Where Coding Agents Should Ask for Confirmation

Substantial-Heat-321 · reddit · 2026-07-16

The author discusses what control interfaces like Codex Micro should confirm before an agent executes code. The core isn't a simple "yes/no," but making the **scope, cost, and irreversible actions** visible at the right moments. Three checkpoints are proposed: - **Before starting**: Confirm the repository/branch, accessible paths, runnable commands, and token/time budget. - **During execution**: Display concise progress, including plans, modified files, test status, and whether the task has exceeded its original scope. - **Before irreversible actions**: Require explicit confirmation for unauthorized writes, destructive commands, credential access, external calls, and PRs/merges, while showing the specific action, affected resources, and current evidence. Finally, the author asks: Which of these controls have actually helped you avoid costly mistakes? And what additional information do you wish the interface displayed before approving the next step?

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