diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..960d675
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,246 @@
+# AGENTS.md — Agentic Craft
+
+You are working on **Agentic Craft**, a reference site for designing agent
+interfaces beyond chat. The site documents interaction patterns for orchestration,
+tool use, approvals, memory, multi-agent coordination, and observability. The
+shadcn-compatible registry is the distribution channel — consumers run
+`npx shadcn@latest add bitcomplete/agentic-craft/<item>` to install primitives.
+
+**The job whenever you edit this repo:** every demo is a teaching artifact, so
+interaction quality (real state, real animation, accessible controls) is a
+first-class feature, not an afterthought. The site teaches agent UX — looking
+like an AI demo would forfeit the argument.
+
+The canonical research backing the patterns lives in `docs/research.md`. When
+you build or modify a pattern page, that file is the source of truth for *what*
+the pattern teaches.
+
+## Stack
+
+| Concern          | Choice |
+|------------------|--------|
+| Framework        | Next.js 16 App Router (`next: ^16.1.6`) |
+| UI library       | React 19 (`react: ^19.2.0`) |
+| Styling          | Tailwind CSS 4 (`tailwindcss: ^4.1.17`) |
+| Component system | `@base-ui/react ^1.3.0` (NOT Radix) |
+| Icons            | `@hugeicons/react` + `@hugeicons/core-free-icons`; always monochrome, `strokeWidth={1.5}` |
+| Fonts            | PP Neue Montreal (sans), Signifier (serif) — local cuts in `app/fonts/` |
+| Animations       | Pure CSS keyframes in `src/index.css` or registry item `css` blocks; no motion library |
+| Language         | TypeScript strict; path alias `@/*` → `./src/*` |
+| Package manager  | npm only (`node >=20.9.0`) |
+| Registry CLI     | `shadcn` v4 |
+
+## Commands
+
+| Command | What it does |
+|---------|--------------|
+| `npm run dev` | Next.js dev server at `http://localhost:3000` |
+| `npm run lint` | ESLint over the project |
+| `npm run typecheck` | `tsc --noEmit` (strict) |
+| `npm run format` | Prettier write over `**/*.{ts,tsx}` |
+| `npm run format:check` | Prettier check |
+| `npm run audit:ui` | `node scripts/audit-ui.mjs` (report only) |
+| `npm test` | Vitest smoke tests in `tests/` |
+| `npm run build` | Next.js production build |
+| `npm run registry:build` | `shadcn build` — regenerates `public/r/` from `registry.json` |
+| `npm run verify` | Full CI chain (lint → typecheck → format:check → audit-ui --fail → sync-registry --check → check-registry-deps → build → registry:build) |
+
+Before opening a PR, run `npm run verify`. If it fails, treat the failure as a
+stop condition and fix the cause — do not bypass.
+
+## The four invariants
+
+These four rules are load-bearing for the project. Violating any of them ships
+broken output. Treat each as a stop condition.
+
+### 1. Registry sync — the four-file commit rule
+
+UI primitives live in `src/components/ui/`. The registry copies them into
+`registry/base-nova/ui/` via `node scripts/sync-registry.mjs`. Blocks live only
+in `registry/base-nova/blocks/`. `registry.json` is the manifest. `public/r/` is
+the committed build output.
+
+**Whenever you edit `src/components/ui/*`, you must:**
+
+1. Run `node scripts/sync-registry.mjs` — syncs into `registry/base-nova/ui/`.
+2. Run `npm run registry:build` — regenerates `public/r/`.
+3. Commit **all four** together: `src/components/ui/`, `registry/base-nova/ui/`,
+   `registry.json`, `public/r/`.
+
+CI runs `node scripts/sync-registry.mjs --check` and
+`git diff --exit-code -- public/r registry.json`. Either drift fails the build.
+
+Every new registry item needs a smoke test in `tests/ui/` (primitives) or
+`tests/blocks/` (blocks).
+
+**Never edit `registry/base-nova/ui/` directly.** Those are sync outputs.
+**Never edit `public/r/` manually.** That is the build output.
+
+### 2. Motion policy — CSS keyframes only, no `<style>` injection
+
+All animation is pure CSS. Define keyframes either in `src/index.css` (for
+shared use) or inside a registry item's `css` block (for item-local use).
+
+- Never use `document.createElement("style")`.
