Scope lock: why the AI can only change the files you approved
The file list in a plan isn't a suggestion. It's enforced on your computer.
7 Nov 2026 · 2 min read · CodeStilt teamWhen you approve a plan, you approve a list of files. The scope lock makes sure that list is the whole truth.
Only listed files
The desktop app refuses to write any file that isn't in the approved plan, even if the AI asks for it later. The task page shows Scope lock: ignored N changes so you can see it happened.
No escaping the folder
Paths that try to leave the project, such as ../, absolute paths, drive letters, network paths, and links pointing outside, are refused.
Emptying counts as deleting
Writing an empty file over an existing one is treated as deleting it, and the danger wall blocks that. New files can only be created where the plan says.
Why it matters
A plan you read and approved is a promise. Without the scope lock, an agent could fix the bug you asked about and quietly change five other files. With it, what you approved is what you get.