Official agent skill

Wiki Agents Md

by microsoft in microsoft/skills

Generates AGENTS.md files for repository folders — coding agent context files with build commands, testing instructions, code style, project structure, and boundaries.

OfficialMITAuto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install Wiki Agents Md

skills CLI
$ npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill wiki-agents-md -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install microsoft/skills wiki-agents-md --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/plugins/deep-wiki/skills/wiki-agents-md .claude/skills/wiki-agents-md && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
wiki-agents-md
GitHub stars
3.1k
Token cost
~3.2k tokens
SKILL.md length
970 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
150
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Generates AGENTS.md files for repository folders — coding agent context files with build commands, testing instructions, code style, project structure, and boundaries.

  • Works in 6 steps: Check existence → Scan the folder → Read config files → …
  • Tasks that involve Agent instruction files
  • SKILL.md covers What is AGENTS.md, Critical Guard: Only Generate…, Pertinent Folder Detection and The Six Core Areas, plus 6 more sections
  • Calls npm, pnpm and pytest

What it does

Wiki Agents Md is an agent skill from microsoft/skills, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Generates AGENTS.md files for repository folders — coding agent context files with build commands, testing instructions, code style, project structure, and boundaries. Only generates where AGENTS.md is missing.

Its SKILL.md is about 3.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Agent Workflows, covering Agent instruction files and Codebase knowledge for agents. The repository describes itself as: Skills, MCP servers, Custom Agents, Agents.md for SDKs to ground Coding Agents. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Tasks that involve Agent instruction files
  • Tasks that involve Codebase knowledge for agents

Example prompts

  • “Use the wiki-agents-md skill to generate AGENTS.md files for repository folders — coding agent context files with build commands, testing…”
  • “/wiki-agents-md”

Requirements

  • Python 3
  • Node.js
  • Docker

Workflow steps

6 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Check existence
  2. Scan the folder
  3. Read config files
  4. Detect conventions
  5. Compose the AGENTS.md
  6. Validate

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 3898ec8. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • npm
    • pnpm
    • pytest

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use npm and pnpm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Wiki Agents Md loads about 3.2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 56 tokens; SKILL.md has 970 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~56
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~3.2k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from microsoft/skills at commit 3898ec8, republished under its MIT licence (© microsoft). 970 words, ~3,198 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/wiki-agents-md/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
wiki-agents-md
description
Generates AGENTS.md files for repository folders — coding agent context files with build commands, testing instructions, code style, project structure, and boundaries. Only generates where AGENTS.md is missing.
license
MIT
metadata.author
Microsoft
metadata.version
1.0.0

AGENTS.md Generator

Generate high-quality AGENTS.md files for repository folders. Each file provides coding agents with project-specific context — build commands, testing instructions, code style, structure, and operational boundaries.

What is AGENTS.md

AGENTS.md complements README.md. README is for humans; AGENTS.md is for coding agents.

  • Predictable location — Agents look for AGENTS.md in the current directory, then walk up the tree
  • Nested files — Subfolders can have their own AGENTS.md that takes precedence over the root one
  • Separate from README — Keeps READMEs concise; agent-specific details (exact commands, boundaries, conventions) go here
  • NOT the same as .github/agents/*.agent.md — Those are agent persona definitions (who the agent is). AGENTS.md is project context (what the agent should know about this code)

Critical Guard: Only Generate If Missing

This is the single most important rule.

NEVER overwrite an existing AGENTS.md.

Before generating for ANY folder:

bash
# Check if AGENTS.md already exists
ls AGENTS.md 2>/dev/null
  • If it exists → skip and report: "AGENTS.md already exists at <path> — skipping"
  • If it does not exist → proceed with generation
  • This check applies to every folder independently

Pertinent Folder Detection

Identify which folders should have an AGENTS.md:

Always generate for:
  • Repository root (/)
  • Wiki folder (wiki/) — if generated by deep-wiki (has package.json with VitePress)
Generate if they exist:
  • tests/, src/, lib/, app/, api/
  • Monorepo packages: packages/*/, apps/*/, services/*/
  • Any folder with its own build manifest:
    • package.json
    • pyproject.toml
    • Cargo.toml
    • *.csproj / *.fsproj
    • go.mod
    • pom.xml / build.gradle
  • .github/ — only if it contains workflows or actions
Always skip:
  • node_modules/, .git/, dist/, build/, out/, target/
  • vendor/, .venv/, venv/, __pycache__/
  • Any directory that is generated output or third-party dependencies

