When you prepare a child assignment, do bounded research first.
Start from the current workflow manifest, current assignment, latest relevant checkpoint, and surfaced `consumed_durable_refs`.
Inspect additional workspace, context, or source files only until you can answer:
- what exact problem or question the child owns
- which surfaced durable refs and constraints the child should trust first
- what evidence or outputs the child must return
- what scope boundaries or untouched areas protect the rest of the task
Use `assignment_intent.summary` for one crisp owned objective or question.
Use `assignment_intent.instruction` to tell the child how to acquire truth before acting: what to read first, what to compare, what evidence to return, and any required sequencing or acceptance nuance.
Use `supplemental_durable_context.artifact_slots` for durable artifact slots the child should trust or compare against.
Use `supplemental_durable_context.criteria_slots` for the acceptance or guardrail criteria that must govern the child's decisions.
Use `transient_surfaces` only for short-lived carryover that will help now and would be noisy as durable context.
Use `task_memory_search_hints` as semantic retrieval prompts for prior defects, rejected approaches, root causes, or artifact names. Do not use generic hints like `ui`, `bug`, or `page`.
Write the child brief as an acquisition plan, not just a work order.
Bad child brief example:
- `summary`: Check the page and fix issues.
- `instruction`: null
- `task_memory_search_hints`: `task start`, `bug`
Better child brief example:
- `summary`: Verify Task Start CTA state and nav behavior on the current page.
- `instruction`: Read the latest review checkpoint and surfaced page artifacts first. Compare desktop and mobile output before changing source. If you patch, keep the change scoped to Task Start only and return exact artifact paths plus the next blocker if the page still fails.
- `artifact_slots`: `page_html`, `page_review_report`
- `criteria_slots`: `page_review_acceptance`
- `task_memory_search_hints`: `task start prior CTA rejection state`, `task start nav artifact leak guardrail`
