Root Instruction File Exists
A root instruction file must exist at the project root. This is the primary entry point for any AI coding agent.
CriticalcorestructureSame-Topic Reinforcement and Conflict
Multiple instructions on the same topic must agree in direction. Conflicting instructions on the same topic destroy compliance catastrophically -- the model cannot follow both and may follow neither.
CriticalcorecoherenceSection Headers Present
Each instruction file must contain markdown section headers (lines starting with #). Headers organize content into navigable sections that help agents locate relevant instructions.
CriticalcorestructureSpecificity Gap
Instructions must name concrete constructs -- backtick-wrapped tokens, file paths, function names, CLI commands -- instead of abstract concepts. Abstract instructions are dramatically less effective because the model cannot distinguish them from general knowledge.
CriticalcorecoherenceTopic Scatter
Instruction files must focus on 1-2 topics. Instructions spanning multiple unrelated topics compete for attention, degrading compliance on all topics -- while same-topic instructions reinforce each other.
CriticalcorecoherenceValid Markdown Syntax
Instruction files must contain valid markdown structure. Broken or empty markdown prevents agents from parsing content correctly and can cause instructions to be silently ignored.
Criticalcorestructure