# Copedal delivery rules pack

Version 1.0 · 12 November 2026
One file. Copy what you need, keep the rest.

---

## 1. Why this exists

An agent that saves files wherever it likes is not a time saver. You spend the saved time
looking for the output, guessing which version is current, and repairing a folder you did not
mean to touch. The fix is small and boring: decide the folder, decide the name, say both out
loud at the start of every task.

## 2. Folder layout

One parent folder. One folder per task. Three subfolders that never change meaning.

```
agent-work/                     <- one parent, outside the system drive
  2026-11-12_q4-report/
    inputs/                     <- everything you gave the agent, untouched
    outputs/                    <- the only place finished files may go
    logs/                       <- run notes, errors, agent's own summary
```

Rules that go with the layout:

- **One task, one folder.** The folder is named after the task, not after the tool.
- **`outputs/` is the only delivery point.** If a finished file is anywhere else, it does not
  count as delivered.
- **`inputs/` is read-only.** The agent may copy from it, never edit in place.
- **`logs/` is disposable.** It can be deleted without losing work.

## 3. File naming rule

```
YYYYMMDD_<project>_<what-it-is>_vNN.<ext>
```

| Good | Why it works |
|---|---|
| `20261112_q4-review_summary_v01.docx` | Date sorts, project groups, type is obvious, version is numeric |
| `20261112_q4-review_charts_v02.xlsx` | Same prefix, different artifact, no guessing |
| `20261112_landing-hero_final.mp4` | `final` is allowed only when there is no shot at a v02 |

| Bad | What it costs later |
|---|---|
| `final_new_2.docx` | Which one is final? Nobody knows, including you |
| `报告最终版.docx` | Same word as the last three files |
| `output.docx` | Unfindable two weeks later |
| `2026-11-12 v2 report (copy).docx` | Spaces, dashes and a copy marker: three naming systems at once |

Hard rules:

1. **Never overwrite a version.** A change means `v02`, even if the change is one word.
2. **Never delete inside the task folder.** Move superseded files to `logs/` and say so.
3. **Never rename after delivery.** If the name is wrong, deliver a new version.
4. **Dates are `YYYYMMDD`**, no separators, so they sort and never localise.

## 4. The prompt to paste

Paste this at the start of a task, then describe the task. It is short on purpose: an agent
follows three clear constraints better than fifteen.

```
Before you start, follow these delivery rules for this task.

Workspace: D:\agent-work\2026-11-12_q4-report
Create it if it does not exist, plus inputs/, outputs/ and logs/ inside it.
Work only inside this folder. Do not read or write anywhere else.

Deliverables:
- Every finished file goes in outputs/. Nothing is "done" until it is there.
- File name: YYYYMMDD_project_what-it-is_vNN.ext
  Example: 20261112_q4-review_summary_v01.docx
- Never overwrite a version. A change is a new vNN.
- Never delete or rename anything. If a file is wrong, make a new version.
- Tell me the full path of every file you create, in a list at the end.

If a step would need a file outside the workspace, stop and ask first.
```

Windows users: change the workspace line to their parent folder. macOS users: use
`~/agent-work/...` instead of `D:\...`.

## 5. Pre-flight checklist

Run this before you accept a delivery. It takes a minute.

- [ ] The task has its own folder, and it is inside the parent folder.
- [ ] `inputs/`, `outputs/`, `logs/` all exist.
- [ ] Every delivered file is in `outputs/`.
- [ ] Every name matches `YYYYMMDD_project_what-it-is_vNN.ext`.
- [ ] No two files claim to be the same version.
- [ ] Nothing was deleted; superseded files are still there.
- [ ] The agent's final message lists the full paths it created.
- [ ] You opened the file, not just read its name.

## 6. First run, start to finish

1. Create the parent folder on a second drive: `D:\agent-work`.
2. Create this task's folder: `D:\agent-work\2026-11-12_q4-report`.
3. Drop the source files into `inputs/`.
4. Open the agent, set its working folder to the task folder, paste the prompt above.
5. Let it run. Do not reorganise anything while it works.
6. Check `outputs/` against the checklist.
7. If the result is close but not right: ask for `v02` with the specific change. Do not ask it
   to "clean up" or "tidy" the folder.

## 7. Common failure and the one-line fix

| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Files spread across Desktop and Downloads | The agent was launched from the wrong folder | Set the working directory first, then talk to it |
| Five files named `final` | No version rule | Add "a change is a new vNN" to the prompt |
| The agent says it saved a file you cannot find | No path reported | Require the full-path list at the end of every task |
| A source file was modified | `inputs/` was not marked read-only | Say "copy from inputs, never edit in place" |

---

Kept by Copedal. If you find a case this pack handles badly, tell us:
<CONTACT_EMAIL> — the next version will include it.