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DOCUMENTATION AND KNOWLEDGE / Sentry

Maintaining AGENTS.md

Keeps agent instruction files short and points at existing docs instead of duplicating them.

“Creates and maintains concise AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md project instruction files. Use when asked to create AGENTS.md, update AGENTS.md, maintain agent docs, set up CLAUDE.md, document repository agent conventions, or keep coding-agent instructions minimal and reference-backed.”

01 / THE REASONING

Why this made the selection.

  • The length cap and the symlink rule are explicit, so the file cannot grow into a second README.
  • It points at existing docs instead of copying them.

02 / THE REVIEW RECORD

What we actually inspected.

Source review has boundaries.
A clear record is more useful than a “safe” badge.

Material inspected

  • skills/agents-md/SKILL.md
  • LICENSE
  • README.md

Our findings

  • The pinned skill inspects package manager, commands, and docs before writing, and it creates AGENTS.md at the repository root.
  • If a Claude entrypoint is required, CLAUDE.md is a symlink to AGENTS.md rather than a second document.
  • Writing rules require headings and bullets, repo-relative paths, and exact paths to setup, architecture, API, security, and release docs when those files exist.
  • Project-wide commands are avoided when a file-scoped command exists.
  • The workflow derives instructions from project evidence and discourages divergent duplicate files, copied policy prose and inventories of installed plugins.
  • The scope step permits nested AGENTS.md files only for subtrees with different commands or rules, and the verification step checks that referenced paths and commands exist.

Not established by this review

  • The skill was not executed inside a host agent.
  • Not executed: it was not installed or run.

The review applies to the material and revision named here. A newer upstream release can change its behavior.

03 / PUT IT TO WORK

Add a skill to your workflow.

Upstream setup instructions ↗

DOCUMENTED COMMAND

npx skills add getsentry/skills/skills/agents-md --skill agents-md

Run in your terminal to choose your AI tools, project or global scope, and installation method. This short command follows the current upstream version; the review covers the revision shown above.

Optional: install the reviewed revision

Keeps the original source and installer version where recorded, while leaving your AI tools and installation scope for you to choose.

npx skills@1.7.1 add https://github.com/getsentry/skills/tree/d18b7aa8ba878354e5c348310230e652f7690f9c/skills/agents-md --skill agents-md
  1. Choose your AI tools and project or global installation scope in Skills CLI. The review applies to the source revision shown on this page.
  2. Retain all supporting files; separately configure companion skills, runtimes and service credentials named in the definition.
  3. Review the resulting diff and use an isolated target before any migration, deployment, load test or warehouse operation.
  4. For manual installation instead, download the complete bundle from https://undominated.ai/resources/skills/getsentry-agents-md/bundle.zip and extract it into a new directory. It holds SKILL.md unchanged at revision d18b7aa8, the upstream licence and an attribution file.
  5. Place the extracted directory in your host's documented skills directory, named agents-md. Keep SKILL.md and the licence together.

Before you start

  • Repository write permission and existing commands/policies to preserve.

THE COMPLETE REVIEWED DEFINITION

Read it before you reuse it.

Original source bytes, with attribution.
Review the host-specific setup notes above.

---
name: agents-md
description: Creates and maintains concise AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md project instruction files. Use when asked to create AGENTS.md, update AGENTS.md, maintain agent docs, set up CLAUDE.md, document repository agent conventions, or keep coding-agent instructions minimal and reference-backed.
---

# Maintaining AGENTS.md

Goal: concise, actionable agent instructions. Target under 60 lines; never exceed 100.

## Workflow

1. Inspect before writing:
   - package manager: lock files and manifests
   - commands: `package.json`, `Makefile`, task runners, CI workflows
   - docs/specs/policies: `README.md`, `CONTRIBUTING.md`, `docs/`, `specs/`, `policies/`, `SECURITY.md`, `.github/`
   - conventions: current code patterns, test layout, generated files, legacy areas to avoid
2. Choose scope:
   - root `AGENTS.md`: repo-wide defaults
   - nested `AGENTS.md`: only when a subtree has different commands or rules
   - closest instruction file wins; keep narrower files shorter than root files
3. Write the smallest useful file.
4. Verify exact paths and commands exist.

## File Setup

- Create `AGENTS.md` at the repository root.
- If a Claude-compatible entrypoint is required, symlink `CLAUDE.md` to `AGENTS.md`.
- Do not maintain divergent `AGENTS.md` and `CLAUDE.md` copies.

## Default Sections

Use only sections that add non-obvious value.

````markdown
# Agent Instructions

## Package Manager
- Use **pnpm**: `pnpm install`

## Commands
| Task | Command |
|------|---------|
| Test file | `pnpm vitest run path/to/file.test.ts` |
| Lint file | `pnpm eslint path/to/file.ts` |

## External References
| Need | File |
|------|------|
| Setup | `CONTRIBUTING.md` |
| Architecture | `docs/architecture.md` |
| Security policy | `SECURITY.md` |

## Key Conventions
- Generated files: update with `pnpm generate`; do not edit by hand.

## Commit Attribution
AI commits MUST include:
```
Co-Authored-By: (the agent's name and attribution byline)
```
````

## Writing Rules

- Use headings, bullets, and tables; avoid paragraphs.
- Use repo-relative paths; avoid vague references like "see docs".
- Reference existing docs/specs/policies instead of copying them.
- List exact external files for setup, architecture, API specs, security, release, and policy docs when they exist.
- Prefer file-scoped test/lint/typecheck commands; include full builds only when no narrower command exists.
- Put commands in tables when there is more than one.
- Keep one rule per bullet.
- Keep rationale out unless it prevents a likely mistake.
- Do not restate linter, formatter, or typechecker config.
- Do not list installed skills or plugins.
- Do not include generic quality slogans.

## External Reference Rules

Good:

```markdown
## External References
| Need | File |
|------|------|
| API contract | `docs/api.md` |
| Release process | `docs/releasing.md` |
```

## Anti-Patterns

- welcome text, intros, conclusions, or pleasantries
- long prose explaining why instructions matter
- duplicated content from `README.md`, `CONTRIBUTING.md`, or policy docs
- project-wide commands when file-scoped commands are available
- nested `AGENTS.md` files that repeat root instructions

The download contains SKILL.md. Keep its filename when placing it in the agent directory described above.

By Sentry. Exact upstream source ↗ · Licence · Attribution

SHA-256 8a91ada35068f43ef7ee03e38937863bac4f407878b06f0a4f1ddb4af24bec7e

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   Copyright 2025 Functional Software, Inc. dba Sentry

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04 / FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

The source trail.

Our notes are separate from the original resource.
Check upstream before adopting a new version.

  1. Skill definition ↗Checked

    https://github.com/getsentry/skills/blob/d18b7aa8ba878354e5c348310230e652f7690f9c/skills/agents-md/SKILL.md

    Supports: Workflow and stated scope

  2. Repository licence ↗Checked

    https://github.com/getsentry/skills/blob/d18b7aa8ba878354e5c348310230e652f7690f9c/LICENSE

    Supports: Redistribution terms

  3. Install instructions ↗Checked

    https://github.com/getsentry/skills/blob/d18b7aa8ba878354e5c348310230e652f7690f9c/README.md

    Supports: Documented install path

  4. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/getsentry/skills/d18b7aa8ba878354e5c348310230e652f7690f9c/skills/agents-md/SKILL.md

    Supports: review.findings, bestFor

Evidence & Ask