# Organizing AI Agent Context Files

**URL:** <https://forum.codeselfstudy.com/t/organizing-ai-agent-context-files/3120>\
**Category:** AI and Coding\
**Created:** [January 10, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://forum.codeselfstudy.com/t/organizing-ai-agent-context-files/3120 "2026-01-10T21:42:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Josh](https://forum.codeselfstudy.com/user_avatar/forum.codeselfstudy.com/josh/32/4_2.png) [@Josh](https://forum.codeselfstudy.com/u/Josh)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://forum.codeselfstudy.com/t/organizing-ai-agent-context-files/3120/1 "2026-01-10T21:42:10Z")

</div>

It seems like every AI CLI tool creates its own context/instructions file with the `/init` command:

- Codex creates `AGENTS.md`
- Gemini CLI creates `GEMINI.md`
- Claude Code creates `CLAUDE.md`

I didn’t want to duplicate the instructions, so I’ve created one `AGENTS.md` file.

For Gemini CLI, I create `.gemini/settings.json` and point it at `AGENTS.md` ([docs](https://geminicli.com/docs/cli/gemini-md/#customize-the-context-file-name)):

```json
{
  "context": {
    "fileName": ["AGENTS.md"]
  }
}

```

Then I put this in `CLAUDE.md`:

```md
# CLAUDE.md

This repository's canonical agent instructions are in AGENTS.md.

Before doing any work, read AGENTS.md and follow it as the source of truth.

```

I’m wondering if anyone has other ways of managing it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wrightmikea](https://forum.codeselfstudy.com/user_avatar/forum.codeselfstudy.com/wrightmikea/32/5225_2.png) [@wrightmikea](https://forum.codeselfstudy.com/u/wrightmikea)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 8:38am UTC](https://forum.codeselfstudy.com/t/organizing-ai-agent-context-files/3120/2 "2026-01-12T08:38:38Z")

</div>

I switch between agents, so I actually prefer that each agent has its own markdown file. You can always ask any agent to read all the docs (granted this burns context). I have my own ./docs/agent\_instructions.md file and whichever agent’s root markdown file is used, I ask that it point to (and follow) my docs, too.