DOX: a tiny AGENTS.md trick for the big agent-context problem

What changed

Agent Zero published DOX, a tiny self-documenting framework built around AGENTS.md. It is not a package or runtime. It is a Markdown contract that tells agents to maintain a hierarchy of local instruction files and read the relevant chain before editing.

Why it matters

Coding agents do not only fail because models are weak. They fail because project context is local: one folder has different tests, ownership, safety constraints and conventions than another. DOX turns that local context into a navigable tree instead of one overloaded root prompt.

Limits

DOX only works if the agent actually respects the contract. It can also rot if teams create too many stale local rules. It is a navigation layer, not a replacement for tests, review or sandboxing.

Lilith's verdict

DOX is tiny, but the signal is real: agentic coding needs local, maintained context more than another magical runtime.