agent-md-refactor

Agent MD Refactor

Refactor bloated agent instruction files (AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, COPILOT.md, etc.) to follow progressive disclosure principles - keeping essentials at root and organizing the rest into linked, categorized files.

Triggers

Use this skill when:

"refactor my AGENTS.md" / "refactor my CLAUDE.md"
"split my agent instructions"
"organize my CLAUDE.md file"
"my AGENTS.md is too long"
"progressive disclosure for my instructions"
"clean up my agent config"

Quick Reference

Phase	Action	Output
1. Analyze	Find contradictions	List of conflicts to resolve
2. Extract	Identify essentials	Core instructions for root file
3. Categorize	Group remaining instructions	Logical categories
4. Structure	Create file hierarchy	Root + linked files
5. Prune	Flag for deletion	Redundant/vague instructions

Process

Phase 1: Find Contradictions

Identify any instructions that conflict with each other.

Look for:

Contradictory style guidelines (e.g., "use semicolons" vs "no semicolons")
Conflicting workflow instructions
Incompatible tool preferences
Mutually exclusive patterns

For each contradiction found:

## Contradiction Found
 
**Instruction A:** [quote]
**Instruction B:** [quote]
 
**Question:**

Ask the user to resolve before proceeding.

Phase 2: Identify the Essentials

Extract ONLY what belongs in the root agent file. The root should be minimal - information that applies to every single task.

Essential content (keep in root):

Category	Example
Project description	One sentence: "A React dashboard for analytics"
Package manager	Only if not npm (e.g., "Uses pnpm")
Non-standard commands	Custom build/test/typecheck commands
Critical overrides	Things that MUST override defaults
Universal rules	Applies to 100% of tasks

NOT essential (move to linked files):

Language-specific conventions
Testing guidelines
Code style details
Framework patterns
Documentation standards
Git workflow details

Phase 3: Group the Rest

Organize remaining instructions into logical categories.

Common categories:

Category	Contents
`typescript.md`	TS conventions, type patterns, strict mode rules
`testing.md`	Test frameworks, coverage, mocking patterns
`code-style.md`	Formatting, naming, comments, structure
`git-workflow.md`	Commits, branches, PRs, reviews
`architecture.md`	Patterns, folder structure, dependencies
`api-design.md`	REST/GraphQL conventions, error handling
`security.md`	Auth patterns, input validation, secrets
`performance.md`	Optimization rules, caching, lazy loading

Grouping rules:

Each file should be self-contained for its topic
Aim for 3-8 files (not too granular, not too broad)
Name files clearly: {topic}.md
Include only actionable instructions

Phase 4: Create the File Structure

Output structure:

Root file template:

Each linked file template:

Phase 5: Flag for Deletion

Identify instructions that should be removed entirely.

Delete if:

Criterion	Example	Why Delete
Redundant	"Use TypeScript" (in a .ts project)	Agent already knows
Too vague	"Write clean code"	Not actionable
Overly obvious	"Don't introduce bugs"	Wastes context
Default behavior	"Use descriptive variable names"	Standard practice
Outdated	References deprecated APIs	No longer applies

Output format:

Execution Checklist

Anti-Patterns

Avoid	Why	Instead
Keeping everything in root	Bloated, hard to maintain	Split into linked files
Too many categories	Fragmentation	Consolidate related topics
Vague instructions	Wastes tokens, no value	Be specific or delete
Duplicating defaults	Agent already knows	Only override when needed
Deep nesting	Hard to navigate	Flat structure with links

Examples

Before (Bloated Root)

After (Progressive Disclosure)

Verification

After refactoring, verify:

Root file is minimal - Under 50 lines, only universal info
Links work - All referenced files exist
No contradictions - Instructions are consistent
Actionable content - Every instruction is specific
Complete coverage - No instructions were lost (unless flagged for deletion)
Self-contained files - Each linked file stands alone