Compositions

Instructions + Skills

Instructions name the mandatory workflow; a skill contains the workflow detail. The instruction stays short: “Use the release-readiness skill before proposing publication.” The skill owns steps, references, and output shape.

This avoids loading an entire procedure on every turn while keeping the routing rule durable.

Instructions + Memory

Instructions hold reviewed team rules. Memory holds revisable recall. Link from the instruction contract to memory only when the agent should consult it, and require freshness metadata for state that changes.

Never let machine-authored memory silently override checked-in instructions.

Instructions + Hooks

Instructions explain why a control exists and what remediation looks like. Hooks run the fast deterministic check at the relevant lifecycle point. CI or release policy repeats the load-bearing check outside the agent process.

This creates three useful layers: model guidance, immediate feedback, and independent authorization.

Instructions + Product Adapters

Keep portable rules in one source and limit CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, and Copilot-specific files to routing and native syntax. A change to a shared rule should produce one review that updates every adapter.

Instructions + Evidence

Define completion as proof, not confidence. For example: type-check output, production build result, changed-file scope, and the commit SHA that was actually reviewed. The agent may collect evidence; a deterministic layer should decide whether it is admissible.