Why I like HTML as an output format

The useful thing about HTML is that it is already a product surface

I keep coming back to HTML as an output format because it forces a useful kind of honesty. A markdown file can hide behind good structure. A chat summary can feel convincing while still being awkward to use. HTML has to sit there in the browser and be looked at.

That matters with AI-assisted work. A lot of agent output is technically correct but hard to inspect. The moment I ask for a build report, a PRD, a kanban snapshot, or a testing handoff as HTML, the work becomes easier to judge. Are the sections clear? Does the test plan make sense? Can I skim it on a phone? Does the page tell me what changed without needing the whole chat history?

I like that HTML gives me a small product loop even for internal work. It can have tabs, tables, screenshots, links, feedback boxes, and local storage. It can be opened by another person without asking them to install anything. It can be archived. It can be served over Tailscale. It can become the source of truth when a markdown document starts drifting.

That is the pattern behind my build reports and a lot of the Nido/Mercury documentation work. The point is not that HTML is glamorous. The point is that it is boring in a really useful way. It gives agent work a shape that can be tested, shared, and improved.