ZORO: Active Rules for Reliable Vibe Coding

TL;DR

ZORO is an interactive interface that makes rules actively enforceable during coding with agents, improving adherence and user engagement in vibe coding.

Contribution

It introduces ZORO, a novel system that integrates rules into the coding process, enabling active enforcement and user feedback to enhance human-agent alignment.

Findings

Coding agents follow rules more with ZORO than without.

User study shows behavioral and cognitive changes when rules are active.

ZORO enables rules to be enforced and evolved interactively during coding.

Abstract

Rules files (e.g., AGENTS\.md, CLAUDE\.md) are the primary mechanism for human-agent alignment when developers vibe code. However, they remain passive: it is not immediately apparent when rules are being used or followed, or how to improve them. To transform rules from passive text into active controls, we introduce ZORO, an interactive interface that integrates directly with a coding agent and anchors rules to every step of the coding process. After an agent generates an initial plan, ZORO enriches the plan with rules, enforces the rules during implementation by requiring the agent prove that each rule was followed, and allows users to provide in-situ feedback when they are unsatisfied with a rule application to evolve the ruleset. A technical evaluation shows that coding agents follow rules more with ZORO than without. A user study demonstrates a change in people's behavior and cognitive strategies when rules are at the forefront of vibe coding. We discuss how making rules active in agentic systems unlocks broader opportunities for human-agent alignment in coding settings and beyond.