--mk3-34de5a81572349729f12cca66eae3aff
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hello Hippos,

I analysed 100 of GitHub=E2=80=99s most-starred repos with a root AGENTS.md=
, totalling
11.4 million stars, and found 784 explicit =E2=80=9Cdon=E2=80=99t=E2=80=9D =
rules.

At first glance, some of the instructions seem strange.

A few real ones:

* Don=E2=80=99t write a novel.

* Don=E2=80=99t claim a timed-out test passed.

* Never use bun test directly.

Most of the files aren=E2=80=99t plain rulebooks. The biggest repos use the=
m as
operating manuals: where the code lives, how to test it, what a PR should
contain, and where agents must not improvise.

The surprise was tone, strange instructions, conformity, and subtle diverge=
nces.

Ultimately, I distilled the recurring patterns into a copy-paste AGENTS.md
template and an 8-point scorecard for your own repo.

Don't forget to make it yours. That's still important.

Give it a read below

Copy the distilled Agents md template
https://track.pstmrk.it/3ts/www.coldtea.ai%2Fblog%2Fagents-md-field-study/T=
TeI/oIfHAQ/AQ/98b9cde3-4f3d-4816-9009-7e10b8d0af8f/1/PIqeipUC3l

Have a great weekend ahead,

Ohans E.
Unsubscribe: https://subscriptions.pstmrk.it/unsubscribe?m=3D1.ZYsGIlvVKxV5=
0Qsvs4D3NA.reQi_es0p1XGHzKKHqs6R9SibiNiATSyrQg8Bd01QJDcD12zIhgQkfYlwJOyoSRJ=
PE8zXuEeVuSG8DU8FgAdlQwccoj3jI3n9KcOb34QCvfmQgCvZ5joVPRRNV8Lhq8sT-3IRENXl7z=
C_PRGLBRsk1MsIeQmcvmhQNq3t0jy_1PjlZzN9fTCOinQp5DNLxJyHwz8gGXLNg6bV-S20zC_xN=
BZi346O4KLzUUK_DxItxppZgdhb-2AuIGudNNn1pP8fIueU6LML5Fmr5R9K1ULlxT8jXy5lytIJ=
poXcboe1ZEOWo2zOrIBd1y37B5HXocEMQeqBTKvuBGM7HDCUgh6n9FC_9mbVP9xKBLMV92ybVyI=
tRb97NWBsDBcWxNVBYOZ9SvMqDBJxe1LsJgYGWn31m-5a7KNEMbMkJOuWQ9O73OMb8sPaoWhS86=
jaUIoYS7exA3o0fJxz1Mv2eqaK4jkOw

--mk3-34de5a81572349729f12cca66eae3aff
Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.=
w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html dir=3D"ltr" lang=3D"en"=
style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><head>
<meta content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUTF-8" http-equiv=3D"Content-Type=
">
<style>@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; font-style: normal; font-weig=
ht: 400 }</style>
</head>

<body style=3D"background-color: #FFFFFF; color: #333333; margin: 0; padd=
ing: 10px; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<table align=3D"left" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cel=
lspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"max-width: 600px; min-width: =
300px; min-height: 20px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border-radius: 10px; pa=
dding: 10px; width: 100%; margin-right: auto; font-family: "Arial&quot=
;, sans-serif;">
<tbody style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<tr style=3D"width: 100%; font-family: "Arial", sans-seri=
f;">
<td style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
text-align: left; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoot=
hing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">Hello Hippos,=
</p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
text-align: left; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoot=
hing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">I analysed 10=
0 of GitHub=E2=80=99s most-starred repos with a root AGENTS.md, <b style=3D=
"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">totalling 11.4 million stars<=
/b>, and found <b style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">784=
</b> explicit =E2=80=9Cdon=E2=80=99t=E2=80=9D rules.</p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
text-align: left; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoot=
hing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">At first glan=
ce, some of the instructions seem strange.</p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><br style=3D"font-family: &qu=
ot;Arial", sans-serif;"></p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
text-align: left; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoot=
hing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">A few real on=
es:</p>
<ul style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<li style=3D"-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-fo=
nt-smoothing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16p=
x 0; text-align: left; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-s=
moothing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">Don=E2=80=
=99t write a novel.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<li style=3D"-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-fo=
nt-smoothing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16p=
x 0; text-align: left; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-s=
moothing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">Don=E2=80=
=99t claim a timed-out test passed.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<li style=3D"-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-fo=
nt-smoothing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16p=
x 0; text-align: left; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-s=
moothing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">Never use=
bun test directly.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style=3D"font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><br style=3D"font-family: &qu=
ot;Arial", sans-serif;"></p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
text-align: left; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoot=
hing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">Most of the f=
iles aren=E2=80=99t plain rulebooks. The biggest repos use them as operatin=
g manuals: where the code lives, how to test it, what a PR should contain, =
and where agents must not improvise.</p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale; f=
ont-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">The surprise was tone, strange =
instructions, conformity, and subtle divergences.</p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><br style=3D"font-family: &qu=
ot;Arial", sans-serif;"></p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale; f=
ont-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">Ultimately, I distilled the rec=
urring patterns into a copy-paste AGENTS.md template and an 8-point scoreca=
rd for your own repo.</p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale; f=
ont-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">Don't forget to make it yours. =
That's still important.</p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale; f=
ont-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">Give it a read below</p>
<table align=3D"center" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=
=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"max-width: 100%; fo=
nt-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<tbody style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<tr style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<td style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"=
>
<a href=3D"https://track.pstmrk.it/3s/www.coldtea.ai%2F=
blog%2Fagents-md-field-study/TTeI/oIfHAQ/AQ/98b9cde3-4f3d-4816-9009-7e10b8d=
0af8f/1/PIqeipUC3l" style=3D"line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none; disp=
lay: block; max-width: 100%; background-color: #000000; border-radius: 9999=
px; padding: 10px 50px; margin: 0; text-align: center; color: #25262B; font=
-family: "Arial", sans-serif;" target=3D"_blank"><span style=3D"f=
ont-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"></span><span style=3D"max-width: 100%; display: inline-block; line=
-height: 120%; mso-padding-alt: 0px; mso-text-raise: 7.5px; font-family: &q=
uot;Arial", sans-serif;"><b style=3D"font-family: "Arial", s=
ans-serif;"><span style=3D"color: #FFFFFF; font-size: inherit; font-family:=
"Arial", sans-serif;">Copy the distilled Agents md template</spa=
n></b></span><span style=3D"font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><!=
--[if mso]><i style=3D"letter-spacing: 50px;mso-font-width:-100%" hidden>&n=
bsp;</i><![endif]--></span></a><table align=3D"center" width=3D"100%" borde=
r=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"=
font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">
<tbody style=3D"width: 100%; font-family: "Arial=
", sans-serif;">
<tr style=3D"width: 100%; font-family: "Arial&=
quot;, sans-serif;"></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style=3D"font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><br style=3D"font-family: &qu=
ot;Arial", sans-serif;"></p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><br style=3D"font-family: &qu=
ot;Arial", sans-serif;"></p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
text-align: left; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoot=
hing: grayscale; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><i style=3D"f=
ont-family: "Arial", sans-serif;">Have a great weekend ahead,</i>=
</p>
<p style=3D"font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 16px 0;=
-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale; f=
ont-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><i style=3D"font-family: "=
Arial", sans-serif;">Ohans E.</i></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
=20

