How to use AI agents on a real codebase
Using on an existing depends on the size and risk of the change. A small fix may be safe to hand over right away, but a larger feature or risky change usually needs a first step where the agent studies the code and makes an .
There is no single settled workflow yet. The practical question is how to choose between asking questions, planning the work, and letting the agent edit code immediately.
Key points
- should change based on the size and risk of the task.
- Small fixes can often go straight to code changes.
- Larger or riskier work benefits from questions and an first.
- There is not yet one standard workflow that fits every project.