A numbered precedence order
Nested instruction files
Three instruction sources are ranked in the opening lines: explicit human instructions, then the nearest nested AGENTS.md, then this file. The conflict case is answered before any rule is given.
AGENTS.md directory
GitButler
Git client backed by Tauri, Rust and Svelte.
42 lines that open with the precedence order between instruction sources.
Documents it routes to
This file points the agent at 3 other documents in the repository. Open any of them to read it here, as it was at this commit.
├── apps │ └── lite │ └── ├── crates │ └── └── AGENTS.md — the nearest nested AGENTS.md
By the numbers
- 42
- Lines
- 268
- Words
- about 1 min read
- 1.7kB
- File size
- 4
- Headings
- 17
- Bullet rules
- 0
- Code blocks
- 0
- Links to other docs
- 21.7k
- Repo stars
File measured on master at commit 924a018. Analysis written 2026-09-14. Star count is a snapshot from September 2026.
What kind of file this is
A repo map, a working-style list and two pointers to nested instruction files. Second shortest in the directory.
Techniques in this file
Quoted lines are verbatim from the file. Open one to see it where it sits.
Questions treated as read-only
Behavioral framing
A question about the codebase does not imply permission to change it. The default is stated in one line at the top of the working style section.
Reproduce before adding machinery
A behavior bug is to be reproduced in a failing test first, and the existing loops and classifications in the target file surveyed as candidate homes for the fix. The tests, rather than the diagnosis, are named as what sets how much implementation the fix needs.
Propose a new mechanism before building it
A fix requiring a new module, a new public API, or a parallel walk where one already exists is to be proposed in shape before implementation.
A cross-surface completion check
Before shared behavior is called done, each applicable surface is checked and either updated or explicitly determined to be unaffected. Six surfaces and docs are named.
Takeaways for your own repo
- If you have nested instruction files, state the precedence order in the first paragraph.
- State that a question is a question. Agents otherwise read "why does this happen" as "fix this".
- List the surfaces that shared behavior has to reach, and require each to be checked or ruled out by name.
How the file is organized
- 01Precedence
- 02Repo Map
- 03Working Style
- 04Scoped Instructions
Context your AGENTS.md cannot carry
GitButler's file tells an agent how the codebase works. It cannot tell it which bug three customers hit this week. Modem keeps that context current and attaches it to the work.