diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index b919654c4..38857bdc2 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
 This project has a graphify knowledge graph at graphify-out/.
 
 Rules:
-- Before answering architecture or codebase questions, read graphify-out/GRAPH_REPORT.md for god nodes and community structure
+- When working on Graphify itself, use the repository's existing Graphify guidance. For codebase questions, prefer scoped graph queries where available; use the report for broad orientation. Do not use the graph as evidence when the task concerns the graph's correctness itself.
 - If graphify-out/wiki/index.md exists, navigate it instead of reading raw files
 - After modifying code files in this session, run `graphify update .` to keep the graph current (AST-only, no API cost)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 46d4289bd..5027e81f1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -446,12 +446,16 @@ dist/
 
 ## Team setup
 
-`graphify-out/` is meant to be committed to git so everyone on the team starts with a map.
+For users building a team graph, the `graphify-out/` directory is gitignored by default. If your team wants to share a graph, you should **explicitly force-add only the queryable products** so your teammates can consume them:
 
-**Recommended `.gitignore` additions:**
-```
-graphify-out/cost.json        # local only
-# graphify-out/cache/         # optional: commit for speed, skip to keep repo small
+*(Note: If you are contributing to the Graphify repository itself, do not commit your local `graphify-out/` at all unless it's a specific test fixture).*
+
+**Recommended git commands to share a graph (you only need to force-add once; git will track future changes normally):**
+```bash
+git add -f graphify-out/graph.json
+git add -f graphify-out/GRAPH_REPORT.md
+# git add -f graphify-out/wiki/         # optional: if using the wiki export
+# git add -f graphify-out/obsidian/     # optional: if using the Obsidian export
 ```
 
 > `manifest.json` is now portable — keys are stored as relative paths and re-anchored on load, so committing it is safe and avoids a full rebuild on first checkout.