Ralph Technique

Ralph Technique

Autonomous development loop using Claude Code. Based on Geoffrey Huntley's technique.

When to Use

• Large tasks that need sustained, autonomous work
• When you want Claude to keep working until done
• Projects with clear objectives and a task list

Quick Start

New Project

ralph-setup my-project
cd my-project
# Edit PROMPT.md with your goals
ralph --monitor

Existing Project

cd existing-project
ralph-setup .
# Create PROMPT.md and @fix_plan.md
ralph --monitor

From PRD/Requirements Doc

ralph-import requirements.md my-project
cd my-project
ralph --monitor

Key Files

Commands

ralph --monitor      # Start loop with tmux dashboard
ralph --help         # Show all options
ralph-monitor        # Open dashboard separately
ralph-setup <name>   # Initialize new project
ralph-import <prd>   # Convert PRD to Ralph format

How It Works

1. Ralph starts Claude Code with your PROMPT.md
2. Claude works on tasks, updates @fix_plan.md
3. When Claude stops, Ralph detects completion
4. If tasks remain, Ralph restarts Claude
5. Loop continues until objectives met

Safety Features

• Rate limiting: 100 API calls/hour default
• Circuit breaker: Detects stuck loops
• 5-hour limit: Prompts when API limit hits

Writing Good PROMPT.md

# Project Goal
[Clear, specific objective]

# Context
[What exists, what's the current state]

# Tasks
[Reference @fix_plan.md for prioritized list]

# Constraints
[Any rules or limitations]

# Definition of Done
[How to know when finished]

Writing @fix_plan.md

# Fix Plan

## Priority 1 (Critical)
- [ ] Task A
- [ ] Task B

## Priority 2 (Important)
- [ ] Task C

## Priority 3 (Nice to have)
- [ ] Task D

## Completed
- [x] Done task

Tips

• Be specific in PROMPT.md - vague goals = infinite loops
• Keep @fix_plan.md updated with clear checkboxes
• Use --monitor to watch progress in real-time
• Set realistic scope - Ralph works best on defined tasks

Stopping Ralph

• Ctrl+C in the terminal
• Or close the tmux session