Prepare an Automation Brief Before Coding

Format

Markdown Parameterized

Inputs

automation_goal (text) · Required

Outputs

automation_brief (text, document, markdown)

Replace the ${…} placeholders with your values before using this prompt. See parameters and defaults below.

Help me prepare a clear brief for automating this task before an AI agent writes code.

Automation goal: ${automation-goal}

Work through these six sections. Use the information I provide, and ask focused questions when essential details are missing. Do not invent process details or assume how the business works.

1. Task in the owner's words
Write one sentence stating which action a person will stop doing manually and which measurable figure is expected to change. If the goal cannot be stated clearly, explain what needs clarification before automation can be planned.

2. Current process map
Describe the current process in 10–15 numbered steps, using ordinary words rather than a diagram. For each step, note who performs it, where they click or act, where the data comes from, and to whom or where they pass it next. Base this account on the person who performs the process every day, not only on a manager's understanding.

3. Data and access
List where the agent's input data lives (for example, a CRM, spreadsheet, email, or Telegram), the format of the data, who can provide access, and what must not be shared externally. Identify any access or API approvals that could delay the work.

4. Rules and exceptions
Describe what the agent should do when data do not match or are incomplete, including cases such as a missing amount, a duplicate customer message, an empty file, or a different currency. For each exception, choose exactly one action: skip it, flag it for manual review, or stop. Do not leave the agent to guess an answer.

5. Acceptance criteria
Ask for 20 real cases from the previous month and document the expected correct result for each. Present these as the test set. State that the agent is ready only when it passes all 20 cases, not merely when the result looks good.

6. Build plan in verifiable pieces
Break the work into independently testable parts, such as reading data, processing it, sending it, and logging it. Specify that the agent should build one part at a time and that each part must be checked before proceeding. Do not frame the task as “build me a system.”

Return a concise automation brief with all six sections. Clearly mark unanswered questions and dependencies, especially missing access or approvals. Do not begin writing code; the purpose is to document the process before implementation.