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Centralized versus module-level organization of AI configuration files

Determine whether repositories should maintain a single centralized AI configuration file at the project level or multiple module-level files to better support agentic workflows and maintainability.

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Background

Projects currently experiment with diverse organizational patterns for AI configuration files. The choice between a central file and distributed module-level files affects scope, maintainability, and agent behavior.

Empirical evaluation can reveal trade-offs in readability, reuse, coordination, and evolution when instructions are centralized versus localized.

References

Design questions include whether standard schemas could improve interoperability, whether repositories should maintain one centralized file or multiple module-level ones, and how to coordinate instructions for multiple agents.

— Context Engineering for AI Agents in Open-Source Software (2510.21413 - Mohsenimofidi et al., 24 Oct 2025) in Conclusion (Section "Conclusion")