AGENTS.md for beginners: the rules file that keeps your AI calm

Short answer: AGENTS.md is a plain Markdown file in the top folder of your project that tells AI coding agents how to behave: go slow, explain things, make one change at a time, never expose secrets. It's an open convention read by many tools, including Cursor, OpenAI Codex and GitHub Copilot's agent. Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md instead, so make a CLAUDE.md whose first line is @AGENTS.md to share the same rules.

Where does it go?

Copy-paste starter AGENTS.md

# Rules for AI helpers on this project

I'm a beginner. Please:
- Explain what you're about to do in plain English before changing code.
- Make one small change at a time, then tell me how to test it.
- Never delete files or large chunks of code without asking me first.
- Never put API keys, passwords or secrets in the code. Use environment variables and tell me where to set them.
- If something fails twice, stop and suggest a simpler approach instead of trying again.
- After each working change, remind me to make a save point (git commit).

Prompt: have the AI write one for you

Please create an AGENTS.md file for this project. I'm a complete beginner. Include rules that make you go slowly, explain changes in plain English, make one change at a time, protect secrets, and stop and rethink if a fix fails twice. Also tell me which other file my tool needs (like CLAUDE.md) and what to put in it.

SI's chill tips

• Keep it short. A clear list of 10 rules beats a 5-page essay.
• Update it whenever the AI does something you don't like: "Add a rule so that never happens again."
• The full Hey SI Starter Pack includes a complete beginner AGENTS.md template.