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Specification Extension Request: Standardized ignore files Support in Agents.md Specification #33
Description
Summary
Extend the Agents.md specification to include standardized handling of ignore files. This would introduce a single .agentignore / .aiignore, file that all agentic tools can comply with, replacing the need for multiple, tool-specific ignore files (e.g., .clineignore, .claudeignore, etc.).
Motivation
Currently, each agentic tool tends to define its own ignore configuration, leading to fragmentation and duplication.
Examples:
.clineignorefor Cline.claudeignorefor Claude- Other tools introducing their own formats
This creates unnecessary friction for developers managing projects across multiple agentic ecosystems.
Proposed Solution
- Introduce
.agentignoreas the standard ignore file for agentic tools. - Define in the Agents.md specification how this file should be interpreted (syntax, precedence, patterns).
- Encourage tool maintainers to adopt
.agentignoreas a unified convention.
Prior Art / References
- agentignore provides a practical reference for what such a standard could look like.
- Established conventions like
.gitignore,.dockerignore, and.npmignoreshow the benefits of standardization in developer workflows.
Benefits
- Consistency: One ignore file works across tools.
- Simplicity: Reduces cognitive load for developers.
- Interoperability: Promotes cross-tool compatibility and collaboration.
- Ecosystem growth: Standardization encourages adoption and easier onboarding.
Next Steps
- Discuss inclusion of
.agentignorein the official specification. - Define the syntax and semantics clearly in Agents.md.
- Engage with tool developers to encourage early adoption.
Reacted by António Meireles, Marco Muser, Michel Thomazo, Mustafa, Nguyễn Hải Đăng, Seiji Chew, denis-kobliha and Aleksandr Baryshnikov
Reacted by Michel Thomazo
Activity
[-]Feature Request: Standardized `.agentignore` Support in Agents.md Specification[/-][+]Specification Extension Request: Standardized `.agentignore` Support in Agents.md Specification[/+][-]Specification Extension Request: Standardized `.agentignore` Support in Agents.md Specification[/-][+]Specification Extension Request: Standardized ignore files Support in Agents.md Specification[/+]michelTho commentedon Sep 19, 2025
We are in favor of implementing this on Mistral Code if it is established as standard
sanathusk commentedon Sep 21, 2025
@michelTho Mistral Code could lead this, more opensource agentics tools would follow, We could at least raise the PR for opensource once,once it gains enough trajection, more tools would adopt it, infact AGENTS.md also has similar origin story.
rosmur commentedon Oct 14, 2025
Thanks for raising this! We need to prioritize this!
LLMs reading things that they shouldn't is a SERIOUS security and privacy risk that is going entirely overlooked.
For a common workflow using an LLM through Openrouter etc., there are at least 2 other parties that have access to your traffic. AI agents have show many times to read .env files so API keys and the like are sitting with cloud provides.
garogarabed12 commentedon Jun 8, 2026
Hello everyone,
I've been researching this exact problem and recently published a draft RFC for a vendor-neutral
.agentignorestandard:I checked out the work of @tourcoder, and it seems closely aligned with the same goal, so I'm not introducing a new idea, but would like to help formalize and standardize it.
The RFC currently defines:
.gitignore-style pattern semanticsOne design question I found particularly interesting is whether ignored files should be excluded only from passive agent operations (discovery, indexing, retrieval, context construction, etc.) or whether they should be inaccessible under all circumstances, including when the user explicitly names a file.
I'd appreciate feedback from anyone following this discussion.
Thanks!