Go On

Workflow Continuation

Arguments

/go-on [--headless] [--auto-approve] [ISSUE-REF]

• --headless: Running in autonomous loop (no user interaction available)
• --auto-approve: Skip approval gates for spec and plan (use with caution)
• ISSUE-REF: Issue reference (e.g., SUN-199, #42, specs/feature.md)

Issue resolution:

• Interactive mode: If no ISSUE-REF, infer from conversation context or git branch
• Headless mode: ISSUE-REF is required — fail fast with <BLOCKED reason="No ISSUE-REF provided in headless mode"> if missing

Note on --auto-approve: By default, headless mode stops at plan approval (<AWAITING_APPROVAL>). With --auto-approve, the agent proceeds without waiting. Use this only when the issue is well-defined and you trust the agent's plan. The agent will still output the plan before proceeding.

Quick Reference

Procedure

1. Load the active tracker file (specified in AGENTS.md under "Tracker Configuration") for how to record specs, plans, and track progress

2. Assess current state by checking:

   • Tracker (per active tracker file) for spec and plan status
   • Git: branch, commits, uncommitted changes, PR status
   • Filesystem: implementation progress

3. Determine current step and load its procedure:

   State	Step	File to Load
   No spec exists	1	dev/workflow/step-1-spec.md
   Spec exists, no plan	2	dev/workflow/step-2-plan.md
   Plan exists, no Status: field	2	dev/workflow/step-2-plan.md (treat as DRAFT, output <AWAITING_APPROVAL>)
   Plan exists with Status: DRAFT	2	dev/workflow/step-2-plan.md (output <AWAITING_APPROVAL>)
   Plan exists with Status: APPROVED	3	dev/workflow/step-3-task.md
   Tasks remain incomplete	3	dev/workflow/step-3-task.md
   All tasks done, no PR	4	dev/workflow/step-4-ship.md
   PR open, CI pending	5	dev/workflow/step-5-feedback.md (output <AWAITING_REVIEW>)
   PR open, has feedback	5	dev/workflow/step-5-feedback.md
   PR merged	6	dev/workflow/step-6-cleanup.md
   PR closed without merge	—	Output <BLOCKED reason="PR rejected">

4. Execute ONE unit of work per the step file's procedure

   • Follow the active tracker's conventions for recording state
   • If --headless, output <AWAITING_*> signals instead of waiting

5. Output status:

   ## /go-on Status
   
   Mode: <interactive|headless>
   Step: <N - name>
   State before: <what was found>
   Action taken: <what was done>
   Result: <outcome>
   
   <SIGNAL>
   
   Next: <what happens on next invocation>
   

Key Principles

• Stateless: Determine state fresh each invocation from external sources
• Atomic: Do ONE thing, then exit
• Idempotent: Safe if interrupted; next invocation re-assesses
• Signal-driven: Always output exactly one signal for loop detection
• Tracker-aware: Follow the active tracker's conventions

State Authority Order

When determining state, trust sources in this order (higher = more authoritative):

1. Git (commits, branches, PR status) — ground truth
2. Filesystem (actual code, test results)
3. Tracker files (IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md, specs/)

If sources conflict, update tracker to match Git/filesystem reality.

Session Cleanup

At the end of each step, ensure state is persisted to the tracker so the next session (possibly a different agent) can continue. The tracker IS the session handoff mechanism.

Headless Mode

When --headless is passed:

• Output <AWAITING_APPROVAL> instead of waiting for user response
• Output <AWAITING_INPUT> instead of asking questions
• Record state to tracker before exiting (so next invocation can continue)
• When spawning sub-agents, tell them: "Running in headless mode"

For Autonomous Loops

Recommended: Use the Python wrapper with circuit breaker:

# Install dependencies first: uv sync
python .claude/scripts/go_on_loop.py SUN-199
python .claude/scripts/go_on_loop.py SUN-199 --auto-approve
python .claude/scripts/go_on_loop.py SUN-199 --max-no-progress 5

The wrapper tracks loop metadata (iterations, circuit breaker state) and stops when progress stalls. Workflow state still lives in tracker/git — the wrapper doesn't duplicate it.

Alternative: Simple bash loop (no circuit breaker):

while :; do
  OUTPUT=$(claude -p "/go-on --headless ISSUE-123" 2>&1)
  echo "$OUTPUT"

  # Stop on any signal except STEP_COMPLETE
  grep -q "<FEATURE_COMPLETE>" <<< "$OUTPUT" && exit 0
  grep -q "<AWAITING_APPROVAL>" <<< "$OUTPUT" && exit 0
  grep -q "<AWAITING_INPUT" <<< "$OUTPUT" && exit 0
  grep -q "<AWAITING_REVIEW>" <<< "$OUTPUT" && exit 0
  grep -q "<BLOCKED" <<< "$OUTPUT" && exit 1

  sleep 2
done

Converted and distributed by TomeVault — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.