Directive Density

Instruction files must contain at least one directive atom — a sentence that tells the agent what to do using imperative or absolute modality. Files with only descriptive prose and no actionable directives have no behavioral effect on the agent.

Antipatterns

• Pure description like "This project uses Python and pytest for testing" with no imperatives — descriptive sentences explain context but give no actionable direction.
• Passive voice throughout like "Tests should be considered before changes are made" — passive hedging does not register as a directive to the agent.
• Only headings and structure like a file with ## Testing, ## Deployment headers but no imperative sentences underneath — headings organize content but are not directives.

Pass / Fail

Pass

# Testing
Run `uv run pytest tests/` before submitting changes.
Use `ruff` for formatting and linting.

Fail

# Testing
This project has a test suite located in the tests/ directory.
The project uses pytest as its test framework.

Limitations

Checks that the file contains directive instructions. Does not evaluate the content or specificity of those instructions.