Comparison
AGENTS.md tells coding agents how to work in a repository. OKF maps the knowledge inside and around a system.
Use OKF when you want structured knowledge about a system or domain, especially where relationships between concepts matter.
Use AGENTS.md when you want coding agents to follow local repo rules.
AGENTS.md can tell agents how to work; OKF can explain what the product, systems, and metrics mean and how they relate.
Implementation example
A repository can use AGENTS.md for test commands, code style, review rules, and directory-specific instructions. The same repository can keep product definitions, API concepts, metrics, and runbooks in an OKF folder that agents read when a task needs domain context.
Boundary
AGENTS.md is intentionally instruction-focused and repository-scoped. OKF does not replace working rules for coding agents, and an OKF bundle should not be used to hide commands or safety constraints that belong in AGENTS.md.
Primary sources
Comparison reviewed 2026-08-24.
Related comparisons
RAG is a retrieval pattern. OKF is a portable way to package curated knowledge and the relationships retrieval systems often lose.
MCP connects agents to tools and systems. OKF packages the knowledge map those agents need before they act.
llms.txt gives LLMs a curated entry point into website content. OKF can map concept-level knowledge and the relationships a flat page list drops.
Senior Engineer, Product Builder, and Founder
Systems, product software, and practical execution for teams that need clear decisions, durable implementation, and agent-ready knowledge structures.