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docs: add hierarchical AGENTS and long-lived Copilot instructions#276

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napetrov merged 5 commits intointel:mainfrom
napetrov:docs/agents-copilot-hierarchy
Feb 19, 2026
Merged

docs: add hierarchical AGENTS and long-lived Copilot instructions#276
napetrov merged 5 commits intointel:mainfrom
napetrov:docs/agents-copilot-hierarchy

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@napetrov napetrov commented Feb 17, 2026 •
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Summary

  • Add hierarchical AGENTS.md files across key repo areas for scoped agent context
  • Add GitHub Copilot instructions that enforce AGENTS-first context loading
  • Keep instruction docs long-lived and route mutable details to source-of-truth files

Details

  • Root AGENTS.md as compact entry-point/router
  • Directory-level AGENTS.md for .github/, benchmark/, bindings/, cmake/, examples/, include/svs/, tests/, tools/, utils/
  • .github/copilot-instructions.md with required flow: root → nearest → most specific
  • .github/instructions/ plus focused build/test instruction files

Notes

  • No versions/flags/CI matrix values duplicated in instruction docs
  • Mutable details remain in existing source-of-truth config files

mihaic
mihaic requested changes Feb 17, 2026
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Good idea to add these! I think we could include more details, but let's start small and see how it goes. I do have a couple of suggestions.

AGENTS.md Outdated
Comment on lines 22 to 23
1. Read this file.
2. Read the nearest `AGENTS.md` for touched files.
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Agents with support for AGENTS.md already have these instructions. For the cases when Copilot doesn't look at AGENTS.md, we added these instructions in its own file.

Suggested change
1. Read this file.
2. Read the nearest `AGENTS.md` for touched files.

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@napetrov napetrov Feb 18, 2026

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Agreed. I trimmed AGENTS.md to AGENTS-aware context only and removed duplicated Copilot-policy text. Copilot-specific rules remain in .github/copilot-instructions.md.

AGENTS.md Outdated
Comment on lines 36 to 46

## Directory map
- `.github/AGENTS.md`
- `benchmark/AGENTS.md`
- `bindings/AGENTS.md`
- `cmake/AGENTS.md`
- `examples/AGENTS.md`
- `include/svs/AGENTS.md`
- `tests/AGENTS.md`
- `tools/AGENTS.md`
- `utils/AGENTS.md`
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See previous comment.

Suggested change
## Directory map
- `.github/AGENTS.md`
- `benchmark/AGENTS.md`
- `bindings/AGENTS.md`
- `cmake/AGENTS.md`
- `examples/AGENTS.md`
- `include/svs/AGENTS.md`
- `tests/AGENTS.md`
- `tools/AGENTS.md`
- `utils/AGENTS.md`

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@napetrov napetrov Feb 18, 2026

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Addressed in the latest update: AGENTS.md now stays minimal and non-duplicative, with Copilot behavior centralized in .github/copilot-instructions.md.

mihaic
mihaic approved these changes Feb 18, 2026
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Agents are go! :) And actually one more suggestion below. Also, please remove the jumbled text from the commit message when merging.

.github/copilot-instructions.md Outdated
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
# GitHub Copilot Instructions — ScalableVectorSearch

## Source of truth
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This heading duplicates the "Source-of-truth files" heading below. We can leave the text in this section at the top level, without a heading.

Suggested change
## Source of truth

@napetrov napetrov force-pushed the docs/agents-copilot-hierarchy branch from ff0d4bd to 54d21fb Compare February 19, 2026 20:12
@napetrov
Remove duplicate 'Source of truth' heading
072b663 
Per mihaic review comment: top-level intro text doesn't need a heading
since there's already a 'Source-of-truth files' section below.
@napetrov napetrov enabled auto-merge (squash) February 19, 2026 20:15
@napetrov napetrov merged commit 1c02cf4 into intel:main Feb 19, 2026
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@napetrov napetrov mentioned this pull request Feb 19, 2026
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@mihaic mihaic mihaic approved these changes

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