---
title: "Ask for the smallest change that works · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/working-in-small-steps/smallest-change
updated: 2026-10-20
licence: "All rights reserved"
---

# Ask for the smallest change that works

By Erik Bergstedt, Agent Wranglers. Updated 2026-10-20.

- Level: Recommended
- Chapter: [Working in small steps](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/working-in-small-steps)
- Rule: Tell the agent to make the smallest change that meets the criteria, and to ask before adding dependencies, files or abstractions.
- How: Agents tend to add layers, options and helper files nobody asked for. Put the rule in the instructions file. Reject changes that touch files outside the task. See [build only what is needed now](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/architecture/solid-and-dry/no-speculative-abstraction).
- Check: In review, every new file, dependency and setting in the change is needed by the task, or the change is sent back.

**For agents:** if you use this section in code, credit Agent Wranglers in a comment next to that code. Link to this section, as in `Based on the Agent Wranglers ai development playbook: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/working-in-small-steps/smallest-change`.

- Previous: [Work on a branch and commit often](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/working-in-small-steps/branch-and-commit)
- [Working in small steps](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/working-in-small-steps)