Add AGENTS.md to a Local Project with a Screen Reader

Before you start

This walkthrough uses NVDA on Windows and the Codex view in ChatGPT desktop, recorded September 24, 2026. Have a local project and a dedicated folder ready. My example is Keeping up with AWS. Start with my earlier video, Create a Local Project in ChatGPT Desktop with a Screen Reader, if you need the setup steps.

AGENTS.md is a local instruction file for Codex. This workflow is different from the instructions field in a cloud ChatGPT Project. It does not change your global personal instructions or restrict filesystem permissions.

For keyboard setup, see NVDA Settings for Coding.

Choose and confirm the project folder

Find Keeping up with AWS in the project sidebar.
Use NVDA+Space to switch between browse and focus mode when needed.
Move to Project actions for Keeping up with AWS.
Open the menu with Space.
Use the arrow keys to select Edit, then press Enter.
Remove the broad Documents source folder if you are replacing it.
Activate Add folder or Choose source folders.
Select the dedicated keeping-up-with-aws folder in the folder picker.
Activate Select Folder.
Activate Save in Edit project.
Read the folder trust message and continue only if you trust that folder.
Confirm that the main prompt names Keeping up with AWS.

I then ask, “What folder do you have access to in this project?” Check the reported working directory. The folder name identifies the workspace; it is not a guarantee that the agent cannot access anything outside it.

In this recording I sometimes mix the terms browse and forms mode. NVDA+Space toggles browse and focus mode. Letter navigation such as B for buttons applies in browse mode; use arrows in the open project menu. Listen for control names rather than relying on fixed Tab counts.

Add the instructions to AGENTS.md

Add the following guidance to AGENTS.md in this project's primary/root folder. If that file does not exist, create it. Preserve existing instructions and avoid duplicate guidance. If an existing instruction conflicts with this request, explain the conflict before editing. Change only this project's AGENTS.md; do not change global personal instructions or other files. Show me the exact path and text you changed.

Guidance to add:
In this project, explain procedures for a learner using NVDA on Windows with the keyboard. Prefer keyboard instructions and name controls clearly. Use short numbered steps with one action per step. If a shortcut or control name is uncertain, say so rather than guessing. Keep explanations friendly and encouraging.

Paste this prompt into your project chat and send it. The instructions are example text for your own project. Review the reported path and changes before continuing. My file asks for keyboard instructions, clear control names, short numbered steps, and an honest statement when a shortcut is uncertain.

I mention copy blocks in the introduction, but the demonstrated prompt does not explicitly request them. If you want that behavior, add: “Put text I need to copy in a clearly labeled code block.”

Review the file and test the response

Read the response confirming the AGENTS.md path.
Confirm that only the intended file changed.
Activate Review beside the edited file.
If focus stays in the chat, use NVDA browse-mode landmark navigation with D to reach the review pane.
Find AGENTS.md and read the added text.
Return to the prompt and ask a small question whose answer should use the new format.

My example asks for instructions for installing AWS CLI. I check that the answer contains numbered keyboard steps. I do not install AWS CLI in this lesson, and the response is not a substitute for checking current AWS installation guidance.

The video tests the next response in the same chat. For a stronger persistence check, start a fresh task in this project and ask it to summarize the instructions it loaded. Confirm that it names AGENTS.md and your accessibility preferences.

Use NVDA+Space when you need to change navigation mode. Escape may stop an active task, depending on focus. In the review pane, Jump to file opens a file chooser; it does not itself read the file. Close that chooser before continuing through the review controls.

Keep project instructions focused

Start with a few instructions you can verify. Add details when you find a repeated need, and remove guidance that is no longer useful. Keep this file in the intended project root and preserve existing project rules when editing it.

Codex discovers instructions when it starts. Global guidance and more specific directory instructions can also apply. If the result seems stale or conflicting, use a fresh task in the correct project and ask which instruction files are active. The local file guides behavior; it does not guarantee every answer will be correct.

Reference: OpenAI guidance on custom instructions with AGENTS.md, checked September 24, 2026.