Extract behavior into versioned artifacts

You can only track what has an identity.

First time here? Paste the Context Pack first so the AI understands your project - open it from the header above.

Prompt Capsule

Extract every behavior-bearing artifact into versioned files. Inventory: system prompt sections, tool descriptions and schemas, permission/danger rules, routing tables, reminder templates, repair prompts, sub-agent prompts. Move each into a dedicated files structure (prompts/, tools/, rules/ or equivalent) loaded at startup - no behavioral string literals left in code. Define the harness version: a semver bumped on behavioral change, or the git SHA of the artifacts tree; implement version resolution at startup and stamp it into every session record and log line header. Verify by changing one file and seeing the new version in the next session's logs.

Paste into EmergentFull Build: complete implementation prompt with explicit requirements

Quick is short. Full Build is recommended for most steps. Strict forces real logic when the AI keeps faking output.

Actual change check

Expected after this step

Versioned artifact files with the harness version stamped into sessions.

Should NOT happen

An existing feature broke
A button only logs to console
Data disappears after refresh
Errors fail silently with no visible state

This is what should exist before you continue. If reality does not match, do not move on.

Your notes for this step

Track what changed, failed, or needs follow-up. Notes export with the flow.

Pass the Verify Gate to complete this step

Verify before continuing

Do not move on until every check is true. The complete button stays locked until then.

Inventory covers all behavior-bearing stringsArtifacts load from files at startupVersion stamps appear in session logs

Do not continue if…

! Prompts as unversioned strings buried in code, edited live
! Changelogs listing file edits instead of behavior changes
! No baseline eval, so behavioral drift is discovered by angry users
! Sessions unattributable to harness versions when debugging regressions

If the AI messes this up

Use this when:

- it only made visual forms or placeholder UI
- buttons do nothing or only log to console
- data is not persisted - state disappears on refresh
- something that worked before is now broken

Use this when the AI fakes progress or breaks the feature. It forces a real fix.

Strings keep sneaking back into code. Add a lint/CI check greping for prompt-like literals in source (long strings near model calls) - make the easy path the compliant path.