Give Your Agent a Job It Can Actually Finish
When you ask an agent to prepare release notes, you're probably picturing a short draft of what changed. Without a more specific brief, it may add an unmeasured speed claim, pull in a roadmap item, or offer to publish. A task brief lets you spell out what the draft should contain, which actions are allowed, and how you'll check it. We'll build one using fictional release notes; the sample answer…
When drafting release notes for an internal reviewer, begin by selecting a task you can thoroughly review and understand. Clearly outline what the agent should create, what inputs it can use, what it should deliver, and the actions it is allowed to take. For example, you could ask the agent to draft release notes for three specific changelog entries, specifying that the output should consist of three bullets, be no more than 150 words, and be presented in chat.
The agent should not browse, run code, change files, contact anyone, or publish any content. If the agent is uncertain about certain aspects, it should clearly state where it needs clarification. Upon receiving the draft, verify that it meets the requirements outlined in the brief, such as including all three changelog entries, citing their IDs, and avoiding unsupported performance claims.
Ensure that the agent has adhered to all the constraints specified in the brief, such as not adding any roadmaps or making unverified performance claims.
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