+- Never inject `<style>` tags from React.
+- Never add a motion library (Framer Motion, GSAP, motion.dev, etc.) — the
+  project is pure CSS by policy. The audit gate `no-page-style-injection`
+  enforces the first two.
+
+When you edit shared keyframes in `src/index.css`, search consumers before
+shipping: animations are referenced by class name, not import. Use:
+
+```bash
+grep -rE '\.(agent-prose|actions-slide-in|route-expand|memory-ring-fill|wf-phase-pulse)' src/
+```
+
+(swap in the class you changed).
+
+### 3. Icon policy — monochrome, `strokeWidth={1.5}`
+
+Icons are `@hugeicons/react` + `@hugeicons/core-free-icons`, always monochrome,
+always `strokeWidth={1.5}`. No coloured icons. No success/failure icons on tool
+calls (this is part of the AI-demo-chrome anti-reference — see DESIGN.md).
+Icon-only buttons must carry a label (the `icon-button-label` heuristic in
+`scripts/audit-ui.mjs` flags violations).
+
+### 4. Audit gates — five rules, each a stop condition
+
+`scripts/audit-ui.mjs` enforces these. Introducing a violation is a stop
+condition; fix or revert before commit.
+
+- `no-space-utilities` — no `space-y-*` / `space-x-*`. Use flex/grid `gap-*`.
+- `no-transition-all` — no `transition-all`. Use specific transitions.
+- `no-clickable-div` — no `onClick` on `<div>` / `<span>` without a button or
+  role.
+- `no-page-style-injection` — no programmatic `<style>` tag creation.
+- `prefer-semantic-status` — no raw status colours outside design tokens.
+
+Plus an `icon-button-label` heuristic for unlabelled icon-only buttons.
+
+## Layout
+
+```
+app/                          Thin Next.js route wrappers (page.tsx, layout.tsx, fonts/)
+src/views/                    Page body components ("use client" — the real content)
+src/components/ui/            Primitive components (source of truth; synced to registry)
+src/components/reference/     Pattern-page scaffolding (controls panel, etc.)
+src/content/                  Static data: navigation.ts, patterns.ts, templates.ts, registry-pieces.ts
+src/hooks/                    Shared React hooks
+src/lib/                      Utilities
+src/index.css                 Global CSS, design tokens, @keyframes for shared motion, .agent-prose, print rules
+tests/ui/                     Vitest smoke tests for ui primitives
+tests/blocks/                 Vitest smoke tests for registry blocks
+registry/base-nova/ui/        Sync output — do NOT edit directly
+registry/base-nova/blocks/    Blocks live here only
+registry.json                 Registry manifest
+public/r/                     Committed registry build output — do NOT edit
+scripts/                      audit-ui.mjs, sync-registry.mjs, check-registry-deps.mjs
+.agents/skills/               Project-local agent skills (see "Where to look first")
+.impeccable/design.json       Design-system token reference
+docs/research.md              Canonical agentic-UX research (the source of truth for what patterns teach)
+DESIGN.md                     Design rationale: voice, typography, color, anti-references
+PRODUCT.md                    Product framing: audience, scope, anti-references
+README.md                     Human-facing overview and registry install instructions
+```
+
+## Where to look first
+
+The right starting point depends on the task. Use this routing table before
+opening files broadly.
+
+| If the task is about… | Read first |
+|---|---|
+| What a pattern should teach / why a demo exists | `docs/research.md` (find the matching §) |
+| Animation timing, choreography, interaction feel | `src/index.css` then `.agents/skills/make-interfaces-feel-better/` |
+| Component design rules, polish, micro-details | `.agents/skills/emil-design-engineering/` |
+| Design voice, color, typography, anti-references | `DESIGN.md` |
+| Product audience, scope, what *not* to build | `PRODUCT.md` |
+| Registry installation, available items | `README.md` |
+| Design tokens (colors, type, spacing) | `.impeccable/design.json` and `src/index.css` (`:root` block) |
+
+Project-local skills under `.agents/skills/` are first-class. Apply
+`make-interfaces-feel-better` for interaction polish; apply
