---
title: Give Pantaray standing instructions
description: Write instructions in AGENTS.md files, for every Action or for one repository, and know which one wins.
---

Pantaray follows the instructions in `AGENTS.md` files. Write them once, such as how to run your
tests, conventions to keep, or things to leave alone, and you do not have to repeat them.

## For every Action

Create `~/.pantaray/AGENTS.md` yourself: a file named `AGENTS.md` in a folder named `.pantaray` in
your home folder. Its instructions apply to every Action.

Pantaray reads it when an Action starts and again each time you send a message, so an edit applies
from your next message.

## For a repository

In a repository, Pantaray picks up the `AGENTS.md` files from the top of the repository down to the
folder the Action is working in. You do not need to point it to them.

## When instructions disagree

- A file in a deeper folder wins over one higher up.
- A repository's file wins over `~/.pantaray/AGENTS.md`.
- What you write in your request wins over all of them.

## Good to know

- Only files named `AGENTS.md` are read. Files with other names, such as `CLAUDE.md`, are not.
- `~/.pantaray/AGENTS.md` is cut off at 32 KiB. In a repository, the files read together from the
  top down share 32 KiB in total, so a deeper file can be cut short. Keep `AGENTS.md` files short.
- A file in a folder Pantaray cannot read is ignored. See
  [Choose which folders Pantaray can use](/using/workspace).