test, pytest.)
• Code style and lint rules
• Build and deployment procedures
• PR/Commit Terms

This allows the agent to understand “what to do with this project” just by reading the file.

Why is it necessary?

Standardization of multi-agent support

Previously, there was a proliferation of different tools, such as CLAUDE.md(for Claude), .cursor/rules(for Cursor), and GEMINI.md(for Gemini). By consolidating them into AGENTS.md, it is now possible to have a common reference across all agents . Codex, Cursor, VSCode, RooCode, Gemini, Kilo Code, Android Studio, GitHub Copilot, and open source tools are being introduced one after another.

Improved maintainability

Having rules and procedures in one place reduces the effort required to update documentation and streamlines collaboration across teams and AI agents.

Automation-friendly

As automation of CI/CD and LLM agents progresses, a workflow that reads the rules in AGENTS.md and automatically executes tasks will become possible.

List of major AI agents (corresponding to AGENTS.md)

Android Studio (Gemini)

• AGENTS.mdOfficially supported on Narwhal 4 Feature Drop Canary 4 and later
• Android Developers: Customize Gemini using AGENTS.md files
  https://developer.android.com/studio/gemini/agent-files

Open Source Project

• It’s already reported to be in use in over 20,000 GitHub repositories .AGENTS.md
• InfoQ: AGENTS.md adoption
  https://www.infoq.com/news/2025/08/agents-md/

Differences with CLAUDE.md and use in combination (as of September 19, 2025)

Anthropic’s ClaudeCLAUDE.md reads dedicated filesCLAUDE.md .
Currently, AGENTS.mdthere is no official information that Claude fully supports, so if you use Claude, it is recommended that you use both .

• Claude only →CLAUDE.md CLAUDE.md
• Supports multiple agents → AGENTS.md Based on this, with Claude as CLAUDE.md an auxiliary agent

Sample: AGENTS.md template

# Sample AGENTS.md file

## Dev environment tips
- Use `pnpm dlx turbo run where <project_name>` to jump to a package instead of scanning with `ls`.
- Run `pnpm install --filter <project_name>` to add the package to your workspace so Vite, ESLint, and TypeScript can see it.
- Use `pnpm create vite@latest <project_name> -- --template react-ts` to spin up a new React + Vite package with TypeScript checks ready.
- Check the name field inside each package's package.json to confirm the right name—skip the top-level one.

## Testing instructions
- Find the CI plan in the .github/workflows folder.
- Run `pnpm turbo run test --filter <project_name>` to run every check defined for that package.
- From the package root you can just call `pnpm test`. The commit should pass all tests before you merge.
- To focus on one step, add the Vitest pattern: `pnpm vitest run -t "<test name>"`.
- Fix any test or type errors until the whole suite is green.
- After moving files or changing imports, run `pnpm lint --filter <project_name>` to be sure ESLint and TypeScript rules still pass.
- Add or update tests for the code you change, even if nobody asked.

## PR instructions
- Title format: [<project_name>] <Title>
- Always run `pnpm lint` and `pnpm test` before committing.

Source: https://github.com/openai/agents.md

Summary

• AGENTS.md AGENTS.md README for AI Agent
• Officially supported by Android Studio (Gemini), Devin, etc.
• It is expected to become popular as an alternative to CLAUDE.md Haya in the future...cursor/rules
• CLAUDE.mdCLAUDE.md is not officially supported at this time, so CLAUDE.mdfiles should be used in conjunction with

If your project uses AI agents AGENTS.md, having them ready will ensure smooth future updates.