Coding agents can now work through longer tasks, use tools, and produce code changes. The quality of the result still depends heavily on the task brief. “Build this feature” leaves questions about scope, existing behavior, access, and acceptance unanswered. A stronger brief describes the outcome and the evidence that will prove it works.

Describe the current and desired behavior

Start with a real user flow: what someone does today, what happens, and what should happen after the change. Add links to the relevant page, issue, or files if you have them. State constraints such as supported devices, accessibility, security, compatibility, and performance. If the task involves a live site, name the exact environment and URL.

Define a narrow scope

Tell the agent which changes are in scope and which existing behavior must be preserved. A good brief asks for the smallest coherent change that solves the problem. It also identifies actions that need approval, such as deploying, changing access, or deleting data. If a constraint is unknown, the agent should record its assumption and continue with work that does not depend on it.

Ask for checkpoints and evidence

Use three checkpoints. First, discovery: inspect the current state and identify likely files and dependencies. Second, implementation: make the change and run meaningful tests. Third, real verification: check the actual app, public page, API response, or hardware flow that a user will experience. A green test suite is useful evidence but does not prove that a live deployment happened.

Example brief

Improve the mobile navigation on [page]. Preserve desktop links and analytics behavior. Inspect the current implementation first. Make the smallest change that supports keyboard and touch use at 375px width. Test the menu open, close, focus, and escape flows. Show the diff and verify the deployed page on mobile and desktop before reporting completion. Ask before publishing.

OpenAI’s September 10, 2026 Agents API announcement describes agents as systems that manage context, use tools, and carry work across steps. Its guidance on running Codex safely emphasizes technical boundaries and explicit handling of higher-risk actions. The practical lesson for a task brief is to make those boundaries and checkpoints visible from the start.

Browse AI Craft Pad prompts for reusable task plans, code review prompts, and verification checklists.