The Six Core Areas

Every good AGENTS.md covers these areas, tailored to what actually exists in the folder. Do not invent sections for things the project doesn't have.

a) Build & Run Commands — PUT FIRST

Agents reference these constantly. Use exact commands with flags, not just tool names.

markdown
## Build & Run

npm install          # Install dependencies
npm run dev          # Start dev server (port 3000)
npm run build        # Production build
npm run lint         # Run ESLint

Read these sources to find real commands:

  • package.json → scripts section
  • Makefile → targets
  • pyproject.toml → [tool.poetry.scripts] or [project.scripts]
  • Cargo.toml → standard cargo commands
  • CI configs → .github/workflows/*.yml, Jenkinsfile, .gitlab-ci.yml
b) Testing Instructions
markdown
## Testing

pytest tests/ -v                    # Run all tests
pytest tests/test_auth.py -v        # Run single file
pytest -k "test_login" -v           # Run single test by name
pytest --cov=src --cov-report=term  # With coverage

Include:

  • Test framework and how it's configured
  • How to run all tests, a single file, a single test
  • Expected behavior before commits (e.g., "all tests must pass")
c) Project Structure
markdown
## Project Structure

src/
├── api/          # FastAPI route handlers
├── models/       # Pydantic data models
├── services/     # Business logic
└── utils/        # Shared utilities

tests/            # Mirrors src/ structure

Include:

  • Key directories and what they contain
  • Entry points (e.g., src/main.py, src/index.ts)
  • Where to add new features
d) Code Style & Conventions

One real code example beats three paragraphs of description.

markdown
## Code Style

- snake_case for functions and variables
- PascalCase for classes
- Type hints on all function signatures
- Async/await for I/O operations

### Example

```python
async def get_user_by_id(user_id: str) -> User:
    """Fetch a user by their unique identifier."""
    async with get_db_session() as session:
        return await session.get(User, user_id)

Detect conventions by reading existing code:
- Naming patterns (camelCase, snake_case, PascalCase)
- Import organization (stdlib → third-party → local)
- Module structure patterns

### e) Git Workflow

```markdown
## Git Workflow

- Branch naming: `feature/`, `fix/`, `chore/`
- Commit messages: conventional commits (`feat:`, `fix:`, `docs:`)
- Run `npm test && npm run lint` before committing
- PR titles follow conventional commit format

Only include if the repo has evidence of conventions (e.g., commitlint config, PR templates, contributing guides).

f) Boundaries

Use a three-tier system:

markdown
## Boundaries

- ✅ **Always do:** Run tests before committing. Write tests for new features. Use type hints.
- ⚠️ **Ask first:** Adding new dependencies. Changing database schemas. Modifying CI/CD configs. Changing public API signatures.
- 🚫 **Never do:** Commit secrets or credentials. Modify `vendor/` or `node_modules/`. Push directly to `main`. Delete migration files.

Tailor boundaries to the project:

  • Backend projects: schema changes, API contracts
  • Frontend projects: breaking component APIs, design system changes
  • Infrastructure: production configs, IAM permissions

Generation Process

When generating an AGENTS.md for a specific folder:

Step 1: Check existence
bash
ls <folder>/AGENTS.md 2>/dev/null

If it exists, stop. Report and move to the next folder.

Step 2: Scan the folder

Identify:

  • Primary language (Python, TypeScript, Rust, Go, Java, C#)
  • Framework (FastAPI, Next.js, Actix, Spring Boot)
  • Build tool (npm, cargo, poetry, maven, gradle)
  • Test runner (pytest, vitest, cargo test, JUnit)
Step 3: Read config files

Extract real commands and settings from:

  • package.json scripts
  • Makefile / Justfile targets
  • pyproject.toml scripts and tool configs
  • Cargo.toml metadata
  • .github/workflows/*.yml build/test steps
  • docker-compose.yml service definitions
  • Linter configs (.eslintrc, ruff.toml, rustfmt.toml)
Step 4: Detect conventions

Read 3-5 source files to identify:

  • Naming patterns
  • Import organization
  • Error handling style
  • Comment style
  • Module structure
Step 5: Compose the AGENTS.md

Use only the sections that apply. If the folder has no tests, omit the testing section. If there's no CI config, omit git workflow.

