Best Practices

Give cloud agents clear work, bounded authority, and verifiable completion criteria.

Describe the outcome

Ask for observable behavior, not just an implementation technique. Include the relevant feature, constraints, and the checks that define completion. Attach files only when they are needed for the task.

For unfamiliar repositories, begin with orientation: ask the agent for entry points, key modules, and project instructions before requesting a broad change.

Keep related work together

Continue corrections in the same conversation so the agent retains context. Agents use projects and durable tasks to share decisions, progress, and handoffs across conversations. They coordinate shared file edits and use separate worktrees when changes need isolation.

Review evidence, not confidence

Judge the result against the outcome you requested. Ask the agent for the project’s real tests, type checks, lint, or build results and any remaining uncertainty. For visible UI changes, watch a recording of the actual interaction. Request corrections in conversation; ask for a diff or a code explanation when useful.

Set the scope

Tell the agent the desired handoff and any limits, such as preparing a pull request without merging it. The agent checks the branch and intended files, commits, publishes authorized work, and verifies the remote result. Ask it to report any unpublished work or failed checks. Repository review requirements still apply.

New credentials, database access, and production changes require approval for the exact operation. Review those requests in the conversation.

Use the narrowest credential and network access that completes the task. Never paste secrets into prompts, repository files, terminal history, or demo recordings.