prpm / rules

---
description: Creating agents.md files with plain markdown format (NO frontmatter) - use when creating agents.md packages for PRPM or generating project context files
globs: []
alwaysApply: false
---

# Creating agents.md Files

Quick reference for creating agents.md files - plain markdown project context for AI coding assistants.

**Schema**: https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/main/packages/converters/schemas/agents-md.schema.json

## Format Rules

| Requirement | Value |
|------------|-------|
| Format | Plain markdown only |
| Frontmatter | **None** (forbidden) |
| Structure | Free-form |
| File | `agents.md` in project root |

## Critical Requirements

1. **No frontmatter**: Pure markdown only (no YAML)
2. **Single file**: Typically `agents.md` in project root
3. **Plain markdown**: Standard markdown syntax
4. **Free-form content**: No required structure

## What to Include

**High Priority:**
- Project overview and purpose
- Architecture decisions and patterns
- Tech stack and dependencies
- File structure and organization
- Coding conventions
- Development workflow
- Testing approach
- Domain knowledge and business logic

**Skip:**
- General programming best practices
- Language syntax explanations
- Framework basics
- Obvious code quality rules

## Example: Full Stack App

```markdown
# TaskMaster Development Guide

## Project Overview

TaskMaster is a task management application for remote teams with real-time collaboration and offline-first architecture.

## Architecture

### Frontend
- React 18 with TypeScript
- Vite for build tooling
- Zustand for state management
- Tailwind CSS for styling

### Backend
- Node.js with Express
- PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM
- WebSocket for real-time features
- Redis for caching and pub/sub

## Coding Conventions

- Use TypeScript strict mode
- Functional components with hooks (no class components)
- Colocate tests with source files (*.test.tsx)
- Use Zod for runtime validation

## File Structure

\`\`\`
src/
  components/     # Reusable UI components
  features/       # Feature-based modules
  hooks/          # Custom React hooks
  lib/            # Utility functions
  pages/          # Route pages
\`\`\`

## Development Workflow

1. Create feature branch from `main`
2. Write tests first (TDD)
3. Implement feature
4. Run `pnpm test` and `pnpm lint`
5. Create PR with description

## Testing

- Vitest for unit tests
- Playwright for E2E tests
- 80% coverage target
- Mock external dependencies
```

## Example: API Project

```markdown
# Payment Gateway API

RESTful API for payment processing with multiple payment providers.

## Tech Stack

- Node.js 20.x
- Express
- PostgreSQL 15
- Stripe and PayPal integrations

## API Design

All endpoints follow REST:
- `GET /api/payments` - List payments
- `POST /api/payments` - Create payment
- `PUT /api/payments/:id` - Update payment

## Error Format

\`\`\`json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "PAYMENT_FAILED",
    "message": "Payment could not be processed"
  }
}
\`\`\`

## Security

- JWT authentication required
- Rate limiting: 100 req/min per IP
- Input validation with Zod
- PCI DSS compliance

## Database Conventions

- snake_case for table/column names
- UUIDs for primary keys
- Foreign keys: `{table}_id` pattern
```

## Writing Style

**Good - Concise:**
```markdown
## Testing
- Vitest for unit tests
- Playwright for E2E
- 80% coverage target
- Mock external dependencies
```

**Bad - Verbose:**
```markdown
## Testing
When you are writing tests, it's important to understand that we use Vitest
for our unit tests because it's fast and modern. For end-to-end testing...
```

## Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Adding YAML frontmatter | No frontmatter - plain markdown only |
| Generic best practices | Focus on project-specific patterns |
| Verbose explanations | Be concise - AI knows general concepts |
| Language tutorials | Skip basics, focus on conventions |

## File Placement

Single project:
```
project-root/
  agents.md
  src/
  package.json
```

Monorepo (multiple files possible):
```
monorepo/
  packages/
    frontend/agents.md
    backend/agents.md
```

## Best Practices

1. **Be concise**: Focus on project-specific info (AI knows general practices)
2. **Keep updated**: Review as project evolves
3. **Real examples**: Show actual code patterns
4. **Plain markdown**: No YAML frontmatter
5. **Human-readable**: For both AI and humans
6. **Project-specific**: Avoid generic advice

## Migration from Other Formats

1. **Strip frontmatter** - Remove all YAML headers
2. **Focus content** - Keep only markdown
3. **Combine files** - Merge multiple rules into one
4. **Simplify** - Remove format-specific features
5. **Plain markdown** - Standard syntax only

## References

- **Official Spec**: https://github.com/openai/agents.md
- **Schema**: `/Users/khaliqgant/Projects/prpm/app/packages/converters/schemas/agents-md.schema.json`
- **Docs**: `/Users/khaliqgant/Projects/prpm/app/packages/converters/docs/agents-md.md`