+`emil-design-engineering` for new pattern pages and component-design work.
+Each skill has its own `SKILL.md` entry point.
+
+## After-you-change-X workflows
+
+| When you change… | Then |
+|---|---|
+| `src/components/ui/*` | Run `sync-registry.mjs`, then `npm run registry:build`. Commit all four files together. |
+| `src/index.css` keyframes or shared classes | Grep consumers across `src/` — animations are referenced by class. |
+| A pattern page (`src/views/<pattern>/`) | Re-read the matching § in `docs/research.md` to confirm the demo still teaches the right thing. |
+| `docs/research.md` | Re-check `PRODUCT.md` and `README.md` for now-incorrect summaries. |
+| `registry.json` | Re-run `npm run registry:build` and `node scripts/check-registry-deps.mjs`. |
+| `package.json` (deps or scripts) | Re-run `npm run verify` end-to-end before opening a PR. |
+| Design tokens in `src/index.css` `:root` | Cross-check against `.impeccable/design.json` and update if drifted. |
+
+## Conventions and QA bar
+
+- **Match the file.** Follow the style of the file you are editing — imports,
+  class conventions, naming. Concrete examples: import Base UI primitives from
+  `@/components/ui/*` (not `@base-ui/react` directly); name shared keyframes in
+  the `<surface>-<action>` shape used by the existing ones (`actions-slide-in`,
+  `route-expand`).
+- **Visual QA on every route you touch.** Check desktop *and* mobile
+  breakpoints. The mobile bar is especially strict for: composer, clarifying
+  questions, citations, memory ledger rows, template maps.
+- **No fabricated-demo tells.** Real-looking telemetry only. No round numbers,
+  no identical timestamps, no "ACME" placeholders. Demo data must read like real
+  output. This is audited.
+- **No AI-demo chrome.** No glowing gradients, no sparkle icons, no chat-bubble
+  theater, no spinners on tool calls, no oversized rounded everything. This is
+  the project's primary anti-reference (see `PRODUCT.md`).
+- **Prefer well-known CLIs.** When you need to do shell work, use `git`,
+  `npm`, `rg`/ripgrep, `grep`, `find`. Avoid custom CLIs.
+- **Touch the minimum surface.** If a change can be local to one file, keep it
+  there. Cross-cutting refactors need explicit reasoning in the PR.
+
+## Stop conditions
+
+Stop and surface a question rather than proceeding if you find yourself about
+to do any of these:
+
+- Edit `registry/base-nova/ui/` directly.
+- Edit `public/r/` manually.
+- Inject a `<style>` tag from JS / React.
+- Add a motion library or any new top-level dependency without justification.
+- Introduce an audit-gate violation (`no-space-utilities`,
+  `no-transition-all`, `no-clickable-div`, `no-page-style-injection`,
+  `prefer-semantic-status`, unlabelled icon button).
+- Add a coloured icon, or a success/failure icon on a tool call.
+- Add round-number / placeholder demo data (`ACME`, identical timestamps,
+  `123,456`, etc.).
+- Modify `docs/research.md` without a clear reason — it is the canonical
+  research artifact.
+- Bypass `npm run verify` failures with `--no-verify`, `git commit -n`, or by
+  disabling a gate.
+
+## How to verify your change shipped
+
+Run, in order:
+
+```bash
+npm run verify        # full CI chain
+npm run dev           # spot-check desktop + mobile breakpoints on routes you touched
+```
+
+For registry changes specifically, also verify the install path works locally:
+
+```bash
+npx shadcn@latest add http://localhost:3000/r/<item-name>.json
+```
+
+into a scratch project.
+
+## Output style for PR / commit messages
+
+Plain text. Use sentence case. Lead with the verb and the subject. State *why*
+before *how*. Examples that fit the existing history:
+
+- `docs(research): synthesize canonical agentic-ux patterns`
+- `Coherence round: retry that pays off, honest Pause, priced recovery`
+- `Give the runtime its own voice: detail notes speak as the system`
+
+No emoji. No "feat:" without scope. No "chore: misc fixes" — be specific.
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index d385b15..3424307 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -1,74 +1,78 @@
 # CLAUDE.md — Agentic Craft
 
