Over the past year every major AI player has slipped a rules or memory file into its workflow.
Key similarities
- Format: Plain-text
- Location: Usually root directory
- Semantics: At their core the files carry “always-obey” instructions—style guides, security constraints, onboarding blurbs—plus a thin layer of optional metadata.
- Runtime use: The ingestion path is straightforward: the tool reads the file, chunks it to stay under token limits, and prepends the text to each prompt.
Key differences (the ones that actually matter)
- File-discovery rules
- Single file vs directory bundle
- Metadata schema
- Scope controls
Practical advice
Treat “standards” as interfaces, not treaties. Keep experimenting, but converge on a minimal front-matter block—name, scope, version, enabled—that any tool can ignore or honor. The body stays free-form Markdown. When the ecosystem naturally coalesces around a few patterns, formalize the rest. Until then, thin adapters beat thick bureaucracies.
Over the past year every major AI player has slipped a rules or memory file into its workflow.
Key similarities
Key differences (the ones that actually matter) Practical adviceTreat “standards” as interfaces, not treaties. Keep experimenting, but converge on a minimal front-matter block—name, scope, version, enabled—that any tool can ignore or honor. The body stays free-form Markdown. When the ecosystem naturally coalesces around a few patterns, formalize the rest. Until then, thin adapters beat thick bureaucracies.
Full article: https://aiagentsexplained.substack.com/p/agent-rule-files-ye...