Worked example · Everyday AI agent

An AI agent that counts revision rounds

Two rounds in the contract. At round three, it asks you first.

Illustration: the editor, client, manuscript and numbers are made up.Administration only. It never reads, edits or rewrites the text.

1Sam gives it the contract terms once

Sam's contract terms: The Salt Road (copyedit)

Confirmed
  • 2 rounds included
  • Extra round $140
  • Corrections only
  • Max +15% length (agreed 60,000 words)
  • Feedback within 7 days
  • One list per round
  • Latest file only
  • Ask first
  • Never reads the text

Sam tells the agent the contract terms once, and that it never touches the text.

2It looks whenever feedback arrives

  1. Spotfeedback arrives
  2. Countround 1, 2, 3...
  3. Check rulesSam's contract terms
  4. Log itdate, file, version
  5. Ask Samonly if a rule fails

It sees

  • Email date and sender
  • File name and version
  • The file's word count
  • Sam's contract terms

It never sees

The words in the manuscript

Each time the client sends feedback, it counts the round and checks the contract. Nothing else.

3Two steps are free. The third is not.

Contract: 2 rounds includedRound 1in contract6 checks ✓Round 2in contract6 checks ✓Round 3outside thecontract3 of 6checks ✗Delivered2 NovRound 19 NovRound 218 NovRound 326 Nov 'Thanks, one question':not a round, not countedRound 3 is outside the contract: $140Length vs agreed 60,000 wordslimit 69,000 (+15%)R1+1.5%R2+2.5%R3+18%

Revision request · The Salt Roadfrom Jordan R. (client)

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
  • Within the 2 rounds included✓ 1 of 2 passed✓ 2 of 2 passed✗ 3 of 2 failed
  • Corrections only (not new content)✓ passed✓ passed✗ new chapter requested failed
  • Length within +15% of 60,000 words✓ +1.5% passed✓ +2.5% passed✗ +18% failed
  • Arrived within 7 days of delivery✓ day 7 passed✓ day 6 passed✓ day 5 passed
  • One consolidated list✓ passed✓ passed✓ passed
  • Based on the latest file (v2)✓ passed✓ passed✓ passed

Every request is checked against the contract. Round 3 fails three checks, so it asks Sam.

4It drafts the note. Sam decides.

3 of 6 checks failed ✗

Agent 9:05 am

Round 3 on The Salt Road: outside contract

Round 3 · The Salt Road

Failed: round count (3 of 2) · scope (new chapter) · length (+18%, limit +15%)

Passed: 7-day window · one list · latest file

Draft change request ready. Extra round: $140

Review it before anything is sent.

DRAFTDraft to JordanEditable

Hi Jordan, thanks for your latest list. Round 2 is complete. The new chapter and the +18% length change fall outside the two rounds in our agreement. An extra round is $140. Reply "yes" to go ahead, or tell me if you would rather keep to the current scope.

Send as isEdit firstHold
Send as is

Final check: still round 3, still v3 ✓

Sent to Jordan 9:12 am

The agent drafts the note and the price. Sam reads it and decides.

5Agreed (or declined). Neatly closed.

Change request · Round 3 · The Salt Road

  • Extra round (new chapter, +18% length)$140
  • Requested by Sam · 9:12 am
  • Approved by Jordan R. · 11:40 am
AGREED ✓

Editing: The Salt Road · Round 3 added $140Invoice updated

  • Counter reset for the extra round
  • Log saved

If Jordan declines: stays at 2 rounds, no change to the invoice, files delivered as agreed.

The extra round is agreed in writing and added to the invoice. The log keeps the evidence.

Built-in limits

  • Never reads the textIt counts rounds and files. It never opens or rewrites your manuscript.
  • Asks firstNothing goes to the client without Sam's yes.
  • Only your termsIt applies your contract. It doesn't invent rules.
  • Logs everythingEvery request, file, check and message.

Same pattern, your business

Illustrations, not client results.

A clear two-round clause and a polite reminder may be enough. If you only get a few projects a month, an email template and a spreadsheet will do the job.

Which part of your admin would you like an agent to watch?

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Content Manager, My Team Factory

More details

Sam's full contract terms

Sam is a made-up freelance copyeditor. All the terms and numbers below are made up.

