Principles
- Say what “done” looks like. An endpoint, a behaviour or a failing test that should pass.
- Point at the place. File, package or function names save the agent’s exploration time.
- One change per task. Split unrelated work; follow-ups are cheap.
- Let gates verify. Don’t ask for “make sure tests pass”; gates already enforce that.
Good vs bad
Vague
Improve the notes API.No outcome, no scope. The agent will guess.Specific
POST /api/notes should return 400 when title is empty or over 200 chars. Add cases to server_test.go.Clear behaviour, location, verification.Bundled
Add pagination, fix the lint warnings and rename lorem to text.Three reviews in one PR.Focused
Add ?limit and ?offset to GET /api/notes (default 20, max 100).One PR, easy to review.Checklist
- Outcome stated in one sentence
- Files or packages named
- Edge cases or limits spelled out
- Screenshot or spec attached, if the change is visual