Project instructions
Define persistent instructions that guide the agent across all project chats.
Project instructions are persistent, user-defined guidance that the agent follows in every chat within the project. Use them to set expectations, focus the agent's analysis, or establish conventions that apply to all conversations.
Writing instructions
Open the project instructions editor from the project settings or the chat view to write or edit your instructions.
You can @-mention project files within your instructions to give the agent standing guidance about specific documents. For example, you might instruct the agent to always reference a particular audit report when discussing compliance.
How instructions work
Instructions are included automatically in every chat message within the project. You don't need to repeat them in each conversation. The agent follows them consistently.
The agent follows instructions in both Agent mode and Ask mode. Instructions have high priority in the agent's context: they are preserved even in longer conversations where older messages may be condensed.
Sub-projects inherit instructions from their parent projects. This lets you set shared conventions at a higher level and refine them with more specific guidance in child projects.
Example instructions
Scope and focus
Focus analysis on Scope 3 emissions and biodiversity impacts.Conventions
Use metric tons as the default unit for all material quantities.File-specific guidance
Always reference @supplier-audit-2025.pdf when discussing compliance risks.Comparisons
When comparing materials, always include cost, GHG, and biodiversity metrics.Best practices
Keep instructions specific
Vague instructions like "be thorough" are less effective than specific directives like "always include cost, GHG, and biodiversity metrics when comparing materials." The agent treats instructions as standing rules, so write them as clear, actionable guidance.
Use @-mentions for file-specific guidance
When an instruction references a specific document, @-mention the file so the agent can retrieve its content automatically. This is more reliable than referring to files by name in plain text.
Use project hierarchy for shared conventions
Set company-wide standards (units, metrics, reporting format) in a parent project's instructions. Refine with product-specific or analysis-specific guidance in child projects. This keeps conventions consistent while allowing flexibility where needed.
Instructions guide the agent at the project level. For one-off guidance that applies to a single message, include it directly in your chat message instead.