Show full SKILL.md (400 more words)Show less
Step 6: Validate

Before writing the file:

  • Every command references a real script, target, or tool
  • Every file path references an actual file or directory
  • No placeholder text like <your-project> or TODO
  • No invented sections for things that don't exist

Template Structure

markdown
# [Folder Name] — Agent Instructions

## Overview
[1-2 sentences: what this folder/project does, its role in the larger system]

## Build & Run
[Exact commands — install, dev, build, clean]

## Testing
[Framework, run commands, single-test commands]

## Project Structure
[Key directories, entry points, where to add new things]

## Code Style
[Naming conventions + one real code example from this project]

## Boundaries
- ✅ **Always do:** [safe operations]
- ⚠️ **Ask first:** [risky operations]
- 🚫 **Never do:** [dangerous operations]

## Documentation
[Only include if wiki/, llms.txt, or docs/ exist in the repo]
- Wiki: `wiki/` — architecture, API, onboarding guides
- LLM Context: `llms.txt` — project summary for coding agents (full version: `wiki/llms-full.txt`)
- Onboarding: `wiki/onboarding/` — guides for contributors, staff engineers, executives, PMs

Omit any section that doesn't apply. A 20-line AGENTS.md with real commands beats a 200-line one with generic filler.

Root vs Nested AGENTS.md

Root AGENTS.md (/AGENTS.md)

Covers the entire project:

  • Overall tech stack and architecture
  • Global conventions and coding standards
  • Dev environment setup
  • Repository-wide boundaries
  • CI/CD overview
Nested AGENTS.md (e.g., tests/AGENTS.md)

Covers that specific subfolder:

  • What this folder does and why it exists
  • Folder-specific commands (e.g., cd tests && pnpm test)
  • Folder-specific conventions
  • Should NOT repeat root-level content
Wiki AGENTS.md (wiki/AGENTS.md)

ALWAYS check if wiki/AGENTS.md exists before generating — same only-if-missing guard as all other folders. If it exists, skip it.

Use this template (adapt to the actual project):

markdown
# Wiki — Agent Instructions

## Overview
Generated VitePress documentation site. Contains architecture docs, onboarding guides, and API references with source-linked citations and dark-mode Mermaid diagrams.

## Build & Run
- Install: `npm install`
- Dev server: `npm run dev`
- Build: `npm run build`
- Preview: `npm run preview`

## Wiki Structure
- `index.md` — Landing page with project overview and navigation
- `onboarding/` — Audience-tailored guides (contributor, staff engineer, executive, product manager)
- `{NN}-{section}/` — Numbered documentation sections
- `llms.txt` — LLM-friendly project summary (links + descriptions)
- `llms-full.txt` — LLM-friendly full content (inlined pages)
- `.vitepress/config.mts` — VitePress config with sidebar and Mermaid setup
- `.vitepress/theme/` — Dark theme (custom.css) and zoom handlers (index.ts)

## Content Conventions
- All Mermaid diagrams use dark-mode colors (fills `#2d333b`, borders `#6d5dfc`, text `#e6edf3`)
- Every page has VitePress frontmatter (`title`, `description`)
- Citations link to source repository with line numbers
- Tables include a "Source" column with linked citations
- Mermaid diagrams followed by `<!-- Sources: ... -->` comment blocks

## Boundaries
- ✅ **Always do:** Add new pages following existing section numbering, use dark-mode Mermaid colors
- ⚠️ **Ask first:** Change theme CSS, modify VitePress config, restructure sections
- 🚫 **Never do:** Delete generated pages without understanding dependencies, use light-mode colors, remove citation links

## Documentation
- Wiki: `./` — This folder is the wiki
- LLM Context: `llms.txt` — Quick summary; `llms-full.txt` — Full content
- Onboarding: `onboarding/` — Four audience-tailored guides

Fill in the real section names, technologies, and project-specific conventions.

Agents read the nearest AGENTS.md in the directory tree. Nested files take precedence, so they should contain folder-specific details, not global ones.

