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Agent skill

Setup Agents Md

by OpenHands in OpenHands/extensions

Generate a high-quality, repo-specific AGENTS.md file that tells AI agents how to work effectively in a repository.

MITAuto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install Setup Agents Md

skills CLI
$ npx skills add OpenHands/extensions --skill setup-agents-md -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install OpenHands/extensions setup-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/OpenHands/extensions.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/onboarding/skills/setup-agents-md .claude/skills/setup-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
setup-agents-md
GitHub stars
157
Token cost
~1.5k tokens
SKILL.md length
599 words
Files
2
Skills in repo
78
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Generate a high-quality, repo-specific AGENTS.md file that tells AI agents how to work effectively in a repository.

  • Works in 3 steps: Check for an existing AGENTS.md → Read the repo → Write the AGENTS.md
  • A user wants to create
  • SKILL.md covers Why this matters and How to run
  • Calls uv, make and git

What it does

Setup Agents Md is an agent skill from OpenHands/extensions. Generate a high-quality, repo-specific AGENTS.md file that tells AI agents how to work effectively in a repository. Reads the actual repo to extract commands, structure, conventions, and guardrails — never generates generic boilerplate. Use when a user wants to create or improve their AGENTS.md, or after a readiness report identifies a missing agent instruction file.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 1 other file (for example `README.md`).

It sits in Agent Workflows, covering Agent instruction files. The repository describes itself as: Public registry for OpenHands extensions. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • A user wants to create
  • Improve their AGENTS.md
  • After a readiness report identifies a missing agent instruction file

Example prompts

  • “/setup-agents-md”

Requirements

  • Python 3
  • Docker

Workflow steps

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

  1. Check for an existing AGENTS.md
  2. Read the repo
  3. Write the AGENTS.md

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit d008b81. 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:

    • uv
    • make
    • git

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

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use uv and git, 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

Setup Agents Md loads about 1.5k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 96 tokens; SKILL.md has 599 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~96
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.5k

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 OpenHands/extensions at commit d008b81, republished under its MIT licence (© OpenHands). 599 words, ~1,497 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/setup-agents-md/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
setup-agents-md
description
Generate a high-quality, repo-specific AGENTS.md file that tells AI agents how to work effectively in a repository. Reads the actual repo to extract commands, structure, conventions, and guardrails — never generates generic boilerplate. Use when a user wants to create or improve their AGENTS.md, or after a readiness report identifies a missing agent instruction file.
triggers
setup-agents-md, agents-md

Generate AGENTS.md

Create a repo-specific AGENTS.md that gives AI agents the context they need to work effectively. Every section should reference real commands, real paths, and real conventions from the repository — not generic advice.

Why this matters

An AGENTS.md is the single highest-impact addition for agent readiness. It directly addresses features across multiple pillars:

  • Agent Instructions: agent instruction file, README with build/run/test, contributing guide, environment variable documentation
  • Feedback Loops: test run documentation — agents need exact commands
  • Policy & Governance: guardrails the agent must follow

Without it, agents guess at build commands, miss project conventions, run the wrong test suite, and don't know what's dangerous. The best AGENTS.md files share the same core pattern: real commands, clear structure, explicit boundaries.

How to run

Step 0: Check for an existing AGENTS.md

Look for an existing AGENTS.md (or .agents/AGENTS.md) in the repo root. If one exists, do not rewrite it from scratch. Instead, read the repo (Step 1), compare what you find against what's already documented, and suggest specific additions or changes. Present the suggestions to the user and let them decide what to incorporate.

If no file exists, proceed to create one.

Step 1: Read the repo

Before writing anything, gather the actual information. Check these sources:

Commands (most important — agents need to know how to build, test, lint):

  • Makefile / justfile / Taskfile.yml — look for build/test/lint/format targets
  • package.json scripts — npm/yarn/pnpm run targets
  • pyproject.toml [tool.prek] / [tool.pytest] — Python tooling config
  • .github/workflows/*.yml — CI steps reveal the real commands
  • Cargo.toml — Rust build/test commands
  • build.gradle / pom.xml — Java/Kotlin build commands
  • Rakefile — Ruby task definitions
  • docker-compose.yml — service orchestration commands

Project structure:

  • Top-level directory listing — what's in each major directory
  • Monorepo indicators: workspace configs, multiple package.json/Cargo.toml/pyproject.toml
  • Source vs test layout (where does code live, where do tests live)

Conventions:

  • Existing linter/formatter configs (.eslintrc, .prettierrc, rustfmt.toml, .rubocop.yml, ruff.toml)
  • CONTRIBUTING.md — often contains coding standards
  • Existing README — architecture descriptions, setup instructions
  • .editorconfig — indentation/style basics

Guardrails:

  • Database configs — identify destructive commands to warn about
  • CI enforcement — what must pass before merge
  • Secrets/env patterns — .env.example, vault configs
  • Branch protection or merge requirements
Step 2: Write the AGENTS.md

Use this structure. Every section is optional — include only what's relevant to this repo. A 30-line file with real commands beats a 200-line file with generic advice.

markdown
# AGENTS.md

## Project overview

One or two sentences: what this project is, what language/framework, and the
high-level architecture (monorepo? client-server? library?).

