How Does the Agent's To-Do List Help Track Tasks?
Use status to check progress; do not equate list completion with result verification.
Break Big Goals into Verifiable Steps
The Agent can maintain a to-do list that records pending, in-progress, and completed steps. It is suitable for multi-stage work, letting you know what you are currently doing and which items remain unfinished.
The list is a tool for organizing progress, not proof of result authenticity; some items may be canceled or adjusted, so you need to check the actual status of each item.
Use the List to Correct Scope
You can request a list of steps necessary to complete the goal first, and update the original plan when new conditions are discovered. Avoid having the same work appear repeatedly on the list due to different wording.
An acceptable to-do item should be written as a specific result, for example, “Verify whether the sources in the report support the conclusions,” rather than “Continue research.” When a task is not completed, require recording what conditions are still missing; a clear list means you won’t have to guess progress again when resuming the task later.
- Confirm that each step has a clear objective.
- During execution, check the current step against actual tool actions.
- When tasks change, retain unfinished work and adjust incrementally.
- Before finishing, review unfinished, canceled, and blocked items.
How to Accept the Final Result
Require that each key completion item corresponds to a deliverable, output, or verified fact. Canceled checks should state the reason and must not be recorded as verified in the report; blocked items should also retain the required conditions. When continuing previous tasks, you can first review the existing list and results instead of generating a seemingly complete new plan that omits progress.