Most agent failures do not come from missing one more note. They come from loading the wrong notes by default.

agents-docs-kits is a small public template for teams that want a durable agent memory structure inside a single worktree. The idea is simple: keep the always-loaded contract small, then let deeper project context open up only when the task actually needs it.

The problem it solves

A lot of agent setups drift toward the same failure mode. The main instructions grow into a catch-all document, task state gets mixed with durable reference material, and hand-offs become long summaries instead of precise resume points.

This kit takes the opposite stance. It uses a small-memory layout built for context injection and progressive disclosure:

  • AGENTS.md stays as the only always-injected index
  • docs/live/ holds the current execution state
  • docs/reference/ holds longer-lived project context

That separation matters because reliability depends on what the next agent sees first. If the default context is narrow and intentional, the hand-off is easier to trust.

What the generated structure looks like

The base template generates a compact file layout rather than a full framework:

.
├── AGENTS.md
└── docs/
    ├── live/
    │   ├── current-focus.md
    │   ├── todo.md
    │   └── progress.md
    └── reference/
        ├── implementation.md
        ├── design.md
        ├── architecture.md
        ├── codemap.md
        ├── memory.md
        └── lessons.md

At a glance, the split is doing two jobs. docs/live/ gives the next session the active objective, current progress, and next action. docs/reference/ keeps the slower-moving design and implementation material available without forcing it into every prompt.

Why progressive disclosure helps

The repo README describes a read order that starts with AGENTS.md, then moves into the live docs, then reaches into reference docs only when the work needs more depth.

That is a practical reliability move. Agents hand off better when they do not pretend every file deserves equal priority. A small default surface reduces noisy context injection, while the deeper docs still preserve the implementation detail needed for harder tasks.

How to scaffold it

The recommended path is to scaffold directly from templates/base:

npx degit thompson0012/agents-docs-kits/templates/base my-project

That gives a new project the starter docs without pulling in the repository-level wrapper material around the kit itself.

Why this matters

Good agent hand-offs are not long because the work is serious. They are usually long because the memory structure is weak.

agents-docs-kits is interesting precisely because it stays small. It gives teams a clear place for the durable contract, a clear place for live execution state, and a clear boundary between the two. That is the kind of structure that makes context injection more deliberate and cross-session hand-off quality more reliable.

If you want to inspect it directly, the public repository is here: thompson0012/agents-docs-kits.