# Agentic Loop

> Infinite self-correcting iteration until completion criteria met.

- Skill: `cleanexpo/agentic-loop` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cleanexpo/agentic-loop`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cleanexpo/agentic-loop/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: cleanexpo (https://skillmd.com/u/cleanexpo)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cleanexpo/agentic-loop

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# Agentic Loop

Two-prompt system: task prompt + stop guard.
Agent works -> tries to stop -> guard checks criteria -> not met -> continues.

## Safety Rails
- max_iterations: 20
- max_tokens: 200000
- max_runtime_minutes: 60
- Detect oscillation (fix A breaks B) after 3 iterations

## Overnight-loop guardrails (Ralph Wiggum, Pocock 2026-07)
- Iteration cap: `max_iterations` above is the backstop against never terminating — keep it.
- Append-only progress file: each iteration appends learnings ("append", never "update") — memory across context resets.
- One small feature per iteration: never batch ("do as many as you fancy" recreates the context bloat the loop exists to avoid).
- Green-CI gate: typecheck + tests pass inside the iteration before its commit; broken commits blind the next fresh context.
- Completion sentinel: prompt outputs an explicit token (e.g. `PROMISE COMPLETE`); the loop greps it and exits early rather than relying on the stop guard alone.

[[pocock-ralph-wiggum-overnight-loops-2026-07-14-ingest]]