Method2026-06-14#tooling

Dry-run tool calls before letting them mutate anything

Tool use changes the risk profile of a model. The model can be wrong in the world, not just wrong in text. The safe pattern is preview, inspect, authorize, execute, verify.

The dry run should include exactly what will be called, what identifiers will be touched, which fields will change, and what success will look like. If the model cannot state those plainly, it should not run the tool.

The best dry runs also include a refusal branch. They say what condition would stop execution and what evidence would be needed to proceed.

Aha moment

A tool call should become inspectable before it becomes irreversible.

Try this

Require action preview, target ids, expected effects, refusal conditions, and rollback notes before execution.

Open NotesEntry JSON

Watch for

  • Tool arguments that include broad or ambiguous selectors
  • Mutation plans without a verification step
  • The model treating permission to plan as permission to execute