C

Anthropic · Terminal CLI · VS Code & JetBrains extensions · Desktop app · Web

Claude Code rules files explained

Which instruction files Claude Code reads (CLAUDE.md, .claude/rules/*.md), where to put them, and how to convert from other agents.

Files Claude reads

  • CLAUDE.md
  • .claude/rules/*.md

AGENTS.md: Only when no CLAUDE.md exists (per research notes, Oct 2026; verify).

Skills folders: .claude/skills/, ~/.claude/skills/

Who reads what

AgentRules filesAGENTS.md
ClaudeCLAUDE.md, .claude/rules/*.mdOnly when no CLAUDE.md exists (per research notes, Oct 2026; verify)
CodexAGENTS.mdYes (AGENTS.md originated here)
Cursor.cursor/rules/*.mdc, AGENTS.md, .cursorrules (legacy)Yes
Copilot.github/copilot-instructions.md, .github/instructions/*.instructions.md, AGENTS.mdYes
AntigravityGEMINI.md, AGENTS.mdYes (per research notes; verify)
Convert your rules file →
＋ Featured spot on the rules libraryReach developers choosing tools for their coding agent. Labeled, and it never affects ratings.

Agent Stack Weekly · free

What changed across coding agents this week

Limit and pricing changes, new MCP servers, and setup fixes for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Copilot and Antigravity.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Read past issues