-Agentic Craft is a reference site for agentic UI patterns: it documents interaction design for agent orchestration, tool use, approvals, memory, multi-agent coordination, and observability. The shadcn-compatible registry is the distribution channel — consumers run `npx shadcn@latest add bitcomplete/agentic-craft/<item>` to install primitives into their own projects. Every demo is a teaching artifact, so interaction quality (real state, real animation, accessible controls) is a first-class feature, not an afterthought.
+This is the Claude-Code-specific memory file. The canonical, cross-tool baseline
+is `AGENTS.md` — start there.
 
-## Stack
+@AGENTS.md
 
-| Concern          | Choice                                                               |
-|------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| Framework        | Next.js 16 App Router (`next: ^16.1.6`)                             |
-| UI library       | React 19 (`react: ^19.2.0`)                                         |
-| Styling          | Tailwind CSS 4 (`tailwindcss: ^4.1.17`)                             |
-| Component system | `@base-ui/react ^1.3.0` (NOT Radix)                                 |
-| Icons            | `@hugeicons/react` + `@hugeicons/core-free-icons`; always monochrome, `strokeWidth={1.5}` |
-| Fonts            | PP Neue Montreal (sans), Signifier (serif) — local cuts in `app/fonts/`    |
-| Animations       | Pure CSS keyframes — in `src/index.css` or registry item `css` blocks; **never injected `<style>` tags** |
-| Motion library   | None                                                                 |
-| Language         | TypeScript strict; path alias `@/*` → `./src/*`                     |
-| Package manager  | npm only (`node >=20.9.0`)                                          |
+## Claude-Code-only additions
 
-## Commands
+These are addenda that only apply when this repo is being worked on through
+Claude Code (use of `@imports`, hooks, path-scoped behaviour, sub-agents). Other
+agents (Codex, Cursor, Copilot, Aider, etc.) should rely on `AGENTS.md` alone.
 
-| Command                       | What it does                                                          |
-|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `npm run dev`                 | Next.js dev server at `http://localhost:3000`                         |
-| `npm run lint`                | ESLint over the whole project                                         |
-| `npm run typecheck`           | `tsc --noEmit` (strict)                                               |
-| `npm run format:check`        | Prettier check over `**/*.{ts,tsx}`                                   |
-| `npm run audit:ui`            | Run `scripts/audit-ui.mjs` (report only)                             |
-| `npm test`                    | Vitest smoke tests in `tests/`                                        |
-| `npm run build`               | Next.js production build                                              |
-| `npm run registry:build`      | `shadcn build` — regenerates `public/r/` from `registry.json`        |
-| `npm run verify`              | Full CI chain (lint → typecheck → format:check → audit-ui --fail → sync --check → check-registry-deps → build → registry:build) |
+### Tool-use defaults
 
-## REGISTRY INVARIANT (most important)
+- For finding files, prefer **Glob** over `find`. For searching contents, prefer
+  **Grep** over `cat | grep`. Both are faster, structured, and respect the
+  repo's gitignore.
+- For the registry-sync workflow (after editing `src/components/ui/*`), batch
+  the two commands in a single **Bash** call rather than two separate ones:
+  ```
+  node scripts/sync-registry.mjs && npm run registry:build
+  ```
+- For animation work, prefer **Read** on `src/index.css` over **Grep** when you
+  need to see the keyframes together — they cluster intentionally and naming
+  drift starts when one is read in isolation.
+- For `docs/research.md`, prefer **Grep** with a section anchor (e.g.
+  `^## 9. Dynamic Workflows`) over reading the whole 85 KB file.
 
-UI primitives live in `src/components/ui/`. The registry copies them into `registry/base-nova/ui/` via `node scripts/sync-registry.mjs`. Blocks live only in `registry/base-nova/blocks/`. `registry.json` is the manifest; `public/r/` is the committed build output.
+### Project-local skills
 
-**Whenever you edit `src/components/ui/*`:**
-1. `node scripts/sync-registry.mjs` — syncs copies into `registry/base-nova/ui/`
-2. `npm run registry:build` — regenerates `public/r/`
-3. Commit `src/components/ui/`, `registry/base-nova/ui/`, `registry.json`, and `public/r/` **together**
+The repo ships two project-local skills under `.agents/skills/`. Apply them
+proactively, not only when asked:
 
-CI runs `node scripts/sync-registry.mjs --check` and `git diff --exit-code -- public/r registry.json` — either drift fails the build.
+- `.agents/skills/make-interfaces-feel-better/SKILL.md` — apply for any
+  interaction polish, animation, or feel work. Covers animations, surfaces,
+  typography, performance.
+- `.agents/skills/emil-design-engineering/SKILL.md` — apply for any new
+  pattern page or component-design work. Covers component design, design rules,
+  forms, touch and accessibility, UI polish, performance, marketing surfaces.
 
-New registry items need a smoke test in `tests/ui/` or `tests/blocks/`.
+Both follow the standard `SKILL.md` entry pattern with topic sub-files.
 
