Repository Conventions
The files a repository carries so humans — and now agents — know what to do. 49 in the catalog.
| Standard | What it is |
|---|---|
| .aiignore | Configuration file specifying files and directories that AI coding agents should not process or modify, similar to .gitignore but for AI tools. Use... |
| .clinerules | Configuration file for Cline AI coding assistant providing project-specific rules, coding conventions, and behavioral instructions. |
| .cursorrules | Configuration file for Cursor AI code editor containing project-specific rules, coding conventions, and behavioral instructions for the AI assistant. |
| .editorconfig | Cross-editor configuration file defining coding style preferences like indentation, line endings, and character encoding to maintain consistent for... |
| .gitattributes | Git configuration file defining path-specific settings for line endings, diff handling, merge strategies, and binary file detection. |
| .gitignore | Git configuration file specifying intentionally untracked files and directories that Git should ignore, preventing build artifacts, dependencies, a... |
| .instructions.md | File-scoped custom instruction files for GitHub Copilot and VS Code, using applyTo patterns to target specific file types or tasks with tailored AI... |
| .prompt.md | .prompt.md files are reusable, version-controlled prompt templates for AI coding assistants — Markdown documents that package task-specific instruc... |
| .roorules | .roorules is a configuration file for the Roo Code AI coding assistant that supplies project-specific rules, conventions, and custom instructions t... |
| .windsurfrules | Configuration file for the Windsurf AI code editor containing project-specific rules, coding conventions, and instructions that steer the Cascade A... |
| /.well-known | The `/.well-known/` path prefix is the IETF's standard place to put machine-readable metadata about a host. Registered under RFC 8615, it is how a ... |
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.md | File crediting third-party software, libraries, inspirations, and other works that the project builds upon or is indebted to. |
| AGENT.md | Vendor-neutral AI coding agent configuration file providing project context and instructions. Alternative to AGENTS.md serving the same purpose of ... |
| AGENTS.md | Open standard file for guiding AI coding agents, providing project context, coding standards, build commands, and development practices. Supported ... |
| AUTHORS.md | File listing the original creators and primary authors of a project, often required by certain open-source licenses. |
| Agent Plugins | Agent Plugins is an open, vendor-neutral specification for packaging reusable components that extend AI agents into distributable plugins. A plugin... |
| CHANGELOG.md | Document tracking notable changes between project versions, following conventions like Keep a Changelog. Lists additions, fixes, deprecations, and ... |
| CITATION.cff | Citation File Format providing machine-readable citation metadata for software projects, enabling proper academic attribution and referencing. |
| CLAUDE.md | Configuration file for Claude Code providing project-specific context, coding conventions, build commands, and behavioral instructions that persist... |
| CODEOWNERS | CODEOWNERS is a repository file that defines the individuals or teams responsible for specific paths in a codebase. GitHub and GitLab use it to aut... |
| CODEX.md | CODEX.md is a per-repository instruction file read by OpenAI's Codex coding agent, giving it project conventions, build and test commands, and guar... |
| CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md | CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md is a repository file that defines the standards for community engagement, acceptable behavior, and enforcement procedures for a ... |
| CONTRIBUTING.md | Guidelines for contributing to a project, including coding standards, pull request processes, issue reporting, and development setup instructions. |
| CONTRIBUTORS.md | File recognizing individuals and organizations that have contributed to a project through code, documentation, design, or other means. |
| CONVENTIONS.md | Project conventions file documenting coding standards, naming conventions, architecture decisions, and development practices. Used by AI coding ass... |
| Containerfile | A text file containing instructions for building container images, compatible with Docker's Dockerfile format and commonly used with Podman and oth... |
| Dockerfile | A text file that contains instructions for building Docker container images, defining the application environment, dependencies, and configuration ... |
| FUNDING.yml | GitHub configuration file specifying funding platforms and links for project sponsorship, displayed as a Sponsor button on the repository page. |
| GEMINI.md | Configuration file for Google Gemini CLI providing project context, coding standards, and development instructions for AI-assisted coding workflows. |
| ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md | Template file that pre-populates new issue forms with structured sections, guiding contributors to provide necessary information when reporting bug... |
| JULES.md | Configuration file for Google Jules AI coding agent, providing project-specific instructions, architecture context, and coding standards. |
| LICENSE.md | File specifying the legal license under which a project is distributed, defining permissions, conditions, and limitations for use and redistribution. |
| MCP Description (mcpdesc) | MCP Description (mcpdesc) is an open, portable, machine-readable format for describing Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers — declaring their info,... |
| PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md | Template file that pre-populates pull request descriptions with structured sections like change summary, testing steps, and checklist items. |
| README.md | Standard repository documentation file providing project overview, setup instructions, and usage examples. Automatically displayed on repository la... |
| SECURITY.md | Security policy document describing supported versions, vulnerability reporting procedures, and responsible disclosure guidelines for a project. |
| SUPPORT.md | File describing how users can get help with a project, including links to documentation, forums, issue trackers, and support channels. |
| Security By Design | A software development approach that integrates security considerations and practices from the initial design phase through the entire development ... |
| Security Protocols | A set of rules and standards that define how data is transmitted securely over networks, including protocols like SSL/TLS, HTTPS, SSH, and IPsec th... |
| Security Standards | Security standards are the established frameworks, specifications, and benchmarks that define how systems, networks, and data are protected from un... |
| Security Standards And Procedures | Frameworks and documented guidelines that establish security requirements, controls, and best practices for protecting organizational assets and in... |
| Well-Known URIs | Well-Known URIs (RFC 8615) defines the /.well-known/ path prefix for hosting site-wide metadata and service discovery documents at predictable loca... |
| ads.txt | ads.txt — Authorized Digital Sellers — is a plain text file a publisher hosts at a known path listing the companies authorised to sell its inventor... |
| copilot-instructions.md | GitHub Copilot custom instructions file placed in .github/ directory, providing repository-specific coding standards, framework preferences, and be... |
| dependabot.yml | GitHub Dependabot configuration file defining automated dependency update schedules, package ecosystems to monitor, and review assignment rules. |
| guidelines.md | JetBrains Junie AI agent configuration file stored in .junie/ directory providing persistent project-level context and coding guidelines. |
| mcp.json | Model Context Protocol configuration file defining MCP server connections for AI coding assistants, enabling tool integration and enhanced AI capab... |
| renovate.json | renovate.json is the configuration file for the Renovate bot, which automates dependency updates across many package managers by opening pull reque... |
| security.txt | security.txt, standardized as RFC 9116, is a simple machine- and human-readable file served at /.well-known/security.txt that tells security resear... |