To share durable project knowledge between Cursor and Claude Code, put it in a version-controlled root AGENTS.md file and commit it with the repository. This shares project instructions—not chat history or either tool’s private automatic memory. Cursor documents AGENTS.md as a project-instructions option, and Claude Code can read it directly in supported versions and configurations.
What “shared memory” means in these tools
Cursor and Claude Code do not provide one shared, automatic memory store for their conversations. The practical shared layer is a set of project instructions checked into the repository, so both tools can use the same durable context when working on that project.
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Keep that shared file focused on information that should remain useful across sessions: architecture, coding conventions, build and test commands, important workflows, and decisions that cannot be reliably inferred from the code. Do not treat it as a transcript or a place to save every temporary thought.
Set up a shared root AGENTS.md
- Create the file at the repository root. Write it in plain Markdown. Cursor lists
AGENTS.mdas a project-instructions option, and its CLI documentation says it reads rootAGENTS.mdandCLAUDE.mdalongside.cursor/rules. See Cursor’s project rules documentation and Cursor CLI documentation. - Add durable project guidance. Record the project’s conventions, architecture, workflows, and commands. Keep tool-specific features out of this baseline unless both tools can use them.
- Commit the file. Version control makes the guidance available to teammates and to either tool when they work from the repository.
- Confirm Claude Code loads it. Check that Claude Code meets the version and settings requirements described below. If it does not load the file directly, use the documented
CLAUDE.mdimport fallback. - Keep specialized rules in their native locations. Use
.cursor/rules/for Cursor rules that need metadata or path-specific application, and Claude Code’s own mechanisms where a rule only applies there.
Make Claude Code read the shared file
Anthropic says Claude Code reads AGENTS.md by default when there is no CLAUDE.md or CLAUDE.local.md in the working directory or any parent. Direct reading requires Claude Code v2.1.277 or later. If an existing Claude instruction file is present, or the shared file does not appear to load, check the installed version and the Project instructions option in /config.
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Anthropic documents these Project instructions choices: claude-md-or-agents-md (the default), claude-md-and-agents-md, claude-md, and managed-only. The last option omits project and user instructions at launch. After changing or checking the setup, run /context and confirm the file appears under Memory files. Details are in Claude Code’s memory documentation.
Use an import when you need CLAUDE.md
If you need a Claude-specific file beside the shared one, put @AGENTS.md near the top of CLAUDE.md, then add Claude-only guidance below it:
@AGENTS.md
## Claude Code
Add any Claude-specific instructions here.Anthropic also documents a symlink from CLAUDE.md to AGENTS.md, but notes that Claude Code’s Edit and Write tools refuse to write through symlinks. Windows clones may also fail to preserve a committed symlink as a symlink unless Git is configured for it. For teams working across Windows, macOS, and Linux, the import is the simpler documented fallback.
What belongs in tool-specific rules
A shared root file is a straightforward baseline, not a replacement for every native feature. Cursor’s .cursor/rules supports version-controlled project rules, including metadata and path-based application; Cursor also has global user rules and memories generated from Chat. Claude Code has its own CLAUDE.md and .claude/rules/ mechanisms. Keep rules that depend on one tool’s structure or behavior in that tool’s files, and avoid duplicating shared guidance where it can drift.
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Claude Code’s auto memory is separate from repository instructions. Anthropic documents it under ~/.claude/projects/<project>/memory/. The project path derives from the Git repository, so worktrees and subdirectories in that repository share it on that machine; those files are machine-local and are not shared across machines or cloud environments. Cursor’s chat-generated memories and local user rules are likewise not merged into Claude Code’s memory. For the shared, intentional project context, use the committed repository file.
Can you migrate existing Cursor rules?
Claude Code’s /init can read Cursor rules in .cursor/rules/ or the legacy .cursorrules file and incorporate relevant material into a generated CLAUDE.md. Its /import command performs a one-time import of supported coding-agent configuration and requires Claude Code v2.1.213 or later. These commands help move existing instructions; they do not keep separate files synchronized. After importing, decide which file is authoritative and remove or update duplicated instructions deliberately.
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Shared project instructions versus tool-specific memory
| Mechanism | What it is useful for | Sharing and scope |
|---|---|---|
Root AGENTS.md |
Durable project-wide instructions in plain Markdown | Shared through the committed repository; available to Cursor and supported Claude Code setups |
.cursor/rules/ |
Cursor-specific rules, including metadata and path-based application | Project rules can be version-controlled; Cursor also has global user rules and chat-generated memories |
CLAUDE.md and .claude/rules/ |
Claude Code instructions and Claude-specific rules | Project-level files can travel with the repository; use @AGENTS.md to include the shared baseline where needed |
| Claude Code auto memory | Machine-local notes Claude Code retains for a project | Stored under ~/.claude/projects/<project>/memory/; not shared across machines or cloud environments |
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