Turn tribal knowledge into information that lives in the project
If only one developer knows how to run the system, a new developer and an AI tool alike will start by guessing. Begin with a short file that explains what the project does, where each part lives and how to run a basic usage flow.
Write down the exact commands for installing, running and testing. List required versions, environment variable names and safe example values. Secrets stay out of the documentation and out of the code.
Short instructions that can actually be followed
Good agent instructions capture the team's real decisions. For example: where to add an endpoint, which test is required for a permissions change, and which files are generated automatically. Avoid long lists of generic rules that give no basis for a decision.
GitHub Copilot supports repository-wide instructions as well as path-specific ones. Use the instruction mechanism of whichever tool your team works with, and keep the core knowledge close to the code. Exact support depends on the tool and the development environment.
- What should be read before changing a component?
- How do you verify a change without deploying it?
- Which actions should stop and wait for a human decision?
A feedback loop you can trust
A single test command that is fast and clear gives both the developer and the agent a way to get feedback. It should check the system's core contracts. An error that is hard to understand leads to more trial and error; an error that points to broken behavior moves the work forward.
Pick a small change and do it in two steps: first understand the code and propose a change, then implement and verify it. Review the result as you would any other change. Code that was produced quickly still has to fit the system's constraints.
A readiness review before any broad change
Static scanning can help surface signals such as missing documentation, unclear test commands and boundaries that need attention. Record findings that are actionable and link them back to the relevant files.
A scan finding is a starting point for a conversation and further checking. It is not proof of product quality or of an agent's success. Pick three blockers that affect the work today, address them, and re-check using a real task.