FreeStack guideWeb & code5 min

Prepare a developer handover before paying for a coding agent

Turn one small feature into a readable brief, a state sketch and checks that a developer or coding agent can follow.

By FreeStack editorial

What you’re working towards

A portable handover folder with a Markdown brief, an editable sketch and a checklist for one complete task.

Start with the uncertainty, not the subscription. For this fictional example, a local workshop organiser needs a simple enquiry page. Define what should happen before choosing a builder or model. This is a FreeStack planning exercise, not a tested application or customer result. Provider evidence checked 14 October 2026.

Free boundaries before you start

Source checks for this workflow. These notes clarify older catalogue summaries; they do not change your saved toolkit.

Excalidraw · checked 2026-10-14

Free browser whiteboard with local saving and PNG, SVG and editable file exports. The manual guide does not use AI credits. Excalidraw Plus is a separate paid workspace for cloud organisation. The editor software is MIT-licensed; hosting and imported assets have separate terms.

Account requirement for free manual browser workflow not explicitly confirmed by retrieved pages.

Visual Studio Code · checked 2026-10-14

Free for private/commercial use; Microsoft distribution licence, Code-OSS MIT separately. Core local files/Markdown need no AI membership. Extensions carry their own licences and may have costs; AI providers separate.

Official FAQ and onboarding explicitly confirm no account needed for core editor/terminal/debugger/source control/extensions.

PICTURE THE RESULT

A small example to aim for

README.mdWorkshop enquiryScope: one form, no payments

states.excalidrawEmpty → validation → sentFailure keeps the input

acceptance-checks.mdKeyboard + narrow screenExpected results, not test claims

FreeStack example output · illustrative, not a provider screenshot or a tested export.

Jump to a step

Choose one task and write its boundary

Write who needs the feature, what they enter and what useful result they expect. Our example: a visitor chooses a workshop, enters an email and receives a clear confirmation. Put payments, member profiles and reminder emails in an explicit Out of scope section. Name the intended recipient of the handover. If nobody can explain the result in one sentence, narrow the task before selecting more tools.

Sketch success, a mistake and the empty state

Use Excalidraw to draw three states: a blank enquiry form, an invalid email with a recovery message, and a successful confirmation. Label the action between each state. Write what happens if submission fails rather than showing success unconditionally. The sketch communicates intended behaviour; it does not collect information or demonstrate a working backend.

Make the brief portable

Create a folder in VS Code with README.md, acceptance-checks.md and an assets subfolder. In the README, describe the task, scope exclusions and each state. Preview the Markdown to inspect headings and lists. Export the sketch as editable .excalidraw plus PNG or SVG and reference both files. Use fictional values in the example. List approved asset sources and any licence requirements so the next person does not need your private chat history.

Write checks someone can actually follow

For each check, specify the action and expected result. Example: submit an empty email, expect a visible error and retain the selected workshop. Submit a valid sample, expect a confirmation that names the workshop. Test keyboard access and a narrow screen. If a backend will be added, require a separate check that a successful message corresponds to a saved record. Keep these as proposed acceptance checks until someone runs them and records the result.

Review before choosing what to pay for

Ask the recipient to explain the task using only the folder. Fix unclear instructions and save a versioned copy before implementation. FreeStack editorial upgrade trigger: consider a paid coding service only when a named implementation task, suitable model and expected usage justify the cost. Buy managed hosting only when the feature needs a dependable shared service. A local brief and sketch need neither. Keep the handover as the reference when you compare proposals or generated changes.

THE BUILD AT A GLANCE

Your workflow, connected.

Follow the steps and carry the output into the next stage. These are suggested handoffs, not automatic integrations.

01Define one task
Start with a plan
One-page scope
02Sketch the states
Excalidraw
Editable state map
03Package the brief
Visual Studio Code
Excalidraw
VS Code holds the brief; Excalidraw supplies the state map.
Markdown + source files
04Define completion
Visual Studio Code
Action + expected result
05Review & decide
Review & finish
A scoped implementation decision

Provider information

Check current plans and documentation before committing to a workflow.

View 6 provider links

A couple of useful questions

Do I need an account to prepare this?

Local VS Code editing needs no account. Optional sync, AI features and external services have separate requirements. Excalidraw’s free whiteboard supports local saving and exports; the retrieved plan documentation does not explicitly establish account requirements for this workflow.

Should I install a coding agent first?

Only if it has a specific job. The handover can go to a human developer, a builder or an agent later. A saved brief is useful even if you choose not to buy anything.

Does Save this toolkit save my handover files?

It saves the catalogue tool links to your private FreeStack stack through the existing sign-in flow. Keep the actual Markdown, sketch and images in your own backed-up folder.

What would you try?

Share your result or ask a specific question about this workflow.

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