Sam's contract terms for The Salt Road (made up)
TermSam's setting
Rounds included2 rounds of corrections
Extra round$140
ScopeCorrections only. No new chapters
LengthMax +15% on an agreed 60,000 words (limit 69,000)
FeedbackWithin 7 days of delivery
FormatOne consolidated list per round
FileLatest file only
ApprovalAsk first
The textThe agent never reads the text

The eight chat bubbles in the first scene are the plain-language way of filling this in:

The conversation between the agent and Sam, as text
WhoWhat was said
AgentWhat does the contract include?
SamTwo rounds of corrections. The extra round is $140.
AgentWhat counts as in scope?
SamCorrections only. No new chapters. Length can grow up to 15%.
AgentHow should feedback arrive?
SamOne list, within 7 days, on the latest file.
AgentMay I read the manuscript?
SamNo. Just count, check and ask me.
What happens on every request
  1. It notices the email or new file (or the daily check).
  2. It decides whether it is feedback. A "thanks, one question" is logged but not counted.
  3. It adds one to the round count.
  4. It checks the six rules.
  5. It logs the date, file name, version and word count.
  6. If all pass, nothing else happens and Sam sees a quiet line in the log.
  7. If any fail, it drafts the note and asks Sam.
The six rules in full

All made up. This table is also the data behind the staircase chart.

The six contract checks for rounds 1 to 3 (illustrative)
RuleRound 1Round 2Round 3
1. Within the 2 rounds includedPassed: 1 of 2Passed: 2 of 2Failed: 3 of 2
2. Corrections only (not new content)PassedPassedFailed: new chapter requested
3. Length within +15% of 60,000 wordsPassed: +1.5% (60,900)Passed: +2.5% (61,500)Failed: +18% (70,800)
4. Arrived within 7 days of deliveryPassed: day 7Passed: day 6Passed: day 5
5. One consolidated listPassedPassedPassed
6. Based on the latest file (v2)PassedPassedPassed
  • Rule 1 is a count of rounds.
  • Rule 2 reads the client's email, not the manuscript. It flags words like "add a new chapter" or "restructure part two". When unsure, it marks the row "Sam to check" and does not decide.
  • Rule 3 compares two numbers: the file's word count and the agreed length.
  • Rule 4 compares two dates: delivery and the email.
  • Rules 5 and 6 look at the email's attachments and the file's version number.
What it never does
  • It never opens, edits, summarises or rewrites the manuscript.
  • It never replies to the client without Sam's yes.
  • It never changes your contract terms or invents new ones.
  • It never refuses the client's request. It only prices and flags.
  • If a file type does not give a word count without reading the text, it skips the length rule and tells Sam.
If the client says no, or changes the request
  • The client declines: the project stays at two rounds, and files are delivered as agreed.
  • The client sends a smaller list: the agent re-checks it.
  • The contract says something else: Sam updates the terms and the rules change.

Sam can always hold or edit the draft.

Why rounds matter (source)

Columbia Journalism Review describes a freelancer who answered eight rounds of edits on a 1,700-word piece that grew to about 2,500 words with no extra pay (CJR). Common advice is to put a cap on revision rounds in the contract (Gain, a vendor blog).

Our example is made up; this is why the problem is worth a line in your contract.

When a clause and a reminder are enough

For a few projects a month, a two-round clause in your contract, a one-line reminder with the round count in your reply, and a spreadsheet may be all you need.

An agent earns its keep when you run many projects at once, work with several editors, or the counting and drafting take real time each week.

The business examples in full

These are illustrations too. The pattern is the same each time: watch something, check the rules, hit your limit, and you approve.

  • Home improvement: a supplier's price jumps past your margin, and a revised quote is drafted for you to approve.
  • Short-term rentals: a cleaner is still silent at your cutoff. The agent chases, then asks your backup with your tap.
  • Translation agencies: nobody accepts a job in time, so it is offered to the next linguist.
  • Editing and small presses: a request goes past the agreed rounds, and a change note is drafted for approval.

These are illustrations too.

How we'd start with you

We'd start with one workflow and a measurable goal, not a big project.

  1. Discover: a free call to understand your business, goals and where time is going.
  2. Assess: we map the workflow, measure the baseline and give you a prioritised AI roadmap with a fixed-price quote.
  3. Pilot: we build the first agent, demo progress weekly and launch it with human approval switched on.
  4. Scale & run: once the results are proven, we add agents, form teams and keep everything monitored and improving.