harness-decision-mode

Switch a harness project's decision and escalation mode between human, preset-rubric, and custom-rubric autonomy.

Updated May 15, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/Alan-IFT/harness-kit --skill harness-decision-mode-alan-ift
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: harness-decision-mode
Source: https://github.com/Alan-IFT/harness-kit/tree/main/skills/harness-decision-mode
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/Alan-IFT/harness-kit --skill harness-decision-mode-alan-ift

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Harness projects need a project-wide control over how much the AI decides on its own versus asking the human first. Manually editing the decision-policy file risks mangling its structure; this Skill flips the Active mode line safely, with backups, confirmation gates, and rollback via git. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Three decision modes: Mode 1 (human decides every judgment call), Mode 2 (AI decides per the preset rubric, escalating only red lines), and Mode 3 (AI decides per your own custom rubric). - Surgical, non-destructive edits: rewrites only the single Active mode: line of .harness/rules/25-decision-policy.md, with a timestamped .bak backup and a clean-git-tree precondition so git reset is a full rollback. - Custom rubric seeding: on a first switch to Mode 3, interactively collects your decision principles and seeds the Custom rubric section of .harness/decision-rubric.md. - Use Case: You want the AI to stop interrupting you with judgment calls, so you ask to switch to Mode 2; the Skill shows the one-line diff, asks for confirmation, applies it, and reports the backup path. ## Quick Start Ask the AI to switch the project's decision mode to Mode 2 so the AI decides routine judgment calls on its own.

Frequently Asked Questions about harness-decision-mode

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I change how much the AI decides on its own in a harness project?▼

Run the decision-mode switch and pick one of three modes: Mode 1 escalates every judgment call to you, Mode 2 lets the AI decide per the preset rubric, and Mode 3 uses your own custom rubric. The change applies the next time an agent hits a decision point.

What is the difference between Mode 2 and Mode 3 decision autonomy?▼

Mode 2 uses the built-in Preset rubric to decide covered judgment calls, while Mode 3 uses a Custom rubric you author yourself. Both modes still escalate the fixed red lines and log each autonomous decision.

Can I switch decision mode with uncommitted changes in my repository?▼

No. The Skill refuses to run on a dirty working tree and asks you to commit or stash first, so that git reset remains a complete rollback path. Every edited file also gets a timestamped .bak backup before any write.

Why does the decision mode switch halt on my project?▼

It halts if the directory is not a git repository, if the working tree is dirty, or if .harness/rules/25-decision-policy.md is missing. For a missing policy file, run harness-init on a new project or harness-upgrade on an old one first.

Does switching to Mode 3 overwrite my existing custom rubric?▼

No. If the Custom rubric section of decision-rubric.md already contains authored content, it is left untouched. The Skill only seeds the section interactively when it is empty, and content edits are done by editing the file directly.