How-To Series · Episode 16 / 59 · Module 3: Make It Yours

Hermes · AGENTS.md

One file in each project folder. Hermes reads it automatically and follows what it says.

After this videoYou can now give each project its own context.

Drop an AGENTS.md in your project root. Hermes auto-loads it into the system prompt at session start, so the agent knows your stack, conventions, and gotchas before you type a word. Subdirectory AGENTS.md files get progressively discovered as the agent navigates into frontend/, backend/, etc. — no system prompt bloat. The one rule: SOUL.md is identity. AGENTS.md is instructions. Don't mix them.

About these resources. Two docs pages contributed facts: the Context Files page (AGENTS.md discovery, progressive subdirectory loading, example content, the priority system) and the Personality & SOUL.md page (the SOUL-vs-AGENTS distinction).

Sources · What this video distills

2 docs pages · every claim below is traceable to one of them
Primary · AGENTS.md discovery, progressive subdirectory loading, example content, priority system
Context Files
Read ↗
The SOUL-vs-AGENTS distinction (SOUL is identity, slot #1, global · AGENTS is instructions, per-project)
Personality & SOUL.md
Read ↗

Commands shown · Copy and paste

each shows the source doc it came from
Create or edit project AGENTS.mdfrom Context Files ↗
$EDITOR ./AGENTS.md
Subdirectory rule file (frontend)from Context Files ↗
$EDITOR ./frontend/AGENTS.md
Subdirectory rule file (backend)from Context Files ↗
$EDITOR ./backend/AGENTS.md

Going deeper · Related Hermes docs

further reading · not sources of facts shown above

Next in the series · Episodes that build on this

E13
SOUL.md · Give It a Personality
E14
It Remembers You (Memory)
E15
Drop Files In With @