## Commands

Organized by category.  Use the exact commands from the repo — copy from
Makefile/CI/package.json, don't invent them.

### Build
### Test
### Lint & format

## Project structure

What's in each top-level directory.  Focus on what an agent needs to navigate
the codebase — not an exhaustive tree.

## Coding standards

Language-specific conventions that aren't captured by linter config.  Things
like: naming patterns, import ordering preferences, test file location
conventions, preferred patterns over anti-patterns.

## Testing

Where tests live, how they're organized, how to run a single test vs the full
suite, any test database setup needed.

## Guardrails

Things the agent must NOT do.  Destructive commands, files that shouldn't be
edited by hand, operations that require human approval.
Show full SKILL.md (232 more words)Show less
Key principles

Be specific, not generic. Don't write "run the linter before committing" — write uv run ruff check --fix <file>. Don't write "follow the project's coding standards" — write "use snake_case for variables, no assert in production code."

Commands are king. If the agent only reads one section, it should be Commands. Every command block should be copy-pasteable.

Link, don't repeat. If there's a detailed CONTRIBUTING.md or architecture doc, link to it rather than duplicating the content. The AGENTS.md is an index and quick reference, not a manual.

Include dangerous operations. If make db-reset destroys the dev database, say so. If git push -f to main is forbidden, say so. Agents are literal — they need explicit guardrails.

Keep it maintainable. A short, accurate AGENTS.md is better than a long one that drifts out of date. Reference CI configs and Makefiles by path so a human (or agent) can update the AGENTS.md when the underlying commands change.

What to leave out
  • Generic software engineering advice ("write clean code", "use meaningful names")
  • Process documentation that belongs in CONTRIBUTING.md
  • Full API documentation that belongs in doc comments or a docs site
  • Operational runbooks that belong in an ops directory
Monorepo considerations

If the repo is a monorepo, the root AGENTS.md should cover repo-wide commands and conventions. Consider sub-directory AGENTS.md files only for packages with substantially different commands or conventions, and link to them from the root.

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

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file in plugins/onboarding/skills/setup-agents-md of OpenHands/extensions.

  • SKILL.md
  • README.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit d008b81

Compare with similar skills

Setup 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.

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Task Observerrebelytics/one-skill-to-rule-them-all3.2k1 repos~12kAutomated safety check: PassCC-BY-4.0
Writing For Agentsbestofjs/bestofjs3.1k17 repos~2.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Setup Agents Md

What does Setup Agents Md do?

Generate a high-quality, repo-specific AGENTS.md file that tells AI agents how to work effectively in a repository. Setup Agents Md is an agent skill from OpenHands/extensions.md file that tells AI agents how to work effectively in a repository.

When should I use Setup Agents Md?

Setup Agents Md fits situations like: A user wants to create; improve their AGENTS.md; after a readiness report identifies a missing agent instruction file.

How do I install Setup Agents Md in Claude Code?

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

How do I install Setup Agents Md in Codex?

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

Can I use Setup 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 OpenHands/extensions --skill setup-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/setup-agents-md, .gemini/skills/setup-agents-md, .github/skills/setup-agents-md and .opencode/skills/setup-agents-md in your project.

What does Setup Agents Md need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Setup Agents Md needs the command-line tools its instructions call (uv, make and git). Our summary lists: Python 3; Docker.

Does Setup Agents Md access the network?

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

Is Setup 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 Setup Agents Md use?

Setup Agents Md is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Setup Agents Md use?

About 1.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6k 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 Setup Agents Md?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Setup Agents Md: Using Agent Skills (addyosmani/agent-skills, 102k stars), Claude Reflect (BayramAnnakov/claude-reflect, 1.7k stars), Neat-Freak Knowledge Closeout (KKKKhazix/khazix-skills, 21k stars) and Task Observer (rebelytics/one-skill-to-rule-them-all, 3.2k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Setup Agents Md?

OpenHands (a GitHub organization) maintains it in OpenHands/extensions, which has 157 GitHub stars. The repository holds 78 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 6, 2026.

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