Claude Code now reads AGENTS.md when there's no CLAUDE.md
Claude Code now reads AGENTS.md if there is no Claude.md
Anthropic's Claude Code changelog for September 18, 2026 adds AGENTS.md support: in a project with no CLAUDE.md, Claude Code reads AGENTS.md instead, configurable under "Project instructions" in /config (not yet on Bedrock, Vertex or Foundry). The release also fixes hangs in claude -p and Agent SDK sessions, unexpected logouts from older builds, and a batch of crashes and plugin, sandbox, and resume bugs.
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)
- perganomoly
The fact that it took this long to add such a basic feature is a disgrace. I’m not even remotely satisfied. Bailed on Claude ages ago. Rolling Codex, Gemini, and Qwen3.8 30B. The only way I’m going back to Anthropic is if they drop and Culture Series mind.
- stillpointlab
I recently had Claude Fable set up a new project for me and I pointed it at some existing projects to use as a guide on how I like to structure things. It created, unprompted, an AGENTS.md file and a CLAUDE.md symlink to AGENTS.md
I didn't even have that symlink in any other project - it just did it. I think it saw that one of the projects I already had was set up by Codex and that project had an AGENTS.md so perhaps it inferred that I was using both Claude and Codex, so it was politely covering both? Or maybe a recent change made this behavior default?
I was surprised and I hope they continue to seek standards.
- clutter55561
Don’t get too excited, Claude code still won’t detect skills on .agents/skills.
- rukuu001
Once I asked, puckishly, Claude Code to “follow the instructions in this directory” when there was only an AGENTS.md there.
In the manner of someone finding a dead mouse and holding it up for examination CC said it could find no instructions but perhaps it should check this AGENTS.md file.
- albatross79
CC is such a bloated POS by this point that only full on AGI could have implemented this feature. Congrats guys. Maybe with Super Intelligence they will be able to make it actually respect the instructions in there too.
- throwaw12
Remember they didn't do this because they wanted to help community, they did it because community was angry and they were losing users to other harnesses.
Doesn't look like Anthropic care about dev community
- chr15m
This is simply the obvious, non-stupid thing to do, like Apple switching to USB-C.
- budoso
This just be a recession indicator