Coding Agent Task Spec Prompt
Writes the task brief that keeps a coding agent inside scope.
/ quick answer
Use to convert a loose request into a spec an agent can execute and you can verify. Writes the task brief that keeps a coding agent inside scope.
Write a task specification for a coding agent working in an existing repository. Include:
1. GOAL — one sentence, outcome not implementation.
2. ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA — checkable statements, including the command that must pass.
3. SCOPE — files and modules it may change; explicitly list what it must NOT touch.
4. CONTEXT — existing patterns, types and conventions it must follow.
5. NON-GOALS — refactors and improvements it should deliberately skip.
6. VERIFICATION — the exact command to run and what output proves success.
7. RISKS — what could break elsewhere and how to check.
Keep the diff under 400 lines. If the task is larger, split it into ordered sub-tasks.
Request: {{REQUEST}}
Stack: {{STACK}}
Repo conventions: {{CONVENTIONS}}1. GOAL — Users can filter the orders table by status without a page reload. 2. ACCEPTANCE — `bun test` passes...
What does the Coding Agent Task Spec Prompt prompt do?
Use to convert a loose request into a spec an agent can execute and you can verify.
Which AI models work with this prompt?
It is model-agnostic: it works with any capable general model. Replace the bracketed variables with your own context before running it.
What output should I expect?
1. GOAL — Users can filter the orders table by status without a page reload. 2. ACCEPTANCE — `bun test` passes...
/ continue exploring
Related concepts
The vocabulary this page depends on.
- →Coding Agent
A coding agent reads a repository, plans a change, edits files, runs tests and iterates until the task passes — instead of just suggesting snippets.
- →AI Software Engineering
AI software engineering is the practice of building software where agents write most of the code and humans own architecture, review and verification.
- →Context Engineering
Context engineering is the discipline of deciding exactly what information enters a model's context window, in what order and at what cost.
Related workflows
Turn this into a repeatable process.
- →Run a Coding Agent on a Real Codebase Safely
Give an agent write access without letting it wreck main.
Related tool stacks
The tools that run it in production.
- →Coding Agent Stack
Run coding agents with executable feedback and reviewable diffs.
Related prompts
Reusable prompts for this job.
- →Agent Architecture Spec Prompt
Turns a fuzzy agent idea into a reviewable five-layer architecture spec.
- →Browser Automation Task Spec Prompt
Converts a manual click-path into a reliable automation spec.
- →AI Code Review Rubric Prompt
A reviewer prompt that finds real defects instead of style opinions.
- →AI Test Generation Prompt
Generates behavioural tests and edge cases, not tautologies.
Related use cases
How people apply it, and what came out.
- →Two-Founder Startup Ships Like a Team of Six
Coding agents plus a hard verification gate replaced three planned hires.
Comparisons & alternatives
Pick between the options.
- →Coding Agent vs Autocomplete Copilot
Copilots accelerate typing; coding agents complete tasks. Different unit of work, different review burden.
- →Claude Code vs Cursor: Which Coding Agent to Use
Terminal-native agent vs IDE-native pair programmer — different jobs, both worth using.