Give your agent a conventions file
Our verdict
Cheap to write, high payoff. Every serious agent supports a rules or conventions file (CONVENTIONS.md, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, Cursor rules). Keep it short and specific.
- Who it's for
- Anyone using a coding agent on a long-lived repo
- Leverage
- Consistent output without repeating yourself
- Effort
- Low
- Date added
What it does
Aider lets you load a conventions file as read-only context so the model follows your coding style, library choices and patterns.
How builders use it
- List preferred libraries, testing approach and naming rules.
- Load it with /read CONVENTIONS.md or in your config.
- Update it whenever you correct the agent twice for the same thing.
What to expect
Less rework and diffs that look like your codebase.
Copy this: CONVENTIONS.md starter
# Conventions
- Language: TypeScript strict. No `any`.
- Prefer small pure functions; no classes unless needed.
- Use <library> for HTTP, <library> for validation.
- Tests: <framework>, colocated as *.test.ts. Every bug fix gets a regression test.
- Don't add dependencies without asking.
- Keep diffs minimal. Don't reformat untouched code.Related discoveries
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