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Cascading Context

The cascading context file pattern applies the same concept as cascading stylesheets: global defaults, project-level overrides, and subdirectory-level specializations. More specific files take precedence over more general ones.

This pattern was described in the original article as a feature of the single-file approach. It has since become the de facto standard for organizing context across multiple projects and workspaces.

Precedence

# AGENTS.md at each level (the standard convention)
project/AGENTS.md                        # Project: stack, structure, architecture
  └── project/src/api/AGENTS.md          # Subdirectory: specialized rules

# Claude Code adds a global user-level file
~/.claude/CLAUDE.md                      # Global: user preferences, environment, defaults
  └── project/AGENTS.md                  # Project (symlink CLAUDE.md -> AGENTS.md)
        └── project/src/api/AGENTS.md    # Subdirectory

More specific files override more general ones. If the global file says "2-space indentation" but a project file says "4-space indentation," the project file wins for that project.

What Goes Where

Global (Claude Code: ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md)

Things that are true across all your projects:

  • Editor and environment preferences (macOS, VS Code, terminal)
  • Language and framework defaults (TypeScript, ES modules)
  • Code style defaults (indentation, import style, naming)
  • Error handling philosophy
  • Commit message format
  • Communication preferences (concise, no emojis, no meta-commentary)

See global-example-agents.md for a working example.

Project (repo root AGENTS.md)

Things that are true for this specific project:

  • What the project does and who it's for
  • Tech stack and project structure
  • Build, test, and deploy commands
  • Architecture decisions
  • Project-specific boundaries and "Do NOT" rules
  • References to context directory if using one

See project-example-agents.md for a working example.

Subdirectory (e.g., src/api/AGENTS.md)

Things that are true only within this part of the codebase:

  • Specialized coding patterns for this layer (API conventions, component patterns)
  • Testing expectations specific to this area
  • Dependencies or conventions that don't apply elsewhere
  • Overrides to project-level rules when this area has different needs

See subdirectory-example-agents.md for a working example.

A note on filenames in this directory. The example files here are named to describe what each level represents. In your actual project, these would all be named AGENTS.md (or symlinked from CLAUDE.md for Claude Code) at their respective locations. Cascading behavior comes from file placement, not file naming.

When to Use Each Level

Level Update frequency Owned by Examples
Global Rarely Individual developer "I use TypeScript, 2-space indentation, ES modules"
Project When architecture changes Tech lead / team "This is a Next.js app, here's the structure"
Subdirectory When patterns diverge Area owner "API handlers follow this pattern"

Common Mistakes

Too much in global. Your global file should be lightweight -- preferences and defaults. If it's describing architecture or business context, that belongs at the project level.

Contradictions without intent. If your global says "always use TypeScript" but a project uses Python, that's fine -- the project file overrides. But document the override explicitly rather than hoping precedence handles it silently.

Subdirectory files that duplicate the project file. Only create subdirectory context when that area genuinely has different rules. If src/api/AGENTS.md just repeats the project-level coding standards, delete it.