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Overview

A structure file holds your instructions for a folder: what belongs there, which sources to use, how to organize the information, and how it should be updated. For example, you can ask Qontext to:
  • Preserve published policies word for word from Confluence.
  • Aggregate customer knowledge into one folder per company.
  • Keep concise project summaries current from documents and discussions.
Any folder can carry one structure file, named .qontext.structure.md and stored directly in the folder. The workspace root can also have one at /.qontext.structure.md. Structure files are folder configuration, not knowledge. They are never retrieved as content and never appear in the context your AI tools get from Qontext. Start with the outcome you want. Add naming rules, source authority, and details about what each file should contain only where they help Qontext make a real decision. A useful structure file can be a few clear paragraphs.

Anatomy of a structure file

A structure file has two parts:
  • Strictness in the frontmatter sets how confident the continuous update agent must be before changing the folder or its contents when continuous updates are enabled for a source.
  • Guidance in the body describes the result you want in plain language.

Strictness levels

A folder without a structure file, or without a recognizable strictness value, uses moderate. When new information clears no folder’s bar, continuous updates skip it and explain why. Set strictness according to the cost of a wrong change. Use stricter guidance for canonical records or word-for-word mirrors. Use more permissive guidance where capturing useful material matters more than exact placement.

Inheritance

Guidance flows down the folder tree:
  • Guidance from the workspace root and parent folders applies to their descendants.
  • When two rules conflict, the structure file closest to the content takes precedence.
Put shared conventions at the root and add folder-specific instructions closer to the content. This keeps each structure file short and avoids repeating the same rules.

What to include

A structure file should answer the questions that matter for its folder:
  • What belongs here, and where should near-matches go?
  • Which sources should Qontext use? Which source controls facts such as status or ownership?
  • Should Qontext preserve the source wording, summarize it, or combine several sources?
  • What does each file or subfolder represent?
  • When should Qontext update an existing record instead of creating a new one?
  • Which changes should be surfaced for review?
Use concrete instructions. “One file per customer, named after the company” gives Qontext a rule it can apply. “Keep this folder organized” does not.

Subfolders

Write a rule for the subfolders. Do not write a list. Make a list of the subfolders only when each subfolder has a different purpose and the set does not change often. Example: tables, metrics, policies. When the subfolders follow one pattern, write the pattern. Example: “Make one subfolder for each customer. Name it after the company, in lowercase, with hyphens.” Do not list the customers. A list becomes out of date when a new subfolder is created. Then the continuous update agent does not find the new subfolder in the list. The agent decides that the new content does not belong there.
Structure guidance steers continuous updates for sources where the setting is enabled. Use file protection when a change must be technically held for review.

Templates

The following templates are starting points. Change their folder names, sources, and record contents to match your workspace.

Organize the repository root

Place at: /.qontext.structure.md Use when: Your top-level folders are agents, company, teams, and projects.
.qontext.structure.md
See Organize your context repository for the matching folder tree.

Aggregate customer knowledge

Place at: /teams/sales/.qontext.structure.md Use when: You keep current customers in customers, prospective customers in pipeline, and shared sales processes in rev-ops.
.qontext.structure.md
Customize the authoritative CRM, the sources used to enrich overviews, and whether meeting records should be copied or summarized. The matching sales folder pattern shows the intended result.

Preserve policies word for word

Place at: /company/policies/.qontext.structure.md Use when: Published policies in a Confluence space must remain faithful to their source.
.qontext.structure.md
Customize the source system, space, and publishing state. Keep strict when small wording changes would be costly.

Keep project summaries current

Place at: /projects/.qontext.structure.md Use when: Each project needs one current summary supported by more detailed records.
.qontext.structure.md
Customize the overview sections, source systems, and definition of a project.

Check your guidance

Before relying on a structure file, test a few realistic updates against it: Review the resulting changes for incorrect placement, duplication, unsupported claims, and unnecessary detail. Refine the guidance when you see a recurring problem.

Setting up a structure file

1

Find the Structure row

In the Context tab, open a folder and select Structure at the top. The workspace root has the same entry above its top-level items.
2

Write the guidance

Click the row to create or open the folder’s .qontext.structure.md. Describe the outcome you want and set the strictness in the frontmatter.
3

Review the results

Continuous updates follow the guidance when they place or change content in the folder. Review updates in the Changes tab and refine the guidance when needed.
Delete a structure file to remove its guidance from the folder. Structure files are Markdown files, so you can edit them directly or ask a context agent to draft one for you.

Prompts to get started

  • “Look at how /customers is organized and draft a short structure file that maintains one folder per company.”
  • “Preserve every published policy from our Confluence HR space word for word, and update the same file when its source page changes.”
  • “Which folders do not have structure guidance yet? Suggest guidance for the three busiest ones.”