-## Layout
+### Sub-agent guidance
+
+The harness behind agentic-craft is small — one developer, one repo. Default to
+a single Claude Code session for most work. Use a sub-agent only when the task
+fits one of these shapes:
+
+- **Wide research** across many files where the parent session should not
+  absorb the full trace (e.g. surveying every `src/views/` pattern page for a
+  cross-cutting issue).
+- **Independent validation** of a complex change against the canonical
+  `docs/research.md` (e.g. "does this new demo still teach the autonomy-contract
+  pattern correctly?").
+- **Parallel exploration** of two alternative implementations of the same
+  primitive, where you want clean comparison.
+
+Pass sub-agents only the files they need. Sub-agents return summaries; they do
+not edit the canonical research.
+
+### TodoWrite
+
+Use **TodoWrite** for any task that has more than two distinct steps. Mark
+in-progress when starting and completed when done — do not batch updates. The
+registry-sync workflow (edit → sync → build → commit) is exactly the kind of
+task that benefits.
+
+### When you finish
+
+Before declaring a task done, run:
 
 ```
-app/               Thin Next.js route wrappers (page.tsx, layout.tsx)
-src/views/         Page body components ("use client" — the real content)
-src/components/ui/ Primitive components (source of truth; synced to registry)
-src/components/reference/ Pattern-page scaffolding (controls panel, etc.)
-src/content/       Static data files: navigation.ts, patterns.ts, templates.ts, registry-pieces.ts
-src/hooks/         Shared React hooks
-src/lib/           Utilities
-src/index.css      Global CSS, CSS variables, @keyframes for shared animations
-tests/ui/          Vitest smoke tests for ui primitives
-tests/blocks/      Vitest smoke tests for registry blocks
-registry/          Registry source tree (do not edit registry/base-nova/ui/ directly)
-public/r/          Committed registry build output (do not edit manually)
-plans/             Advisor plans (may be absent in a given worktree)
-scripts/           Build and validation scripts
+npm run verify
 ```
 
-## Conventions & QA bar
-
-- **Match the file**: follow the style of the file you are editing (imports, class conventions, naming).
-- **Interaction spec**: read `INTERACTIVE_SPEC.md` for interaction rules, animation values, and HTML/class conventions.
-- **Audit gates**: `scripts/audit-ui.mjs` enforces five checks — `no-space-utilities`, `no-transition-all`, `no-clickable-div`, `no-page-style-injection`, `prefer-semantic-status` — plus an icon-button-label heuristic. Do not introduce violations.
-- **Base UI components**: import from `@/components/ui/*`, not directly from `@base-ui/react`.
-- **Animations**: define keyframes in `src/index.css` (for shared use) or in a registry item's `css` block (for item-local use). Never use `document.createElement("style")`.
-- **Visual QA**: check desktop AND mobile breakpoints on every route you touch. The mobile bar is especially strict for: composer, clarifying questions, citations, memory ledger rows, and template maps.
-- **Registry sync**: never edit `registry/base-nova/ui/` files directly; always edit `src/components/ui/` and sync.
+If it fails, the task is not done. Surface the failure with the exact error,
+do not silently retry or work around it.
diff --git a/PRODUCT.md b/PRODUCT.md
index 5d7285c..db3b766 100644
--- a/PRODUCT.md
+++ b/PRODUCT.md
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ it should be because the pattern is right, not because the page is loud.
   oversized rounded everything — the default look of 2025 AI startups. The
   site teaches agent UX; looking like an AI demo would forfeit the argument.
 - Repo-codified bans that operationalize this (enforced by
-  `scripts/audit-ui.mjs` and INTERACTIVE_SPEC.md): no pill shapes, no
+  `scripts/audit-ui.mjs` and documented in `AGENTS.md`): no pill shapes, no
   success/failure icons on tool calls, monochrome icons only, no injected
   style tags, no clickable divs, no raw status colors outside tokens.
 - The fabricated-demo tell: round numbers, identical timestamps, "ACME"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index eda5bef..cfc4cb1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,7 +47,13 @@ high-trust agent experiences.
 
 ## Development
 
-See [CLAUDE.md](./CLAUDE.md) for stack details, all commands, the registry invariant, and the QA bar.
+See [AGENTS.md](./AGENTS.md) for stack details, all commands, the registry
+invariants, audit gates, and the QA bar — this is the canonical guide for
+working on the repo (including with AI coding agents). [CLAUDE.md](./CLAUDE.md)
+adds Claude-Code-specific addenda. For design rationale see
+[DESIGN.md](./DESIGN.md); for product framing see [PRODUCT.md](./PRODUCT.md);
+for the canonical research behind the patterns see
+[docs/research.md](./docs/research.md).
 
 ```bash
 npm install