---
title: "Record a shortcut when you take it · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/architecture/technical-debt/record-shortcuts
id: ARC-94
level: Recommended
updated: 2026-10-27
build: a2a6bdfed830
tokens: 561
licence: "CC BY 4.0"
licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
---

# Record a shortcut when you take it

For AI agents: the [site map](https://agentwranglers.se/llms.txt) lists everything here, and this page sits under [Technical debt](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/architecture/technical-debt.md).

By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers.md). Updated 2026-10-27.

- ID: ARC-94
- Level: Recommended
- Chapter: [Technical debt](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/architecture/technical-debt.md)
- Rule: A change that knowingly adds debt adds its register entry in the same pull request. This includes a lint suppression, a skipped test, a TODO or a copied block.
- Check: A pull request job fails on an added lint suppression, skipped test or TODO with no entry or ticket ID on its line.
- How: Debt taken on purpose is cheap to record now and expensive to find later. A CI step looks for new suppressions and skips in the diff, such as `eslint-disable`, `# noqa`, `@ts-ignore`, `it.skip` or `pytest.mark.skip`. Each needs an entry ID next to it. This keeps the register honest without anyone auditing it, and stops checks from being weakened quietly, as [Look for weakened checks and skipped work](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/reviewing-agent-output/no-weakened-checks.md) says.

## Related rules

- AID-18 [Look for weakened checks and skipped work](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/reviewing-agent-output/no-weakened-checks.md) in AI-assisted development

**For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `<a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/architecture/technical-debt/record-shortcuts">Agent Wranglers clean code and architecture playbook</a>`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.

- Previous: [Spend a set share of each cycle on debt](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/architecture/technical-debt/debt-budget.md)
- Next: [Rank debt by how often the code changes](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/architecture/technical-debt/change-hotspots.md)
- [Technical debt](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/architecture/technical-debt.md)