Tool Guides
The principles in this framework are tool-agnostic. The same guidelines — project scope, tech stack, coding standards — work regardless of whether you use Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, or something else.
What differs is the container: file names, locations, syntax, and loading behavior. These guides show how to translate your guidelines into each tool’s format.
Cross-Tool Mental Model
All LLM coding tools share the same pattern:
You write guidelines → Tool loads them → Model reads them → Model follows them
The differences:
| Aspect | Claude Code | Cursor | Copilot | AGENTS.md |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File | CLAUDE.md | .cursor/rules/*.mdc | .github/copilot-instructions.md | AGENTS.md |
| Format | Markdown | Markdown + YAML frontmatter | Markdown | Markdown |
| Scoping | Subdirectory files | Glob patterns in frontmatter | Path-specific instruction files | Subdirectory files |
| Loading | Always (root), auto (subdirs) | Always, auto (glob), or manual | Always | Closest file wins |
| Multi-file | Yes (hierarchy) | Yes (rule per file) | Yes (instructions directory) | Yes (hierarchy) |
For executable quality gates across tools, see Hooks.
Which Guide Do You Need?
Available guides:
For most teams:
- Start with AGENTS.md for portable baseline guidance.
- Add your primary tool guide next (Claude Code, Cursor, or Copilot).
- Add Hooks, Skills, Sub-Agents, and Agent Teams only when those workflows become necessary.
Multi-Tool Strategy
If your team uses more than one tool:
- Write your guidelines as plain markdown (the content from this framework)
- Pick a primary format for the tool most of your team uses
- Add secondary formats only if a tool’s unique features add value (e.g., Cursor’s glob scoping)
- Keep content in sync — update the source, then update the format-specific files
The overhead of maintaining 2-3 format variants is small. The content — which is 90% of the work — is shared.