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FlintFlintby Torch
← Level 2Builder · L2

Shape the folder around the work

Build-along · ~25 min at your own keyboard

A folder an agent works in has a shape. Make one folder for each stage of the work. Make a references folder for material that rarely changes, such as price lists, past examples and style rules. Make an outputs folder for what the work produces. At the top, put a map file. It says what the folder is for and what each subfolder holds. It also holds a routing table, which says for each kind of task which folder to read first and which to skip. Without it the agent reads everything and slows down.

Ladder · Level 2The long version: Building with AI ↗

Do this

0/6

Checkpoints

  • ▸You should now see one folder per stage, plus references and outputs.
  • ▸You should now see a map file at the top with a routing table of at least three rows.
  • ▸You should now see your assistant name the right folder from the map alone.
The three ways this goes wrong
  • Everything sits in one flat folder. — Sort the files by stage. A file that belongs to no stage and is not a reference is probably an output.
  • The routing table has no skip column. — Add it. For each task, name at least one folder that should stay closed.
  • The assistant reads folders you never meant it to. — Tighten the read first and skip columns. Add a line in the map that says what is not in scope.

Dated facts in this lesson: ChatGPT has Saved memories, Reference chat history and Custom instructions, with the toggles under Settings > Personalization. Projects hold their own files and instructions (researched Oct 4, 2026, not yet confirmed by a person: check the source before you rely on it); Claude has an editable Memory and an 'Instructions for Claude' (personal preferences) setting, on Free, Pro and Max. Projects hold files and instructions, and Free gets 5 projects (researched Oct 4, 2026, not yet confirmed by a person: check the source before you rely on it); Gemini has 'Personal context' (on by default, needs Keep Activity) and 'Saved info'. Gems are being replaced by Skills, with conflicting rollout dates in October and November 2026 (researched Oct 4, 2026, not yet confirmed by a person: check the source before you rely on it); Consumer Copilot has Memory and Personalization in its settings. Copilot Notebooks hold files and instructions and come with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium (researched Oct 4, 2026, not yet confirmed by a person: check the source before you rely on it).

Share what happened

Paste the folder tree and the full map file with its routing table. Add your assistant's answer to the test question.

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