01-getting-started.md

layout	default
title	Chapter 1: Getting Started
nav_order	1
parent	AGENTS.md Tutorial

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Welcome to Chapter 1: Getting Started. In this part of AGENTS.md Tutorial: Open Standard for Coding-Agent Guidance in Repositories, you will build an intuitive mental model first, then move into concrete implementation details and practical production tradeoffs.

This chapter gets your first AGENTS.md in place with immediate practical value.

Learning Goals

• create a minimal AGENTS.md scaffold
• document dev/test/PR expectations clearly
• avoid vague or contradictory instructions
• validate that agent behavior improves in practice

Fast Start Pattern

• add AGENTS.md at repository root
• include dev environment, test, and PR guidance first
• keep instructions concrete and executable

Source References

• AGENTS.md README
• Sample AGENTS.md File

Summary

You now have a usable AGENTS.md baseline.

Next: Chapter 2: Section Design and Instruction Quality

Depth Expansion Playbook

Source Code Walkthrough

components/ExampleListSection.tsx

The ExampleCard function in components/ExampleListSection.tsx handles a key part of this chapter's functionality:

    <div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 md:grid-cols-3 lg:grid-cols-4 gap-4">
      {REPOS.map((repo, key) => (
        <ExampleCard
          key={repo.name}
          repo={repo}
          avatars={contributorsByRepo[repo.name]?.avatars ?? []}
          hideOnSmall={key > 3}
          hideOnMedium={key > 2}
          totalContributors={
            contributorsByRepo[repo.name]?.total ??
            contributorsByRepo[repo.name]?.avatars.length ??
            0
          }
        />
      ))}
    </div>
    <div className="flex justify-center mt-6">
      <a
        href="https://github.com/search?q=path%3AAGENTS.md+NOT+is%3Afork+NOT+is%3Aarchived&type=code"
        className="text-base font-medium underline hover:no-underline"
      >
        View 60k+ examples on GitHub
      </a>
    </div>
  </>
);

const ExampleListSection = ({
  contributorsByRepo = {},
  standalone = false,
}: ExampleListSectionProps) => {
  if (standalone) {

This function is important because it defines how AGENTS.md Tutorial: Open Standard for Coding-Agent Guidance in Repositories implements the patterns covered in this chapter.

components/ExampleListSection.tsx

The RepoCardProps interface in components/ExampleListSection.tsx handles a key part of this chapter's functionality:

};

interface RepoCardProps {
  /** e.g. "openai/codex" */
  name: string;
  /** Short 1-2 line summary */
  description: string;
  /** Primary language */
  language: string;
}

/** Hard-coded examples used for the marketing page. */
const REPOS: RepoCardProps[] = [
  {
    name: "openai/codex",
    description: "General-purpose CLI tooling for AI coding agents.",
    language: "Rust",
  },
  {
    name: "apache/airflow",
    description:
      "Platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows.",
    language: "Python",
  },
  {
    name: "temporalio/sdk-java",
    description:
      "Java SDK for Temporal, workflow orchestration defined in code.",
    language: "Java",
  },
  {
    name: "PlutoLang/Pluto",

This interface is important because it defines how AGENTS.md Tutorial: Open Standard for Coding-Agent Guidance in Repositories implements the patterns covered in this chapter.

components/ExampleListSection.tsx

The ExampleListSectionProps interface in components/ExampleListSection.tsx handles a key part of this chapter's functionality:

];

interface ExampleListSectionProps {
  contributorsByRepo?: Record<string, { avatars: string[]; total: number }>;
  standalone?: boolean; // if false wraps with its own section
}

const InnerGrid = ({
  contributorsByRepo = {},
}: {
  contributorsByRepo: Record<string, { avatars: string[]; total: number }>;
}) => (
  <>
    <div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 md:grid-cols-3 lg:grid-cols-4 gap-4">
      {REPOS.map((repo, key) => (
        <ExampleCard
          key={repo.name}
          repo={repo}
          avatars={contributorsByRepo[repo.name]?.avatars ?? []}
          hideOnSmall={key > 3}
          hideOnMedium={key > 2}
          totalContributors={
            contributorsByRepo[repo.name]?.total ??
            contributorsByRepo[repo.name]?.avatars.length ??
            0
          }
        />
      ))}
    </div>
    <div className="flex justify-center mt-6">
      <a
        href="https://github.com/search?q=path%3AAGENTS.md+NOT+is%3Afork+NOT+is%3Aarchived&type=code"

This interface is important because it defines how AGENTS.md Tutorial: Open Standard for Coding-Agent Guidance in Repositories implements the patterns covered in this chapter.

How These Components Connect

flowchart TD
    A[ExampleCard]
    B[RepoCardProps]
    C[ExampleListSectionProps]
    A --> B
    B --> C

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