diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
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@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Repository Instructions
+
+Before making changes, read [AI_WORKFLOW.md](AI_WORKFLOW.md) for coding rules,
+[PHILOSOPHY.md](PHILOSOPHY.md) for FFI design and ownership requirements, and
+[CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for development and validation guidance.
+
+For FFI changes, follow the macro-first pre-flight checklist in AI_WORKFLOW.md.
+Export a library-prefixed C ABI free function that delegates to
+`cimpl::cimpl_free`; the Rust function is not itself an exported C ABI symbol.
+Do not let panics unwind across the C ABI boundary.
+
+When changing FFI conventions, update AI_WORKFLOW.md and PHILOSOPHY.md together
+so the implementation and AI guidance remain consistent.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/AI_WORKFLOW.md b/AI_WORKFLOW.md
index c184895..68d3b38 100644
--- a/AI_WORKFLOW.md
+++ b/AI_WORKFLOW.md
@@ -86,6 +86,37 @@ pub extern "C" fn vc_to_string(ptr: *mut ValueConverter) -> *mut c_char {
 
 See `examples/reference/` for a complete implementation of this pattern.
 
+## Required FFI Safety and Ownership Rules
+
+### Export a Library-Specific Free Function
+
+**Important:** `cimpl::cimpl_free()` is a Rust function, not an exported
+`#[no_mangle]` C ABI function. Each consuming library must export its own
+library-prefixed wrapper, as in `examples/reference/src/ffi.rs`:
+
+```rust
+use std::ffi::c_void;
+
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "C" fn vc_free(ptr: *mut c_void) -> i32 {
+    cimpl::cimpl_free(ptr)
+}
+```
+
+Use the consuming library's prefix instead of `vc`. Preserve the `i32` return
+value. Callers must release cimpl-tracked objects, strings, and byte arrays
+through the allocating library's free function, not C `free()` or an untracked
+Rust deallocator. The `cimpl_free!` macro does not export a C ABI symbol either.
+
+### Keep Panics Out of the C ABI
+
+Do not use `panic!()`, `unwrap()`, or `expect()` for recoverable failures in
+exported FFI functions. Handle errors with the existing cimpl macros, record the
+last error, and return the function's documented error value. Panics must not
+unwind across the C ABI boundary.
+
+See `PHILOSOPHY.md` for the ownership and error-handling rationale.
+
 ## Common Anti-Patterns to AVOID
 
 ### DON'T: Manual null checks