> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cogno.studio/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Instructions

> Write standing instructions Cogno always follows — which channels to ignore, deliverable preferences, assignment defaults.

**Instructions** are standing rules the AI follows across your workspace —
which channels to ignore, what a deliverable must include, who gets assigned
what by default. Cogno applies them verbatim, at top priority, every time it
triages events and every time it delivers work. Where [Memory](/docs/memory)
describes *what is going on*, Instructions tell Cogno *how to behave*.

## Write your Instructions

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings → Instructions">
    Go to **Settings → Instructions**. The page shows the current instructions,
    a character counter, and the **Last updated** timestamp.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write the rules">
    Write free-form text — short bullet rules work best. The placeholder shows
    the shape:

    ```text theme={"system"}
    - Ignore channels: #random
    - UI deliveries need before/after screenshots
    - Default assignee for infra work: ...
    ```

    Use the **Quick add** chips to insert a starting line at the caret:
    **Ignore channels**, **Deliverable preferences**, or **Assign defaults**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Select **Save**. Cogno confirms with **Saved.** and updates the
    **Last updated** timestamp. **Revert** discards your draft and restores the
    last saved version.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Saves are revision-safe. If a teammate saved while you were editing, Cogno
  refuses to overwrite their version and asks you to reload the page and
  re-apply your edit — nothing is silently lost.
</Note>

## What to put in

Instructions work best as a handful of clear, durable rules:

* **Event triage** — channels or sources whose activity should never become
  tasks ("Ignore channels: #random").
* **Deliverable quality** — what a delivery must include before it lands in
  **In Review** ("UI deliveries need before/after screenshots").
* **Assignment defaults** — who owns which kind of work by default.

Keep transient facts and status out — that's what [Memory](/docs/memory) and the
tasks themselves are for.

## Reference

| Property          | Value                                                                       |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Scope             | One shared instruction set per workspace.                                   |
| Maximum length    | 2,000 characters.                                                           |
| Priority          | Applied verbatim, above everything Cogno has learned on its own.            |
| Applied at        | Every event intake and every delivery.                                      |
| Conflict handling | Revision check on save; concurrent edits are rejected with a reload prompt. |

## Related docs

* [Memory](/docs/memory) — the workspace summary Cogno reads on wake.
* [Work with Tasks](/docs/tasks) — where Cogno's suggestions, shaped by your Instructions, appear.
* [Concepts](/docs/concepts) — how the pieces fit into one loop.