# What Is Harness Engineering? Definition, Types, and Examples in AI SDLC

DevFeed: [What Is Harness Engineering? Definition, Types, and Examples in AI SDLC](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/what-is-harness-engineering-definition-types-and-examples-in-ai-sdlc-12309.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.port.io/blog/what-is-harness-engineering>)

Author: Aaron Taylor

Published: 2026-08-10T11:35:17Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Developer Experience & Platform Engineering Blog | Port](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/developer-experience-platform-engineering-blog-port.md>)

Topics: [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>), [sdlc](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/sdlc.md>), [Orchestration](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/orchestration.md>), [Model Context Protocol](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/model-context-protocol.md>), [SDKs](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/sdks.md>), [configuration](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/configuration.md>), [Claude](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/claude.md>), [codex](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/codex.md>)

Tags: [agent](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/agent.md>), [agents](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/agents.md>), [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [autonomous](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/autonomous.md>), [building](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/building.md>), [claude](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/claude.md>), [codex](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/codex.md>), [mcp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mcp.md>), [mcp-server](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mcp-server.md>), [orchestration](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/orchestration.md>), [sdlc](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/sdlc.md>), [skills](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/skills.md>)

## AI overview

Harness engineering surrounds an AI model with tools, state, execution, context, and controls so it can operate as a reliable agent. The article explains coding and user harnesses, their components and ownership, the broader team and SDLC harness, common mistakes, and the economics of building them.

## Source excerpt

Harness engineering is what turns an AI model into a reliable agent. Learn the types, components, common mistakes, and the economics behind it.