---
title: "Repository and Documentation"
url: https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/repository-docs/
---

# Repository and Documentation

This document uses key words such as "MUST", "SHOULD", and "MAY" as defined in

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[RFC 2119](https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2119.txt) to indicate requirement levels.

Statusstable

Version`1.1.0`[(changelog)](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/repository-docs.md#changelog)

These standards define what every SDK repository should contain beyond the code itself — the files that help humans and AI tools understand, contribute to, and maintain the project.

## [Required repository files](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/repository-docs.md#required-repository-files)

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### [AGENTS.md](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/repository-docs.md#agentsmd)

Every SDK repo **MUST** have an `AGENTS.md` covering:

* Architecture overview
* Testing conventions
* Build instructions
* Contribution expectations
* [Commit attribution convention](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/code-submission.md#ai-attribution)
* SDK-specific standard overrides — updated in the same PR as architectural changes

### [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/repository-docs.md#contributingmd)

Every SDK repo **MUST** have a `CONTRIBUTING.md` covering:

* Setup instructions
* Development workflow
* Explicit quality bar
* Discussion-first policy
* AI tools section

### [PR template](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/repository-docs.md#pr-template)

Every SDK repo **MUST** have a GitHub PR template with description structure guidance and a linked-issue reminder. Keep it minimal — provide guidance rather than enforcing rigid structure with mandatory sections.

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## [Documentation ships with code](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/repository-docs.md#documentation-ships-with-code)

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User-facing changes need corresponding docs:

* **New feature**: docs PR to [sentry-docs](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-docs/)
* **Behavior change**: docs update
* **Deprecation**: migration guide (see [breaking changes and deprecations](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/api-architecture.md#breaking-and-deprecation))
* **New config option**: docs entry

The SDK PR should link to the docs PR. Neither merges without the other being at least approved.

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## [AI context files](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/repository-docs.md#ai-context-files)

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AI context files — `AGENTS.md`, `.cursorrules`, `.github/copilot-instructions.md`, `CLAUDE.md` — are living documentation. Keep them up to date with architectural changes, review them quarterly, and periodically test them by having an AI tool attempt a contribution.

`AGENTS.md` is [required](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/repository-docs.md#repo-files). The others are recommended.

SDK repos **SHOULD** also have [dotagents](https://github.com/getsentry/dotagents) configured with skills from [`getsentry/skills`](https://github.com/getsentry/skills) and [`getsentry/sdk-skills`](https://github.com/getsentry/sdk-skills). Commit `agents.toml` and `agents.lock` so every engineer on the team gets the same skills automatically. See the [dotagents documentation](https://docs.sentry.io/ai/dotagents/) for setup instructions.

Rules files (e.g., `.claude/rules/`, `.cursor/rules/`) **SHOULD** be used for fixed workflow conventions that apply to a specific task or directory.

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## [Changelog](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/repository-docs.md#changelog)

| Version | Date       | Summary                                                    |
| ------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| `1.1.0` | 2026-03-06 | Add AI Skills SHOULD requirement (dotagents + rules files) |
| `1.0.0` | 2026-02-19 | Initial Repository and Documentation standard              |