CLAUDE.md Companion File

Whenever you generate an AGENTS.md in a folder, also generate a CLAUDE.md in the same folder — only if CLAUDE.md does not already exist.

The CLAUDE.md content is always exactly:

markdown
# CLAUDE.md

<!-- Generated for repository development workflows. Do not edit directly. -->

Before beginning work in this repository, read `AGENTS.md` and follow all scoped AGENTS guidance.

This ensures Claude Code (and similar tools that look for CLAUDE.md) are redirected to the authoritative AGENTS.md instructions.

Same guard applies: check if CLAUDE.md exists before writing. If it exists, skip it.

Quality Principles

PrincipleGoodBad
Specific"React 18 with TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS""React project"
Executablepytest tests/ -v --tb=short"run the tests"
GroundedShow a real code snippet from the projectDescribe the style in abstract terms
Real pathssrc/api/routes/path/to/your/code/
HonestOmit testing section if no tests existInvent a testing section
Concise30-80 lines for most folders300+ lines of prose

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

  • ❌ "You are a helpful coding assistant" — too vague, describes feelings not actions
  • ❌ Generic boilerplate — content that could apply to any project provides no value
  • ❌ Invented commands/paths — every command and path must reference something real
  • ❌ Duplicating README.md — AGENTS.md complements README, doesn't copy it
  • ❌ Including secrets — never put credentials, API keys, or tokens in AGENTS.md
  • ❌ Overwriting existing files — if AGENTS.md exists, do not touch it
  • ❌ Padding empty sections — if there are no tests, don't write a testing section
  • ❌ Describing what agents should "think" or "feel" — describe what they should DO

© microsoft, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in .github/plugins/deep-wiki/skills/wiki-agents-md of microsoft/skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 3898ec8

Compare with similar skills

Wiki Agents Md next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Wiki Agents Md compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Wiki Agents Md this skillmicrosoft/skills3.1k—~3.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Context Engineeringabashev/vfs-s31069 repos~2.6kAutomated safety check: NotesApache-2.0
Dotagents Standardgetknit/knit132—~4.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Reconcile ContextApocrathia/home-assistant-config179—~931Automated safety check: PassNone
Verify Agent ContextLuligu/matterbridge985—~525Automated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Setup Calibercaliber-ai-org/ai-setup1.3k—~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Wiki Agents Md

What does Wiki Agents Md do?

Generates AGENTS.md files for repository folders — coding agent context files with build commands, testing instructions, code style, project structure, and boundaries. Wiki Agents Md is an agent skill from microsoft/skills, published by the product's own GitHub organization.md files for repository folders — coding agent context files with build commands, testing instructions, code style, project structure, and boundaries.

When should I use Wiki Agents Md?

Wiki Agents Md fits situations like: tasks that involve Agent instruction files; tasks that involve Codebase knowledge for agents.

How do I install Wiki Agents Md in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill wiki-agents-md -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/plugins/deep-wiki/skills/wiki-agents-md in microsoft/skills) into .claude/skills/wiki-agents-md in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Wiki Agents Md in Codex?

Run `npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill wiki-agents-md -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/plugins/deep-wiki/skills/wiki-agents-md in microsoft/skills) into .agents/skills/wiki-agents-md in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Wiki Agents Md in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill wiki-agents-md -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/wiki-agents-md, .gemini/skills/wiki-agents-md, .github/skills/wiki-agents-md and .opencode/skills/wiki-agents-md in your project.

What does Wiki Agents Md need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Wiki Agents Md needs the command-line tools its instructions call (npm, pnpm and pytest). Our summary lists: Python 3; Node.js; Docker.

Does Wiki Agents Md access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Wiki Agents Md safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Wiki Agents Md use?

Wiki Agents Md is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Wiki Agents Md use?

About 3.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 13k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Wiki Agents Md?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Wiki Agents Md: Context Engineering (abashev/vfs-s3, 106 stars), Dotagents Standard (getknit/knit, 132 stars), Reconcile Context (Apocrathia/home-assistant-config, 179 stars) and Verify Agent Context (Luligu/matterbridge, 985 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Wiki Agents Md?

microsoft (a GitHub organization, an official publisher) maintains it in microsoft/skills, which has 3,094 GitHub stars. The repository holds 150 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.

Source: microsoft/skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.