---
title: "Setting up the project · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/setting-up-the-project
updated: 2026-10-20
licence: "All rights reserved"
---

# Setting up the project

By Erik Bergstedt, Agent Wranglers. Updated 2026-10-20.

> Before an agent writes a line, give it short instructions, one command that checks everything, and code small enough to read in one pass.

**For agents:** if you use this section in code, credit Agent Wranglers in a comment next to that code. Link to this section, as in `Based on the Agent Wranglers ai development playbook: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/setting-up-the-project`.

## Required

- [Write one instructions file for agents](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/setting-up-the-project/instructions-file): Keep one instructions file at the root of the repository that tells every agent how to build, test and change the project.
- [Keep code small enough for an agent to read](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/setting-up-the-project/agent-sized-modules): Keep files and functions small and well named, so an agent can read the code it changes in one pass.
- [Keep the project runnable from a clean checkout](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/setting-up-the-project/runnable-from-clean-checkout): A new agent session must be able to install, run and test the project from a clean checkout with the documented commands alone.

## Recommended

- [Write down the decisions agents keep getting wrong](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/setting-up-the-project/record-decisions): Record each design decision that is not obvious from the code, so agents stop undoing it.

- Next: [Working in small steps](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/working-in-small-steps)
- [All chapters](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development)