Evidence record / claude-code
A dated record of one change, kept so the writing that cites it can be checked. Compiled from the sources listed below by the research run, not written for reading. The judgment lives in the issues that cite it, below.
2026-10-13-claude-code-agents-md-reaches-all-providers-in-2-1-281-managed-only-still-admits-nested-instructions
AGENTS.md reaches all providers in 2.1.281; managed-only still admits nested instructions. A repository that has only AGENTS.md now gets it as project instructions on every provider and with telemetry off from 2.1.281, so the CLAUDE.md shim is unnecessary everywhere. The loader is a built-in mod with public source, and managed-only keeps launch-time project, local and user instruction files and every AGENTS.md out; subdirectory CLAUDE.md, .claude/rules and path-scoped rules still load on demand. The organization’s managed CLAUDE.md and auto memory remain at launch. /doctor prompt-audit flags instruction files written for older models, a vendor tool for deleting scaffolding. The 2.1.281 line was added a day and a half after release, and the same commit erased the 2.1.277 caveat.
Channel: tagged-release (2.1.281 and 2.1.283, on stable); docs-only (retroactive changelog edit). Half: capability. Date: 2026-09-23 (2.1.281; changelog line added 2026-09-25), 2026-09-25 (2.1.283).
Operator consequence: Delete “see AGENTS.md” CLAUDE.md shims and SessionStart hooks that print AGENTS.md once the fleet is at 2.1.281 or later, which stable is; keep an @AGENTS.md import only for older pins. A CLAUDE.local.md suppresses AGENTS.md under the default value, so developers who keep local notes need claude-md-and-agents-md. managed-only removes launch-time repository instructions and all AGENTS.md files, but nested CLAUDE.md, .claude/rules and path-scoped rules still load on demand; it is not a complete repository-instruction exclusion. Before v2.1.285 use the agents-md@builtin key. Cite the changelog at a pinned commit when a line matters: entries change after release.
Receipt
- https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/blob/2301018b1f61/CHANGELOG.md?plain=1#L1477
- https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/commit/163ae3a264caab2b8317433e15c0895921240474
- https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/blob/2301018b1f61/mods/agents-md/README.md
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory#project-instructions
Finding metadata
Run: 2026-10-13-profile-refresh-2026-09-21_2026-10-13-frontier-v0
Finding ID: 2026-10-13-claude-code-agents-md-reaches-all-providers-in-2-1-281-managed-only-still-admits-nested-instructions
Profile citations
- Claude Code / claim / agents-md-portability-and-instruction-limits
- Claude Code / posture / capability
Source links
Primary links, including exact changelog lines when available.
- tagged commit file2026-10-13-claude-code-agents-md-reaches-all-providers-in-2-1-281-managed-only-still-admits-nested-instructionsanthropics/claude-code / CHANGELOG.md#L1477commit2026-10-13-claude-code-agents-md-reaches-all-providers-in-2-1-281-managed-only-still-admits-nested-instructionsgithub.com/anthropics/claude-code/commit/163ae3a264caab2b8317433e15c0895921240474tagged commit file2026-10-13-claude-code-agents-md-reaches-all-providers-in-2-1-281-managed-only-still-admits-nested-instructionsanthropics/claude-code / mods/agents-md/README.mdofficial docs2026-10-13-claude-code-agents-md-reaches-all-providers-in-2-1-281-managed-only-still-admits-nested-instructionscode.claude.com/docs/en/memory#project-instructions
Versioned source: run artifact