harsh817 Coding Agent Instructions
Definition
Write implementation instructions that another coding agent can follow without guessing. The instructions should steer behavior, not merely describe the feature.
Questions To Ask
- What exact outcome should the agent deliver?
- What files or modules are in scope and out of scope?
- Which project rules, documents, and conventions must be followed?
- What tests and manual checks must pass?
- When should the agent stop and ask instead of proceeding?
Existing Project Comparison
- Reference existing modules, patterns, tests, and docs by path when available.
- Include current constraints from
AGENT_GUARDRAILS.md,FEATURE_DESIGN.md, and repository inspection. - Flag user changes that must be preserved.
Suggestive Plan
- State the feature task in one sentence.
- List implementation boundaries and owner modules.
- List required tests and verification commands.
- Define documentation and delivery document updates.
- Add stop conditions for ambiguity, destructive actions, secrets, or unrelated changes.
Example
"Implement invoice resend in the billing service and admin route only; preserve existing invoice creation behavior; add service tests and one route test; update API docs if the public route changes."
Vocabulary
- Scope boundary: line between intended and unrelated changes.
- Stop condition: condition requiring user input or a safer plan before continuing.
- Source of truth: document or code location that owns a decision.
- Instruction drift: implementation behavior that no longer matches written guidance.
Expected Outcome
Produce a concise instruction block that names the task, boundaries, files, project rules, tests, docs, verification, stop conditions, and expected delivery.