Overview
Parsaa folds two kinds of persistent context into the agent at the start of every conversation:
- Instructions — Markdown files in your project (and globally) that define rules, conventions, and architecture.
- Memory — short snippets you save in-app for facts the agent should remember.
Both are managed under Settings → Project.
Instructions
Instructions are Markdown files detected in your project and folded into the agent’s system prompt. Each detected file has an on/off toggle in Settings → Project → Instructions, and the state is remembered per file.
PARSAA.md
Drop a PARSAA.md at your project root. Its contents are always included. Plain Markdown.
# Project Instructions
## Architecture
- MVVM with SwiftUI views
- Dependencies injected via Factory
## Code Style
- Swift 6 strict concurrency
- Prefer value types over reference types
~/.parsaa/PARSAA.md holds personal preferences that follow you across every project.
# Global Preferences
- Always use conventional commits
- Concise comments only
Modular rules
For larger setups, drop rule files under .parsaa/rules/. Each may declare a YAML frontmatter block:
---
description: Swift style conventions
globs: ["*.swift"]
alwaysApply: false
---
# Swift Style
- Use `guard` for early returns
- Mark classes as `final` by default
| Frontmatter | Meaning |
|---|
description | Short label shown next to the file in the UI |
globs | File patterns (e.g. ["*.swift", "*.ts"]) — applied only when alwaysApply is false |
alwaysApply | true (default) always includes the rule; false includes it only for files matching globs |
CLAUDE.md · AGENTS.md (walks up to 3 parent directories for monorepos) · .cursorrules · .cursor/rules/*.mdc · .github/copilot-instructions.md · .github/instructions/*.md · .windsurfrules · GEMINI.md · CODEX.md
Because instructions are plain files, they’re shared with your team through git — everyone working in the repo gets the same conventions.
Memory
Memory entries are short notes you save in Settings → Project → Memory that get folded into the agent’s context.
| Field | Description |
|---|
| Title | Required label for the entry |
| Content | The note itself (plain text) |
| Tags | Comma-separated tags for searching |
Memory vs Instructions
| Instructions | Memory |
|---|
| Source | Markdown files in the project / home | Entries you create in-app |
| Scope | Per project, global, or parent (monorepo) | Per project or global |
| Sharing | Shared via git (file-based) | Local to your device |
| Best for | Conventions, architecture, team rules | Personal reminders and facts |
Both are folded into the system prompt at the start of a conversation — instructions for declarative, team-shared rules; memory for lightweight, local notes.
