Template: one-page AI agent project brief
Fill this in before you build anything. If you can't complete a section in a sentence or two, that's the part of the project to work on first. Copy the note, replace the prompts in italics, and keep it to one page.
How to use this brief
Write it with the people who do the work today, not only the sponsors. Review it once before the build starts and again before launch. For the wider process behind each section, the guide to building and deploying AI agents goes into more depth.
1. The problem
Describe the task in one sentence, as the person doing it would.
- [ ] The task repeats often enough to matter
- [ ] The inputs are messy enough that simple rules didn't work
- [ ] Someone can already say what a correct result looks like
2. The people
Name them. A role isn't an owner.
- [ ] Business owner who accepts the result
- [ ] Technical owner who keeps it running
- [ ] A person who will review the agent's work in week one
3. What the agent may do
List each action and mark it: read, write, or hard to undo.
- [ ] Every action has a risk level
- [ ] Hard-to-undo actions need a named approver
- [ ] There's a way to pause the agent quickly
4. What the agent may see
List the systems and the fields. If a field isn't listed, the agent can't read it.
- [ ] Data sources are written down
- [ ] Sensitive fields are marked
- [ ] Retention period for prompts, outputs and logs is agreed
5. Where it runs
Say where the agent runs, where the data goes and who can reach it.
- [ ] Hosting choice is written down and approved by security
- [ ] Network access is limited to what the agent needs
If you're planning to deploy AI agents on your own infrastructure, spend extra time on this section, because it decides most of the review questions.
6. How you'll know it works
Pick two or three measures and take a baseline before launch.
- [ ] Baseline handling time or error rate recorded
- [ ] A set of saved test cases exists
- [ ] The weekly review has an owner
7. When you'll stop
Write the condition that makes you pause or end the project.
- [ ] A clear threshold for pausing
- [ ] Someone who is allowed to call it
- [ ] A date for the first honest review of whether it's working
Last check
Read the page aloud to someone who wasn't involved. If they can say what the agent does, what it can touch and who is responsible, the brief is ready. If they ask three questions you can't answer, go back to the section those questions came from.
