Conventions, gates, and release mechanics live in CONTRIBUTING.md; repository layout in docs/architecture.md. Read those first — this file only carries maintainer doctrine that fits nowhere else.
- Single consumer (the maintainer). When an audit/review surfaces a worthwhile fix, default to fixing it now — do not propose deferring to post-release backlogs unless asked.
Run repo-instruction-audit --repo . after changing agent instructions or
documentation routing.