You Need to Engineer the Cage, Not the Prompt

📰 Medium · Programming

Effective use of AI coding agents requires engineering the cage, not just crafting the perfect prompt, to achieve reliable and efficient results

intermediate Published 21 Apr 2026

Action Steps

Identify the constraints and boundaries of your AI coding agent
Design a 'cage' to guide the agent's output and behavior
Test and refine the cage to ensure reliable results
Apply the cage to various coding tasks and projects
Compare the outcomes with and without the cage to measure its effectiveness

Who Needs to Know This

Developers and engineers working with AI coding agents can benefit from this approach to improve their workflow and productivity

Key Insight

💡 The 'cage' refers to the set of constraints and boundaries that guide the AI coding agent's output and behavior, leading to more reliable and efficient results