Designing Failure and Recovery Instructions
Tell the agent how to respond when the happy path breaks.
Bound retries
A repeated operation without new evidence can consume resources without improving the result. A useful default is one reasonable alternative, followed by a clear blocker report if the problem remains.
Keep the working state
Preserve existing behavior until the replacement has been validated. Avoid unrelated rewrites as a workaround for one localized issue. Save completed work and identify a resume point.
Continue when work is independent
If source access is blocked, an agent may still be able to review supplied requirements. If one research source is unavailable, it may use another appropriate source. Alternatives must stay inside the granted permissions and scope.
Make uncertainty visible
Low-risk assumptions can be documented while work continues. Decisions with material or irreversible consequences should return to the user. Reports should distinguish completed, attempted, blocked, and unvalidated work.