{
  "id": 18965406,
  "title": "Claude Code reads AGENTS.md now, but only when CLAUDE.md is missing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/claude-code-reads-agents-md-now-but-only-when-claude-md-is-missing",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-11-08T15:52:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/dani_avila7/claude-code-reads-agentsmd-now-but-only-when-claudemd-is-missing-4lmh"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 18, 2026, Claude Code introduced support for AGENTS.md, but only when CLAUDE.md is absent. This is a fallback mechanism, not a merge. If a CLAUDE.md exists in a project, Claude Code still reads it and ignores AGENTS.md. The change is limited to the \"Project instructions\" section in the /config directory and is currently unavailable on Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, or Microsoft Foundry. No settings.json key or environment variable controls this toggle; it is managed through the /config menu.\n\nClaude Code concatenates discovered files without overriding them, with the closest instructions to the launch directory read last. CLAUDE.local.md is loaded after CLAUDE.md within a single directory. AGENTS.md only has an opening when there is no CLAUDE.md in the project. Keeping AGENTS.md for Codex, Cursor, or other tools requires a CLAUDE.md that imports it, using the @AGENTS.md syntax. Each import has strict rules, such as limited nesting depth and skipping certain code spans.\n\nIf no Claude-specific additions are needed, a symlink to AGENTS.md as CLAUDE.md is sufficient. Alternatively, a one-time migration using the /import command can bring an AGENTS.md configuration into Claude Code, appending it to the matching CLAUDE.md. Finally, Claude Code's behavior can be verified using /context, /memory, and /InstructionsLoaded tools.",
  "summary": "Claude Code shipped AGENTS.md support on September 18, 2026. The changelog line for 2.1.277 is one sentence, and every word in it matters: Added AGENTS.md support: in a project with no CLAUDE.md, Claude Code reads AGENTS.md instead; change it under “Project instructions” in /config (not yet on Bedrock, Vertex or Foundry) // Detect dark theme var iframe =…",
  "key_points": [
    "Claude Code reads AGENTS.md only when CLAUDE.md is absent",
    "AGENTS.md added to Project instructions section in /config",
    "AGENTS.md unavailable on Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, Microsoft Foundry"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}