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patternCommunication Patterns

Create a checkpoint before modifying this

Ask the agent to save the current working state first, usually as a commit, so you can easily return to it if the changes go badly.

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a bit more technical

Record a known-good state before risky changes, typically by committing current work or creating a branch, so the new work can be compared against it and undone cleanly. Some agent tools also offer their own checkpoints.

picture it

Saving your game before the boss fight. If it goes badly, you reload the save instead of starting the whole game over.

✗ instead of
go ahead and redo the whole sign-up form
✓ try
Before modifying the sign-up form, create a checkpoint: commit the current working version with a clear message. Then make the changes, so we can compare or roll back easily.
why it matters

Agents can edit dozens of files in seconds. Without a checkpoint, undoing a bad attempt means untangling changes by hand, often mixed with your own work.

what your agent might say
agent
Created a checkpoint: I committed the current working state as Before sign-up form restructure. Starting the changes now.
how you might use it
you → your agent
Create a checkpoint before modifying this: commit the current working state with a clear message, then make the changes on a new branch.
common mistake

Thinking the editor's undo button is enough. Undo often can't reverse changes spread across many files, made by terminal commands, or from an earlier session.

builds on
Commit