Simple Agentic Project Template

This template serves as a minimal baseline for AI-powered projects. It provides a single source of truth for agent context (.agents/) and thin pointer files so that all agents read the same instructions, standards, and skill playbooks. Currently supports Claude Code, Codex CLI, and GitHub Copilot.

Purpose

Most AI-assisted repos get messy when the maintainers shift tools: each one gets its own reference file and the rules become harder to maintain over time, especially in larger, well-defined projects. This template fixes that by:

• Keeping all agent-facing context in the .agents/ directory.
• Having the main directory exposed to each agent via small pointer files at the repo root (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, .github/copilot-instructions.md).
• Shipping a starter set of skills (ci, cleanup, code-standard, passcheck, pr, project-structure, scaffold-module, stack) that allow maintainers for further customization. Details for each skill will be discussed below.

Use it as the starting point for any new AI-assisted project where you want consistent agent behavior from day one.

What's Inside

.agents/
  README.md                 # index — agents read this first
  context/                  # project context files
  skills/<name>/SKILL.md 
.claude/
  skills/<name>/SKILL.md    # Claude-specific prompts that point back to the default skill directory
  settings.local.json
.github/
  copilot-instructions.md   # Github Copilot pointer
  workflows/
CLAUDE.md                   # Claude Code pointer
AGENTS.md                   # Codex CLI pointer

Included Skills

The template ships with a starter set of skill playbooks under .agents/skills/. Some of the skills provided are for general development use case, while others are for template and context maintenance. The skills are setup to automatically support most mdodern frontend/backend tech stacks for general usage.

• ci - Creates a GitHub Actions workflow at .github/workflows/ci.yml that runs on push and pull request activity against the main or master branch.
• cleanup - Scans the source for leftover debug calls, redundant comments, and dead code from development commits, then removes them with user confirmation and validates with a test build.
• code-standard - Reviews and revises the coding standard documents under .agents/context/ against the actual source, or creates one when none exists.
• passcheck - Audits the source for code that does not comply with the standards and architecture documented under .agents/context/.
• pr - Opens a pull request to main/master on GitHub or Azure workflows with a summary, implemented changes, and a test checklist.
• project-structure - Reviews and revises the project structure/architecture document under .agents/context/ to match the actual source layout, or creates a new one if no template is detected.
• scaffold-module - Scaffolds a new module from a description, following the established module setup guidelines and the project's existing architecture conventions.
• stack — Reviews and revises the tech stack document under .agents/context/ against currently used packages and dependencies, flagging security risks and deprecated defaults (if any).

How to Use

1. Clone the template.

   git clone https://github.com/<your-org>/simple-agentic-project-template.git my-new-project
   cd my-new-project

2. Fill in .agents/context/.

   • coding-standard.md - language/style rules your agents must follow.
   • project-structure.md - directory layout and module boundaries.
   • tech-stack.md - frameworks, libraries, versions.

3. Trim or add skills. Delete any skill under .agents/skills/ you don't need, and remove its stub under .claude/skills/. To add one:

   • Create .agents/skills/<name>/SKILL.md with property (name:, description:).
   • Create .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md stub pointing at the default file.

4. (Optional) Setup the context files. If migrating for the first time, run the following skills in order: stack, project-structure, then code-standard for last. Once completed tweak the generated files according to your preference.

5. (Optional) Modify the scaffold-module reference. If you want your scaffolding skill to be more specific with your current development process, edit the .agents/skills/scaffold-module/references/module-setup-guidelines.md to your intended use case.

6. Start working. Open the project in Claude Code, Codex CLI, or Copilot CLI. They should pick up the pointer file and load the .agents/ context automatically.

Contributions

For feedback and additional contributions, please feel free to raise an issue or create a pull request.