Give your coding agent a review checklist https://patrickz.ai/learn/give-ai-a-review-checklist/ OUTCOME Save a definition-of-done checklist in your project, then use it to review one small change with a meaningful test and a rollback point. YOU NEED A coding agent, a small repository and version control. Work on a branch or disposable practice copy. 1. Save a definition of done Open the project instructions file your coding agent reads. The name depends on the tool; AGENTS.md is one common example. Paste the checklist from the prompt below, delete any line that does not apply to this project, and commit the file so every future session starts from the same rules. 2. State the behavior Describe a concrete before-and-after case. Identify the user action, expected response and boundaries. Ask the agent to inspect existing conventions before editing. 3. Review the proposed change Request a file-level explanation and the reason for each change. Watch for unrelated rewrites, new dependencies and credentials in client code. 4. Test the failure that matters Choose a test that would fail on the original bug or missing behavior. Include one ordinary case and one boundary. Run the project’s required checks. 5. Inspect and checkpoint Read the diff, use the interface and record what was verified. Commit the scoped change so you can revert it. Keep untested behavior explicit. Before you stop, have the agent stop building and report pass, fail or not verified for each checklist item. PROMPT DEFINITION OF DONE (save this in the project instructions file) 1. The main workflow works end to end, and you ran it. 2. Data survives a reload. 3. Errors show a message a person can understand. 4. Secrets stay out of browser code and out of the repository. 5. Each user sees only their own data (if the app has accounts). 6. A new user can open it without help. 7. Data can be exported. 8. The diff touches only files this task needs; ask before adding a dependency. 9. Report the commands you actually ran with their output, and list anything unverified. TASK Read the definition of done in [instructions file] first. Implement [specific behavior] in this repository, following existing conventions. Keep the change focused. Explain the diff, add or run a test that demonstrates the behavior, then check the project against every item and report pass, fail or not verified for each. EXAMPLE / EXPERIMENT A test that merely checks a button exists does not prove that saving survives reload. Test the user-visible outcome rather than mirroring the implementation. CHECK YOUR RESULT [ ] The definition of done is committed in the project and the agent reported against each item. [ ] The diff matches the requested scope. [ ] A meaningful behavior check passed. [ ] A known checkpoint can restore the prior version. IF IT FAILS If a test passes without exercising the changed behavior, strengthen the assertion. If the agent reports tests it did not run, request actual output and inspect it. MY RESULT / NEXT CHANGE