Claude Code now reads AGENTS.md as project instructions
Version 2.1.277 by Anthropic, September 18, 2026: Claude Code reads AGENTS.md when no CLAUDE.md is present — no need to maintain two separate instruction files.
Anthropic released Claude Code version 2.1.277 on September 18, 2026, with support for AGENTS.md as project instructions. When no CLAUDE.md is present in the repository, Claude Code now reads AGENTS.md instead. You can change the priority in settings: /config, the "Project instructions" section.
Before this update, projects that used multiple AI coding tools often maintained two separate instruction files. I did this in several projects — AGENTS.md for tools that follow the AGENTS.md convention, and CLAUDE.md specifically for Claude Code. When the rules changed, both files needed updates, and over time they diverged.
One limitation applies: this feature works only in direct Claude Code installations. It is not yet available on Bedrock, Vertex, and Foundry deployments.
The same update also added a ctrl+enter shortcut to send the current message immediately, and automatic syncing of skills and plugins from the claude.ai account to terminal sessions.
Source: code.claude.com
Free course
Stop reading about AI — start building with it
The free Claude Code course: your first site, tool or game — no coding. No upsells, no cross-sells — nothing to buy here.
Start free →▌ Related guides
Author
Evgenii Arsentev
PhD · Chief Executive Officer, digital health
Articles · Latest articles