Files
zed/docs/src/ai/instructions.md
T
morgankrey 99739ef047 Restructure AI docs (#57614)
## Summary

- Restructures the AI docs around quick routing, agent paths, provider
access, and company-specific entry points.
- Moves account-owned AI billing/model pages into Account & Billing
while preserving legacy AI redirects.
- Adds focused pages for Zed Agent, external agents, terminal threads,
agent profiles, skills, instructions, API access, subscriptions,
gateways, and local models.
- Updates related links across Git, authentication, business, migration,
and settings reference docs.

## Validation

- `pnpm dlx prettier@3.5.0 . --write`
- `pnpm dlx prettier@3.5.0 . --check`
- `git diff --check -- docs/src`
- Changed-doc local markdown link sanity check
- `mdbook build docs` was attempted; it is currently blocked by an
unrelated existing `docs/src/vim.md:542` action schema error for
`vim::HelixJumpToWord`.

## Follow-up

- Create a ticket to align Zed's in-app AI configuration surfaces with
this documentation model, including Agent Settings, Configure buttons,
Tools, Profiles, MCP, Skills/Instructions, and plain settings.

## Suggested .rules additions

N/A

Release Notes:

- N/A
2026-06-04 15:55:21 +00:00

3.0 KiB

title, description
title description
Agent Instructions - Zed Configure always-on personal and project instructions for Zed Agent with AGENTS.md and compatible project instruction files.

Instructions

Instructions are always-on context for the Zed Agent. Use instructions for persistent guidance that should apply to every relevant agent interaction.

Use Skills instead when you want reusable task instructions that can be invoked by name.

Zed supports AGENTS.md as the primary instruction file for personal and project-level agent guidance.

Personal Instructions

Personal instructions apply to every project you open with the Zed Agent.

Create or edit:

~/.config/zed/AGENTS.md

On Windows, the equivalent file is under %APPDATA%\Zed\AGENTS.md.

Project Instructions

Project instruction files apply to the current project. Zed uses the first matching file in this list:

  • .rules
  • .cursorrules
  • .windsurfrules
  • .clinerules
  • .github/copilot-instructions.md
  • AGENT.md
  • AGENTS.md
  • CLAUDE.md
  • GEMINI.md

Project instructions override personal AGENTS.md when they conflict.

Instruction File Support

File Zed Agent External Agents Terminal Threads
~/.config/zed/AGENTS.md Loaded as personal instructions Not generally used Not used unless the CLI reads it
Project AGENTS.md Loaded as project instructions Depends on the agent Depends on the CLI
CLAUDE.md Loaded as compatible project instructions by Zed Agent Claude reads natively Claude Code CLI reads natively
.github/copilot-instructions.md Loaded as compatible project instructions by Zed Agent Depends on the agent Depends on the CLI

External Agents and Terminal Threads may read their own native instruction files directly. Do not assume Zed's instruction loader controls those agents.

Instructions vs. Skills

Use Best for Example
Instructions Always-on guidance Repository conventions, preferred tone, project constraints
Skills Reusable task workflows Code review checklist, release workflow, migration helper

Migrating from Rules

Rules have been replaced by Skills and Instructions:

  • reusable, on-demand Rules become Skills
  • default, always-on Rules become personal AGENTS.md
  • project .rules files remain supported as compatibility project instruction files