How a Machine-Readable Contract in AGENTS.md Can Prevent Stale AI Instructions
Developers using AGENTS.md files to guide coding agents risk feeding them outdated information, such as moved directories or replaced package managers, which agents follow literally unlike humans who learn to distrust old docs. A proposed fix involves embedding a machine-readable JSON contract block inside AGENTS.md that separates testable facts and procedures from human-judgment guidance. The contract specifies required file paths, commands to execute, and a review-by date, allowing a lightweight Node.js script to validate each claim automatically. The script checks that listed paths exist, runs specified commands as argument arrays rather than shell strings, and flags overdue review dates as failures. This approach keeps AI agent instructions honest by continuously verifying them in CI rather than relying on developers to manually update documentation.
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