What agents write
| File | What it is | Who writes it |
|---|---|---|
AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md | Instructions the agent reads at the start of each session | You, often with the agent's help |
| Plans and specs | What the agent is about to build, step by step | The agent, when you ask for a plan |
| Notes and decisions | Why it did something, what it tried | The agent |
| Reports and summaries | What it did, what is left | The agent, at the end of a task |
| Memory files | Things it learned about you and the project | Some agents, on their own |
Agent-specific pages:
Three things that help
1. Read the folder, not one file. Agents write many files across folders. Open the whole project folder in a Markdown reader, so you can move between the plan, the spec and the report.
2. See new and changed files. While an agent works, files appear and change. You want to see which ones, without opening each.
3. See what changed inside a file. When an agent edits a plan you have already read, you want to see only what changed, not read the whole plan again.
On a Mac: PilcrowMD (beta)
PilcrowMD for Mac (beta) is a free Markdown reader built for this.
- Add a folder in My folders. When an agent writes a file there, it shows up marked N (new) or U (updated). An open file reloads when an agent or another app changes it, and keeps your place.
- See what changed. When a file changed since you last read it, a banner says so. Click Highlight changes: added text is blue, removed or edited text is orange. Step through the changes with ↑ and ↓. The Changed filter in My folders lists every file that changed.
- Compare side by side, as the rendered page or as the source.
- Go back. With file history turned on, File › Show History… lists stored versions. When you Restore an older version, the current file is saved to History first. For a file you have open, History keeps each save made by another app. For a file that is not open, saves less than about a second apart may not all be kept.
- If you edit while the agent writes, PilcrowMD warns you and asks before saving over the agent's change.
- No account, no tracking, no internet connection. Signed and notarized by Apple.
On your phone: check the agent's work
Agents don't run on a phone, but you can read what they wrote. If the agent's folder syncs to Google Drive, add that folder in My folders in PilcrowMD for Android.
- My folders refreshes when you come back to the list or pull down to refresh.
- Google Drive can be slow to pass on a change made on your computer. Open the file: Drive then fetches the new version, and PilcrowMD offers Tap to reload.
- There is no live reload and no background checking, and no Compare on Android. Open the file to see the latest.
Tested with Google Drive and phone storage. Other cloud apps may work if they show their folders in Android's folder picker.
Common questions
Do I need PilcrowMD to read these files? No. They are plain text; any editor opens them. A Markdown reader shows tables, code and headings as a page, which helps with long plans.
Will PilcrowMD change my agent's files? Not unless you edit and save. Nothing is written otherwise, and it asks before saving over a change another app made.
Does it send my files anywhere? No. The Mac app makes no internet connection, and the Android app has no internet permission. On Android, syncing is done by the cloud app you chose, such as Google Drive.
Also on Mac: PilcrowMD for Mac (beta)