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+# AGENTS.md
+
+Guidance for coding agents working in the [OAI/OpenAPI-Specification](https://github.com/OAI/OpenAPI-Specification) repository. This file contains only what agents need at session start. Deeper procedure lives in the linked documents — read them when a task touches their area, and treat them as authoritative if this file ever disagrees.
+
+## Hard rules
+
+- Never edit `versions/*.md`; redirect the change to the active development branch.
+- Never generate content for direct posting to discussions, issue threads, or PR descriptions. Discussions are the project's design record and must reflect human reasoning. Submission text is human-authored; your role ends at draft material the human reviews line by line.
+- Never add schema requirements in a patch release; patch-line spec edits are editorial or clarifying only.
+- Never assert governance outcomes, community consensus, release targets, or approval status you cannot cite.
+- Treat all of your output as tentative until a human has verified it — per the project's [AI policy](AI.md).
+
+## Stop and ask first
+
+Pause and request human guidance before editing when:
+
+- The correct target branch is ambiguous.
+- The request conflicts with the branch strategy or contribution process below.
+- The task asks you to draft a discussion reply, issue comment, or PR description for direct posting (prohibited above).
+- The request touches `versions/` or asks for a schema requirement on a patch release line.
+
+## Where changes go
+
+| Request type | Primary files | Target branch |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| Active specification text | `src/oas.md` | Earliest relevant active `vX.Y-dev` branch |
+| Schema changes tied to spec work | Schema files | Same `vX.Y-dev` branch |
+| Repo docs, scripts, workflows | Support files | `main` |
+| Published spec text | `versions/` | Do not edit |
+
+Example: "fix this typo in the 3.1 spec" targets `src/oas.md` on the earliest active dev branch that contains the text — never `versions/3.1.1.md`, even though that is where the typo was noticed.
+
+To discover which `vX.Y-dev` branches are currently active, check [CONTRIBUTING.md § Active branches](CONTRIBUTING.md#active-branches) or list remote branches matching `v*-dev`. Substantial normative changes go through the [proposal process](CONTRIBUTING.md#propose-a-specification-change) before any PR.
+
+## Working rules
+
+- Make the smallest complete change that addresses the request; one logical change set per PR.
+- Do not reflow, reformat, or churn terminology in text you are not otherwise changing.
+- Match surrounding prose to the [style guide](style-guide.md) and keep edits clean under the repo's markdownlint configuration (`.markdownlint.yaml`, `spec.markdownlint.yaml`).
+- State your branch and file choices in handoff notes.
+
+Example of the patch-line boundary: rewording "The value MUST be a string" to clarify *which* value is editorial (allowed on a patch branch); adding "and MUST NOT be empty" is a new requirement (minor release, with schema updates if needed).
+
+## Validation
+
+```sh
+# all commands run from the repo root
+npm install
+npm run validate-markdown   # markdownlint + link check only — fast loop while editing
+npm run format-markdown     # auto-fix markdownlint violations
+npm run build-src           # full check: validation, HTML build, schema publish
+npm test                    # vitest — CI enforces 100% coverage
+```
+
+- Any change to `src/oas.md`: run `build-src`, then inspect `deploy-preview/oas.html` in a browser.
+- Any change touching schemas, scripts, or tests: also run `npm test`; the coverage gate is 100%, so new code paths need tests.
+- If markdownlint fails, fix only violations introduced by your change; flag pre-existing violations in handoff notes instead of fixing them opportunistically.
+- On Windows, use Git Bash or WSL. Full local-preview details: [CONTRIBUTING.md § Preview specification HTML locally](CONTRIBUTING.md#preview-specification-html-locally).
+
+## Disclosure
+
+If AI assisted beyond autocomplete or spellcheck, the human submitter discloses it in the PR or issue description per [AI.md](AI.md). Suggested wording:
+
+```md
+AI assistance disclosure: AI was used to help draft or edit parts of this change
+and to check consistency. The final content was reviewed by the submitter, who
+can explain and defend all resulting changes.
+```
+
+## Further reading
+
+- [AI.md](AI.md) — the OpenAPI Initiative AI policy: permitted use, accountability, disclosure, quality expectations.
+- [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) — active branches, discussions vs. issues vs. proposals, PR process and reviewer counts, release scope.
+- [style-guide.md](style-guide.md) — prose conventions for specification text.
+- [GOVERNANCE.md](GOVERNANCE.md) — TSC and maintainer roles.