diff --git a/docs/installation.md b/docs/installation.md
index 7fcfc5f7..c8b22cfc 100644
--- a/docs/installation.md
+++ b/docs/installation.md
@@ -234,8 +234,9 @@ entry points.
 on this SDK by version range), a strict `tsconfig.json`, `src/agent.ts` calling
 `createAgent({ model, instructions })` with an example `defineTool()` tool, an
 offline `src/agent.test.ts` using `mockModel`, a `.env.example` naming your
-provider's key variable, `.gitignore` and a README. It then installs the
-dependencies and runs `git init`.
+provider's key variable, `.gitignore`, a README, and an `AGENTS.md` (plus a
+one-line `CLAUDE.md` importing it) telling coding agents the project's files,
+scripts and conventions. It then installs the dependencies and runs `git init`.
 
 ```bash
 npm create lousho-agent my-agent         # or: npx @lousho/build-ai-agent init my-agent
diff --git a/llms-full.txt b/llms-full.txt
index 8cec3f9a..d52b2a8c 100644
--- a/llms-full.txt
+++ b/llms-full.txt
@@ -595,8 +595,9 @@ entry points.
 on this SDK by version range), a strict `tsconfig.json`, `src/agent.ts` calling
 `createAgent({ model, instructions })` with an example `defineTool()` tool, an
 offline `src/agent.test.ts` using `mockModel`, a `.env.example` naming your
-provider's key variable, `.gitignore` and a README. It then installs the
-dependencies and runs `git init`.
+provider's key variable, `.gitignore`, a README, and an `AGENTS.md` (plus a
+one-line `CLAUDE.md` importing it) telling coding agents the project's files,
+scripts and conventions. It then installs the dependencies and runs `git init`.
 
 ```bash
 npm create lousho-agent my-agent         # or: npx @lousho/build-ai-agent init my-agent
diff --git a/src/cli/init/templates.test.ts b/src/cli/init/templates.test.ts
index 9653ef4b..485ff0d0 100644
--- a/src/cli/init/templates.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/init/templates.test.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ describe('renderProject', () => {
   it.each(combos)('%s / %s: file set and key contents', (provider, template) => {
     const files = renderProject(config(provider, template));
 
-    const expected = ['.env.example', '.gitignore', 'README.md', 'package.json', 'src/agent.test.ts', 'tsconfig.json'];
+    const expected = ['.env.example', '.gitignore', 'AGENTS.md', 'CLAUDE.md', 'README.md', 'package.json', 'src/agent.test.ts', 'tsconfig.json'];
     expected.push(...(template === 'yaml' ? ['agent.yaml'] : ['src/agent.ts', 'src/index.ts']));
     expect(Object.keys(files).sort()).toEqual(expected.sort());
 
@@ -98,6 +98,30 @@ describe('renderProject', () => {
     }
   );
 
+  it.each(combos)('%s / %s: AGENTS.md is short, lists the real scripts and only lousho.com links', (provider, template) => {
+    const files = renderProject(config(provider, template));
+    const agents = files['AGENTS.md']!;
+    expect(agents.trimEnd().split('\n').length).toBeLessThanOrEqual(60);
+    const scripts = JSON.parse(files['package.json']!).scripts as Record<string, string>;
+    const listed = [...agents.matchAll(/^- `npm run ([\w:-]+)`/gm)].map((m) => m[1]);
+    expect(listed.sort()).toEqual(Object.keys(scripts).sort());
+    expect(agents).toContain(ENV_KEYS[provider]);
+    expect(agents).toContain(template === 'yaml' ? 'agent.yaml' : 'defineTool');
+    if (template !== 'yaml') {
+      for (const word of ['needsApproval', 'mockModel', 'maxTokens', `${provider}/`]) expect(agents).toContain(word);
+    }
+    const urls = [...agents.matchAll(/https?:\/\/[^\s)]+/g)].map((m) => m[0]);
+    expect(urls).toContain('https://lousho.com/llms.txt');
+    for (const url of urls) expect(url).toMatch(/^https:\/\/lousho\.com\//);
+    expect(files['CLAUDE.md']).toBe('@AGENTS.md\n');
+  });
+
+  it('AGENTS.md uses the chosen package manager', () => {
+    const agents = renderProject({ ...config('openai', 'minimal'), packageManager: 'pnpm' })['AGENTS.md']!;
+    expect(agents).toContain('`pnpm run test`');
+    expect(agents).not.toMatch(/(^|[s`])npm run/);
+  });
+
   it('the tools template defines more tools than minimal', () => {
     const count = (template: Template) =>
       (renderProject(config('openai', template))['src/agent.ts']!.match(/defineTool\(\{/g) ?? []).length;
diff --git a/src/cli/init/templates.ts b/src/cli/init/templates.ts
index cbbd0d64..0ab12531 100644
--- a/src/cli/init/templates.ts
+++ b/src/cli/init/templates.ts
@@ -55,25 +55,30 @@ function zodRange(peerRange: string | undefined, provider: string): string {
   return provider === 'ollama' ? (alternatives.find((part) => part.startsWith('^4')) ?? '^4.0.0') : range;
 }
 
