Context File

Artifact prompting published

Also known as: CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, .cursorrules, Project Context, AI Configuration File

Definition

A file placed in a project repository that provides persistent context, instructions, and constraints to AI coding assistants. Context files are automatically loaded when an AI assistant works on the project, giving it project-specific knowledge without requiring the user to repeat instructions in every session. Common examples include CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, and .cursorrules.

What this is NOT

  • Not a system prompt (context files are per-project, not per-session)
  • Not documentation for humans (though humans can read them)
  • Not configuration files (context files contain natural language, not settings)
  • Not version-controlled prompts (context files evolve with the project)

Alternative Interpretations

Different communities use this term differently:

claude-code

A CLAUDE.md file in the project root that contains project-specific instructions, coding standards, architectural decisions, and session notes that Claude Code loads automatically.

Sources: Claude Code documentation, Anthropic best practices

cursor

A .cursorrules file that defines project-specific rules, patterns, and preferences for Cursor's AI features to follow.

Sources: Cursor documentation

general-ai-dev

Any structured file (often markdown) that provides AI assistants with project context, including README files when used for this purpose.

Sources: Community best practices

Examples

  • A CLAUDE.md file explaining the project's architecture and coding conventions
  • A .cursorrules file specifying TypeScript patterns and forbidden practices
  • An AGENTS.md file with session notes and decision log for AI continuity
  • A context file listing tech stack, dependencies, and deployment process

Counterexamples

Things that might seem like Context File but are not:

  • A README.md written for human developers (unless also designed for AI)
  • A system prompt in the AI application itself (not project-specific)
  • An .env file (configuration, not context)
  • A prompt template for a specific task (context files are persistent)

Relations

  • specializes prompt (Context files are a specialized form of persistent prompting)
  • overlapsWith system-prompt (Both provide instructions, but context files are project-scoped)
  • usedBy code-executing-agent (Coding agents load context files for project understanding)
  • requires context-engineering (Good context files require thoughtful context engineering)

See Also

Implementations

Tools and frameworks that implement this concept: