Your AI agent just modified the wrong file. Again. Before you blame the model — when did you last check what instructions you actually gave it?
Most developers hand a powerful coding agent a vague persona and wonder why results are inconsistent. GitHub's analysis of 2,500+ repositories reveals the uncomfortable truth: the gap between agents that work and agents that guess comes down to one file you're probably not writing correctly.
In this guide: the six pillars of a high-performing agents.md, a production-ready Dataverse plugin agent template, and the maintenance habit that keeps your AI sharp as your codebase grows. Your agent is only as good as the manual you write for it.
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