<p style=3D"text-align:center;margin:1em 0 3em;"><a href=3D"https://subscri=
ptions.pstmrk.it/unsubscribe?m=3D1.ZYsGIlvVKxV50Qsvs4D3NA.reQi_es0p1XGHzKKH=
qs6R9SibiNiATSyrQg8Bd01QJDcD12zIhgQkfYlwJOyoSRJPE8zXuEeVuSG8DU8FgAdlQwccoj3=
jI3n9KcOb34QCvfmQgCvZ5joVPRRNV8Lhq8sT-3IRENXl7zC_PRGLBRsk1MsIeQmcvmhQNq3t0j=
y_1PjlZzN9fTCOinQp5DNLxJyHwz8gGXLNg6bV-S20zC_xNBZi346O4KLzUUK_DxItxppZgdhb-=
2AuIGudNNn1pP8fIueU6LML5Fmr5R9K1ULlxT8jXy5lytIJpoXcboe1ZEOWo2zOrIBd1y37B5HX=
ocEMQeqBTKvuBGM7HDCUgh6n9FC_9mbVP9xKBLMV92ybVyItRb97NWBsDBcWxNVBYOZ9SvMqDBJ=
xe1LsJgYGWn31m-5a7KNEMbMkJOuWQ9O73OMb8sPaoWhS86jaUIoYS7exA3o0fJxz1Mv2eqaK4j=
kOw" style=3D"color:#A8AAAF;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-siz=
e:12px;">Unsubscribe</a></p><img src=3D"https://ea.pstmrk.it/open?m=3Dv3_1.=
O7gndb9nocd3MYTGQzqHaQ.W7s_bFO-Dl7_znlOs2ymlhlghJD1UFCb9kDeeYcc3dFeeU8cwa7D=
hz_8nPZqXmmmArcmLp5FnLQshliXG_WHVA30zuad2BkClZmKpk7v4LGkgDMYb6DwiUPxBzTfhI_=
GxKNMrdk-3PgLEPMU4_VnBtD6hN-uh8N48naPQl-900Mk-jQ9Li-UhMvOsHqZelyfqxv2O_Z9Nm=
2hEW1_kSfnNadPOVhb2a8RGX5FSIqPtzT5H-nvR_j2ZwgfScB9FUyaktbx0_wfbFVtesGdAuzFu=
6m6XK4umLB0_u_VBzJQgtSJSyLAqHUOzYMwos3PDd6siy_Ue4MPdpUCuxG7R6IEWKs-vPv_x_IR=
pyKnvVHUx4iHmRCZw5x7TqvFAjDRABPaD2HObhOxZin3ITpCxLANenuL2X8RnlZ5yr_nKF4kGXR=
Dgl6nakoLiHhNSgZyCCi45Y8y--UGiV3ERnwgJLQ6yf39Ks7B7cfWuqTdTffVdknXlYoJGI9fgr=
-PWYENh6kiK__ItY9aEwwc4mWQluDWcnXi6SBnouizS6PkETMeOjE0W4vF_adX0xHltxT1z5cjB=
SelA-SZIQisUK-4ymbV7NsiOXa5JTTYs4LU35WIjGTsNRhkn7IMhPLVXNPNGpXMn4NjljpPYATR=
I6RJ8IVdQA" width=3D"1" height=3D"1" border=3D"0" alt=3D"" /></body></html>

--mk3-34de5a81572349729f12cca66eae3aff--