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Agent Rules & Lessons — what to do & what NOT to do

A permanent brief for any AI agent (including me) touching the Dmtilellc project. Skim this before changing anything.
THE #1 RULE — never regenerate the site Never rebuild the site from scratch, never "write a better version" of content or design. Edit the existing files only. Every past disaster came from an agent regenerating instead of editing.

What actually went wrong (history)

WhereWhat the agent didResult / lesson
dmtile-fullWas only supposed to change the URL structure. Instead it regenerated content AND design too.Good original service copy got replaced with thin 487-word template text; every town card became identical. The exact thing the client did NOT want.
Copying"Mimicked" original content instead of copying it verbatim.Design got re-interpreted (worse) AND copy got watered down trying to mimic. Restore = move exact text, don't paraphrase.
DataSilently drifted facts between builds.Brand (DM Tile LLC→Dmtilellc), hours (Every Day 9–5→Mon–Fri 8–5), town lists, review count (27 vs real 9), testimonial hometowns all changed without anyone approving.
ServicesDuplicated a service to fill a nav slot."Shower Tile Installation" became byte-identical to "Shower Waterproofing". Duplication, not differentiation.
ClaimsPropagated unverified claims."5.0★/27 reviews", "lifetime mold-free", "leak-free guarantee", "Authorized Installer", "licensed & insured" — most not verified. Trust/legal risk.
dmtile-full-copyGood original technical content restored; URL structure made flat.The working build we keep. Same design family as original. Fix forward from here, do NOT restart.

✔ Always DO

  • Diff against the real original (live pages / source) before changing content. See what it actually says.
  • Edit data + shared components in tile1-site, then rebuild. Content only changes where you explicitly touch it.
  • Copy original text verbatim when restoring it — never paraphrase or "improve" it.
  • Change ONE thing at a time (URL structure, or content, or design — not all three at once).
  • Verify the rendered HTML after every build: title, canonical, H1, no duplicates. A passing build ≠ a good site.
  • Treat verified facts as law: 10+ yrs, 480+ projects, 1-yr workmanship warranty, 5.0★/9 reviews, 12 core towns. Flag anything not on that list.
  • Get approval per change (dashboard items A–J). Show the client the exact diff.
  • Deploy ONLY to the approved project (dmtile-full-copy). Never touch dmtile-full, original-dmtile-full, or dmtilellc.com without explicit say-so.
  • Check every page type that uses a shared component before finishing (home / services / service / town / money / gallery / about / contact).
  • When in doubt, ask the client instead of guessing.

✘ Never DO

  • Never regenerate the whole site from scratch.
  • Never "make a better version" of the design or the copy.
  • Never write copy from memory of the topic — pull it from the source/original.
  • Never invent locations, reviews, ratings, guarantees, warranties, licenses, or "authorized" status.
  • Never change URL structure + content + design in one move.
  • Never claim it works because the code compiles — inspect the actual rendered page.
  • Never say "looks good" based only on the source.
  • Never add West Hartford / Simsbury / Southington or other non-core towns casually.
  • Never deploy to the wrong project — confirm the target each time.

Working facts (single source of truth)

FieldValue
Company / legalDmtilellc / DMTILELLC
TargetNew Britain + 11 Central CT towns (Plainville, Berlin, Newington, Farmington, Avon, Bristol, Cromwell, Middletown, Glastonbury, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield)
Years / Projects10+ years · 480+ projects
Warranty1-year workmanship ONLY. No lifetime/mold-free/leak-free guarantee.
Google rating5.0★ / 9 reviews (not 27)
Working builddmtile-full-copy.pages.dev (source: tile1-site) — edit here only
Off-limits projectsdmtile-full, original-dmtile-full, dmtilellc.com
Portfolio captionsRe-labeled to the 12 core towns = INTENTIONAL (client decision)

Items still needing client confirmation: "licensed & insured", "Schluter Authorized Installer", David R. testimonial hometown, exact target domain.