diff --git a/.agents/references/base-ui-usage.md b/.agents/references/base-ui-usage.md
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+# Base UI usage
+
+Use Base UI primitives as the behavioral foundation for interactive
+components. Keep this package's wrappers focused on the public component API,
+StyleX styling, and repository-specific behavior.
+
+Sources:
+
+- [Base UI — About](https://base-ui.com/react/overview/about)
+- [Base UI — Accessibility](https://base-ui.com/react/overview/accessibility)
+- [Base UI — Animation](https://base-ui.com/react/handbook/animation)
+- [Base UI — Composition](https://base-ui.com/react/handbook/composition)
+
+## Choose a primitive
+
+- Check the installed `@base-ui/react` package and the relevant official
+  component documentation before implementing a component.
+- Prefer a Base UI primitive that already provides the required semantics,
+  keyboard interaction, pointer interaction, focus management, and ARIA
+  behavior. Do not recreate that behavior in the wrapper.
+- Compose the documented parts and preserve their intended relationships. Do
+  not omit required parts or replace semantic elements only to simplify
+  styling.
+
+## Preserve the API
+
+- Derive the wrapper's props from the primitive's exported `Props` type, then
+  add only the package-specific props the wrapper owns.
+- Pass through supported consumer props, including refs, event handlers, ARIA
+  attributes, and controlled or uncontrolled state props.
+- Preserve Base UI state attributes. Add package-owned data attributes only for
+  states or variants introduced by the wrapper.
+- Do not replace Base UI event handling, focus handling, or state management
+  unless the component's documented API explicitly requires it.
+
+## Composition and semantics
+
+- Use Base UI's `render` prop for composition. Do not introduce an `asChild`
+  API.
+- Preserve the primitive's default native element when possible.
+- When `render` changes the native element, follow the primitive's documented
+  requirements, including props such as `nativeButton`.
+- Keep links as links and buttons as buttons. A link that looks like a button
+  should use an anchor with button styling rather than button semantics.
+- Merge generated and consumer props without dropping class names, styles,
+  refs, or event handlers. Use Base UI's composition utilities when manual prop
+  merging is required.
+
+## Animation
+
+- Follow Base UI's animation guide before adding motion to a component.
+- Prefer CSS transitions for enter and exit motion. Transitions can reverse
+  smoothly when a user interrupts an opening or closing animation.
+- Use `[data-starting-style]` for the transition's initial state and
+  `[data-ending-style]` for its final state. Let Base UI coordinate unmounting
+  after the transition completes.
+- Use CSS variables exposed by the component, such as `--transform-origin`,
+  when they affect the animation.
+- Respect reduced-motion preferences when motion is not essential.
+
+Write the transition in StyleX. Use `:is()` to apply the same value for both
+Base UI state attributes:
+
+```tsx
+import * as stylex from "@stylexjs/stylex";
+
+const styles = stylex.create({
+  popup: {
+    transformOrigin: "var(--transform-origin)",
+    transitionDuration: "150ms",
+    transitionProperty: "transform, opacity",
+    opacity: {
+      default: 1,
+      ":is([data-starting-style], [data-ending-style])": 0,
+    },
+    transform: {
+      default: "scale(1)",
+      ":is([data-starting-style], [data-ending-style])": "scale(0.9)",
+    },
+  },
+});
+```
+
+## Accessibility
+
+- Treat Base UI's behavior as the baseline, not the complete accessibility
+  implementation. Supply accessible names, descriptions, and group labels when
+  the component's content does not provide them.
+- Provide a visible `:focus-visible` treatment and preserve Base UI's focus
+  management.
+- Maintain documented disabled and loading behavior. For example, use
+  `focusableWhenDisabled` when an async button must retain focus while loading.
+- Verify semantic roles and relationships after composing primitives or
+  changing rendered elements.
+
+## Tests
+
+- Test the wrapper's public API and repository-specific behavior rather than
+  duplicating Base UI's internal test suite.
+- Cover relevant keyboard interaction, focus movement or restoration,
+  accessible names, disabled behavior, and controlled and uncontrolled state.
+- Add regression tests whenever the wrapper changes Base UI composition,
+  rendered elements, event handling, or state attributes.
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 2fe646e..e032370 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # Repository guidance
 
+## Base UI
+
+Before adding or changing a component backed by Base UI, read
+[`.agents/references/base-ui-usage.md`](.agents/references/base-ui-usage.md).
+
 ## Tooling
 
 - Use the pnpm version declared by `packageManager` in `package.json`.