AIDA Labs · How we build · 2 of 2

The controls are designed in, not bolted on

Every product is built so that a mistake, by a person or an agent, is stopped, contained or reversible. This page shows the controls built into every change we make, how they worked on a real day (building aidalabs.ca on 3 October 2026), and the checklist every new site goes through.

The controls in every change

1Scripts, not loose commandsEvery step is a numbered, saved script with a header saying what it does, what it touches and what it leaves alone, so it can be re-read, re-run or audited later.

2Read-only firstBefore changing anything, take an inventory of what's really there and work from facts, not guesses.

3Back up before every changeSite folders and server settings are copied, with a timestamp, before anything is replaced.

4Test before switching onServer settings are tested in the AI's sandbox, then tested again on the server before they're switched on. If the test fails, the old settings go back and nothing is uploaded.

5Separate everythingEach site has its own folder and its own server settings, so a change to one can't overwrite another.

6Every change can be undoneBackups, kept copies of old files and repeatable build scripts mean any step can be reversed.

7Stop rather than guessBuild scripts check that a page still has the layout they expect, and stop if it doesn't.

How it worked: building aidalabs.ca

Step 1

Inventory before changing anything

We needed separate server settings for each family of sites, so one site couldn't overwrite another. Instead of guessing how the server was set up, the AI wrote one read-only command that saved a snapshot of the settings, and a person ran it. The snapshot showed that new subdomains would fall through to a different site, and that two settings pointed at a mistyped folder.

Lesson: a full dump of server settings can include secret values. We treat every dump as sensitive: secrets are removed from the saved copy at once, and any credential that was shown is rotated.

Step 2

Deploy with backup, test and automatic undo

Each deploy script rebuilds the site, backs up the live copy and server settings, installs and tests one settings file, puts the old one back and stops if the test fails, uploads only that site's folders, then checks every address. Nothing outside its own site is touched.

Step 3

Exact copies stay exact

When we copied existing pages to new addresses, the only changes were the company name and the links between sites. Small issues carried over from the originals were written down, not quietly "fixed", so the copies stay faithful and every difference is deliberate.

The checklist for every new site

The work happens inside a folder that was granted for it.
A read-only inventory was taken before any change.
Every change is a saved, commented script.
The script backs up first, tests before switching on, and undoes itself on failure.
It touches only its own site's folder and server settings.
The change passed checks on desktop, tablet and phone: no text under 14 pixels, no sideways scrolling.
A preview was approved before publishing.
Third-party code and content are licensed and credited.
Secrets stay out of files, chats and screenshots.
Anything that went wrong is written down.

Part 1: AI speeds up the building, and stays out of the dangerous placesWho does what, and the rules that keep AI away from production.Read part 1 ›

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