Draft v0.1 standard for AI coding tools

Ignore file for agent context.

One file. One syntax. Every agent.

AgentIgnore defines a vendor-neutral .agentignore file for excluding project files from passive AI coding agent discovery, indexing, retrieval, context construction, and automated modification.

Read RFC-0001 Contribute feedback

Proposal phase Vendor neutral Root-level .agentignore

.agentignore

# Dependencies and generated output
node_modules/
dist/
build/
coverage/

# Tool and cache directories
.cache/
.tmp/

# Noisy runtime artifacts
*.log

# Legacy or archived code
legacy/
archive/

Different tools should not need different ignore rules.

AgentIgnore gives projects a single place to express which files should stay out of passive agent context.

Reduce context noise

Exclude generated artifacts, dependency folders, logs, and legacy areas that distract retrieval and reasoning.

Lower accidental exposure

Reduce accidental inclusion of irrelevant files in passive discovery while preserving explicit user-directed access semantics.

Stay tool neutral

Define behavior that can work across all major agentic coding tools and future ecosystems.

Not a security boundary.

AgentIgnore is intended to reduce accidental exposure to AI coding agents during passive operations. Sensitive files still require proper access control, encryption, secret management, and repository hygiene.

Prior art

AgentIgnore does not claim invention of the idea. The project exists to help existing efforts and tool-specific requests converge on a single vendor-neutral standard.

And many more across agentic coding tools and adjacent ecosystems.

Adopt the draft in three steps.

The current proposal is intentionally narrow: recognize a root-level .agentignore, apply familiar ignore patterns, and keep ignored paths out of passive agent operations.

1. Add .agentignoreList files and directories that agents should not passively discover, index, retrieve, summarize, or modify.
2. Treat ignored files as passive exclusionsOrdinary tasks should not cause agents to inspect matching paths unless the user directly names them.
3. Document override behaviorIf a tool allows explicit user-directed access, make the ignored status visible to the user.

Project documents

Use the RFC for the current proposal, examples, rationale, and open design space.

RFC-0001

The current proposal, motivation, semantics, and future work.

README

The repository overview, prior art, and project status.

CONTRIBUTING.md

How to propose changes, report compatibility findings, and participate in RFC discussion.

Help shape the standard.

AgentIgnore is a draft proposal. Review the RFC, report compatibility findings, or suggest focused changes through GitHub.

Suggest a spec change View on GitHub