Start a project with /init and AGENTS.md

The /init command scans a project and generates a structured summary file called AGENTS.md that Bob uses as persistent context in every conversation. The /init command is how you give Bob knowledge about a project's structure, conventions, and codebase, without requiring Bob to re-read every file at the start of each interaction.

Large language models are stateless. Each new conversation starts with no memory of previous interactions. Without explicit project context, Bob must discover the codebase with every new interaction, which is inefficient and becomes impractical at scale.

In this tutorial, you initialize Bob in a demo application's root directory, explore the context that Bob gains about the application, and learn about Bob's structure for mode-specific context.

To complete this tutorial, you need the following:

• If you do not already have it, clone the Galaxium Travels demo code. The clone command also checks out the bob-learning-path-branch that contains the code you use in the tutorials.

If you want to clone through the Bob IDE, follow the Clone the tutorial repository section of the quickstart tutorial.

• Bob IDE with the Galaxium Travels demo code open
• While not required, consider doing the Quickstart tutorial to familiarize yourself with Bob's interface and features.

To initialize the project context, open the agentic chat sidebar in Bob IDE, switch to Code mode on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Enter the /init command in the agentic chat. If you have auto-approval disabled, Bob asks your permission to read files and write the AGENTS.md files:

Bob reads the relevant files in the project. Bob then generates the main AGENTS.md file in the Galaxium Travels root directory. Bob also creates a .bob folder that contains an AGENTS.md for each mode.

The AGENTS.md files function like onboarding documentation for Bob. AGENTS.md is a concise, actionable summary that provides everything Bob needs to understand the project's structure and conventions.

You can locate the main AGENTS.md file at the bottom of the Bob file explorer on the left-hand side. Open the file to read its contents.

The AGENTS.md file typically contains the following components:

• Project overview and purpose
• Directory structure and key file locations
• Technology stack and dependencies
• Architectural patterns and conventions
• Development workflows

Bob automatically applies the AGENTS.md to new conversations and learns the project context.

In addition to the main AGENTS.md in the Galaxium Travels root directory, /init generates mode-specific context files in the .bob folder for each built-in mode:

Each mode-specific file extends the main AGENTS.md with information relevant to that mode's purpose. For example, the Plan mode context emphasizes architectural conventions, while the Code mode context highlights file structure and naming patterns.

Re-run /init after you make the following project adjustments:

• Adding new modules or services
• Changing the directory structure
• Adopting new technologies or frameworks
• Onboarding new team members who will use Bob

You can also manually edit the AGENTS.md to add context that Bob's automated scan might not capture, such as business rules, deployment conventions, or team-specific practices.

In this tutorial, you learned that large language models are stateless and that /init solves this issue by generating AGENTS.md, which is a persistent context file Bob reads at the start of every conversation. You also learned that mode-specific AGENTS.md files provide targeted context for Code, Plan, Ask, and Advanced modes, and that you should re-run /init after major project changes to keep that context current.

Advance to Standardize Bob's behavior to learn about creating custom rules to control Bob's behavior.