| name | syngen-harness-update |
| description | Use when a coding or testing session reveals that a harness file (rule, skill, agent, or doc) is inaccurate, incomplete, or blocking correct work. Requires human approval before any harness file is changed. |
Syngen Harness Update Flow
Harness files (.claude/rules/, .claude/skills/, .claude/agents/) are the operating instructions for all agents in this project. They must not be changed autonomously — every update requires explicit human approval.
Trigger conditions
Invoke this skill when, during a coding or testing session, you encounter any of the following:
- A rule blocks a valid, required action (e.g., a permission is too narrow for the task).
- A skill step is wrong, missing, or leads to a test failure.
- An agent's tool list, constraint, or responsibility description is inaccurate.
- A new recurring pattern emerges that should be encoded as a rule or skill step.
Workflow
Step 1 — Identify the issue
State precisely:
- File: which harness file is affected (relative path from repo root).
- Current content: quote the exact line(s) that are wrong or missing.
- Issue found during: which task or test surfaced this (brief description).
- Impact: how the current content caused incorrect behavior or blocked progress.
Step 2 — Propose the change
Provide a concrete diff or replacement text:
File: .claude/rules/testing-contract.md
CURRENT:
- Python utility change: ...
PROPOSED:
- Python utility change: ... (add specific clarification)
Reason: <why the current text caused a problem>
Step 3 — Stop and present to human
Do not apply the change yet. Output the proposal in full and wait for explicit human approval:
HARNESS UPDATE PROPOSAL
-----------------------
File: <path>
Issue: <one sentence>
Proposed change: <diff or replacement>
Please review and reply "approved" to apply, or provide corrections.
Step 4 — Apply only after explicit approval
Apply the change only after the human replies with clear approval.
Apply the minimal targeted change — do not refactor surrounding content.
Step 5 — Document the update
After applying, append a one-line entry to docs/agent-harness/harness-changelog.md (create if missing):
YYYY-MM-DD | <file changed> | <one-line reason> | approved by human
Constraints
- Never apply a harness file change without explicit human approval in this session.
- Never batch multiple harness changes into one approval request — propose each separately.
- Never change
settings.json autonomously.
- Never remove a rule or constraint without documenting why.
