Your AI agent needs a map, not a memo

What it does

DOX gives AI agents spatial awareness by nesting AGENTS.md files throughout a codebase. The root file holds project-wide context, while child files define local rules for specific directories. Before editing, the agent walks the tree from root to target; after changing code, it updates the docs it just used. It is essentially a convention encoded in Markdown—no runtime, no package, no ceremony.

The interesting bit

The clever part is the feedback loop: the agent both reads and writes these files, so documentation drifts with the code rather than rotting beside it. Because DOX is just a Markdown template, it works anywhere AGENTS.md is already supported—Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode—without waiting for ecosystem buy-in.

Key highlights

• Zero runtime: a single Markdown file that agents read as instructions
• Hierarchical navigation: the agent walks from root to target, gathering context at each level
• Self-maintaining: agents update the relevant AGENTS.md files after meaningful edits
• Universal compatibility: works with any agent that already consumes AGENTS.md
• No lock-in: remove the files and the framework vanishes without a trace

Verdict

Worth trying if you already use Codex, Claude Code, or similar AGENTS.md-aware agents; everyone else will find it is simply a folder of Markdown files with no runtime to enforce anything.