I like this idea. Do you have any middleware in your current setup that added the contents of this directory to the agent prompt?
I also have explicit `xnew`, `xplan`, `xcode` and `xcheck` commands in CLAUDE.md that reinforce this. For example, here's my `xnew`:
## Remember Shortcuts
Remember the following shortcuts, which the user may invoke at any time.
### XNEW
When I type "xnew", this means:
```Understand all BEST PRACTICES listed in CLAUDE.md.
Your code SHOULD ALWAYS follow these best practices.
REVIEW relevant documentation in .agents/ before starting new work.
Your code SHOULD use existing patterns and architectural decisions
documented there rather than creating new approaches.```As well as custom agents: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/sub-agents