Add your DESIGN.md to Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and other agents

Put DESIGN.md in the root of your repository, next to your README. Then tell your agent to read it. Every coding agent already reads an instruction file of its own, so one line in that file is enough.

Claude Code#

Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md. Add this line, and the @ makes Claude Code load the file into every session:

Read @DESIGN.md before creating or changing any UI, and follow it.

Codex and Cursor#

Both read AGENTS.md in the repository root. Add:

Before creating or changing UI, read DESIGN.md and follow it.

If your repository has no AGENTS.md yet, create one with just that line.

GitHub Copilot#

Add the same line to .github/copilot-instructions.md.

Windsurf#

Add the line to a rule in .windsurf/rules/, or to AGENTS.md if you already keep one.

Gemini CLI#

Gemini CLI reads GEMINI.md and can import files with @:

Read @DESIGN.md before creating or changing any UI, and follow it.

Lovable, v0 and Bolt#

These tools don’t read your repository the same way. Paste the contents of your DESIGN.md into the project’s knowledge or custom instructions instead.

Check that it worked#

Ask your agent which color primary buttons use. It should answer with the value of color-action from your file. If it guesses, the instruction line isn’t being read yet.

When something changes#

Open the wizard, change the decision, download the file again and replace the old one. Your agents pick up the new version on their next task.