+/** The generated package.json's scripts; AGENTS.md lists exactly these. */
+function scripts(config: ProjectConfig): Record<string, string> {
+  const yaml = config.template === 'yaml';
+  return {
+    // `lousho dev` loads .env itself, and so does src/index.ts (tsx --env-file-if-exists prints "not found" twice).
+    dev: yaml ? 'lousho dev agent.yaml' : 'tsx src/index.ts',
+    // The chat UI with hot reload; it serves src/agent.ts's default export.
+    ...(yaml ? {} : { 'dev:ui': 'lousho dev src/agent.ts' }),
+    test: 'vitest run',
+    typecheck: 'tsc --noEmit',
+    doctor: yaml ? 'lousho doctor agent.yaml' : 'lousho doctor src/agent.ts',
+    // A self-contained HTTP server in .lousho/build/node-server (--target=docker adds a Dockerfile).
+    build: `lousho build ${yaml ? 'agent.yaml' : 'src/agent.ts'} --target=node-server`,
+  };
+}
+
 function packageJson(config: ProjectConfig): string {
   const peers = config.sdk.peerDependencies ?? {};
-  const yaml = config.template === 'yaml';
   const pkg = {
     name: config.name,
     version: '0.1.0',
     private: true,
     type: 'module',
-    scripts: {
-      // `lousho dev` loads .env itself, and so does src/index.ts (tsx --env-file-if-exists prints "not found" twice).
-      dev: yaml ? 'lousho dev agent.yaml' : 'tsx src/index.ts',
-      // The chat UI with hot reload; it serves src/agent.ts's default export.
-      ...(yaml ? {} : { 'dev:ui': 'lousho dev src/agent.ts' }),
-      test: 'vitest run',
-      typecheck: 'tsc --noEmit',
-      doctor: yaml ? 'lousho doctor agent.yaml' : 'lousho doctor src/agent.ts',
-      // A self-contained HTTP server in .lousho/build/node-server (--target=docker adds a Dockerfile).
-      build: `lousho build ${yaml ? 'agent.yaml' : 'src/agent.ts'} --target=node-server`,
-    },
+    scripts: scripts(config),
     dependencies: sortKeys({
       '@lousho/build-ai-agent': config.sdkDependency,
       zod: zodRange(peers.zod, config.provider),
@@ -335,6 +340,63 @@ const TROUBLESHOOTING = `## Troubleshooting
 
 `;
 
+const SCRIPT_NOTES: Record<string, string> = {
+  dev: 'chat with the agent',
+  'dev:ui': 'chat UI with hot reload',
+  test: 'offline tests (vitest), no API key needed',
+  typecheck: 'tsc --noEmit',
+  doctor: 'check Node, packages and the API key',
+  build: 'bundle a deployable HTTP server into .lousho/build/node-server',
+};
+
+/** AGENTS.md: short, project-specific guidance for coding agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex). */
+function agentsMd(config: ProjectConfig): string {
+  const pm = config.packageManager;
+  const info = providerInfo(config.provider);
+  const yaml = config.template === 'yaml';
+  const commands = Object.keys(scripts(config))
+    .map((name) => `- \`${run(pm, name)}\` - ${SCRIPT_NOTES[name] ?? name}`)
+    .join('\n');
+  const files = yaml
+    ? '- `agent.yaml` - the agent: prompt, provider, model and tools (built-in tool names, e.g. `current-date`)\n- `src/agent.test.ts` - checks the spec loads, offline'
+    : '- `src/agent.ts` - the agent (default export is its config) and its tools\n- `src/agent.test.ts` - tests with `mockModel`, offline\n- `src/index.ts` - the terminal chat (`dev`)';
+  const conventions = yaml
+    ? `- Edit \`agent.yaml\` to change the agent; \`model\` is a model id of the \`${config.provider}\` provider.
+- Keep tests offline: \`loadSpec\` the YAML and assert on it; never call a live model in tests.`
+    : `- Define tools with \`defineTool({ name, description, input: z.object(...), execute })\`; \`input\` is a zod schema.
+- Give any tool with side effects \`needsApproval: true\` (or a predicate) so a human approves the call.
+- The model string is \`provider/model\`, here \`${config.provider}/${info.defaultModel}\`.
+- Replies are capped by \`modelSettings.maxTokens\` (4096) in \`src/agent.ts\`; raise it for longer answers.
+- Test offline with \`mockModel([...])\` from \`@lousho/build-ai-agent/testing\`; never call a live model in tests.`;
+  return `# ${config.name}
+
+An agent built with \`@lousho/build-ai-agent\` (provider: ${config.provider}). Read this before changing code.
+
+## Files
+
+${files}
+- \`.env\` - secrets (${info.envKey}); copy from \`.env.example\`, never commit it
+
+## Commands
+
+${commands}
+
+Run \`${run(pm, 'test')}\` and \`${run(pm, 'typecheck')}\` after every change.
+
+## Conventions
+
+${conventions}
+
+## Docs
+
+- https://lousho.com/llms.txt - index of the docs, written for coding agents
+- https://lousho.com/quickstart
+- https://lousho.com/tools
+- https://lousho.com/approvals
+- https://lousho.com/testing
+`;
+}
+
 function readme(config: ProjectConfig): string {
   const pm = config.packageManager;
   const info = providerInfo(config.provider);
@@ -378,6 +440,9 @@ export function renderProject(config: ProjectConfig): Record<string, string> {
     '.gitignore': gitignore(config),
     '.env.example': envExample(config),
     'README.md': readme(config),
+    'AGENTS.md': agentsMd(config),
+    // Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md, not AGENTS.md; `@AGENTS.md` imports it.
+    'CLAUDE.md': '@AGENTS.md\n',
     'src/agent.test.ts': yaml ? yamlTestSource(config) : testSource(),
   };
   if (yaml) {