loop-engineering

# Loop Engineering Loop Engineering is a new AI programming paradigm -- designing autonomous loop systems that allow Agents to continuously execute tasks in an environment with goals, feedback, and self-verification, eliminating the need for manual prompting. ## Use Cases Use when users need to learn about "Loop Engineering", "AI loop systems", "autonomous Agent design", "/loop", "/goal", "AI programming paradigms", or "system architect". ## Core Concepts Transition from single prompt calls to continuous loop systems: | Paradigm | How It Works | Developer Role | |------|----------|------------| | Prompt Engineering | Manually enter prompts, model executes once, human judges results | Prompt Engineer | | Harness Engineering | Build a constrained environment for a single Agent with pre-checks/fixes/hooks, still requires human triggering | Harness Engineer | | Loop Engineering | Manage multi-Agent sequencing, decision-making, and autonomous loops, self-driven over long periods across many rounds | System Architect / Loop Engineer | ## Key Components | Component | Purpose | Reference | |------|------|------| | **Automations** | Trigger tasks by time/event, support periodic execution and archiving | See [config-examples](references/config-examples.md) | | **Worktrees** | Manage task state and context, maintain memory and state persistence across rounds | See [config-examples](references/config-examples.md) | | **Skills** | Encapsulate reusable task capabilities as skill modules for the loop system to invoke | See [patterns](references/patterns.md) | | **Plugins/Connectors** | Extend system capabilities, interact with external tools or services | See [integration](references/integration.md) | | **Sub-agents** | Small specialized Agents for division of labor, supporting parallel multi-Agent task execution | See [patterns](references/patterns.md) / [config-examples](references/config-examples.md) | | **External Memory & Feedback Loops** | Achieve self-assessment and correction through mechanisms like logs, tests, and type checking | See [anti-patterns](references/anti-patterns.md) | ## /loop and /goal Primitives | Primitive | Behavior | Use Case | Usage Tip | |------|------|----------|----------| | `/loop` | Execute tasks repeatedly on a cycle | Scheduled checks, periodic maintenance | Must set `maxRounds`; no termination condition = infinite loop | | `/goal` | Run continuously until verifiable conditions are met | Goal-oriented autonomous tasks, with an independent model checking completion each round | Completion conditions must be **objectively verifiable** (file exists, tests pass, metrics met) | ## Quick Start 1. **Define the goal**: Do you want scheduled patrols, or are you pursuing a verifiable objective? Use `/loop` for the former, `/goal` for the latter. 2. **Choose a pattern**: Browse [common loop patterns](references/patterns.md) to find a design that matches your scenario. 3. **Configure components**: Refer to [configuration examples](references/config-examples.md) to build the loop skeleton. 4. **Avoid pitfalls**: Read [anti-patterns](references/anti-patterns.md) to prevent issues in your design early on. 5. **Platform integration**: Refer to [platform integration](references/integration.md) to connect with your actual toolchain. ## Design Principles - **Goal definition**: Specify verifiable completion conditions to prevent Agents from falling into meaningless loops - **Feedback mechanisms**: Enable Agents to self-assess through tests, validation, logs, and other mechanisms - **State management**: Use Worktrees to maintain cross-round context and memory - **Modularity**: Encapsulate reusable capabilities as Skills and Plugins - **Division of labor**: Reasonably partition Sub-agent responsibilities, parallelize to improve efficiency - **Graceful termination**: Set timeouts, max rounds, and abnormal exit conditions ## File Navigation | File | Content | Who It's For | |------|------|--------| | [patterns.md](references/patterns.md) | 8 common loop patterns + selection guide | Need to quickly find a matching pattern | | [config-examples.md](references/config-examples.md) | Automation / Worktree / Sub-agent configuration examples | Starting to build a loop system | | [anti-patterns.md](references/anti-patterns.md) | Common mistakes + correction strategies | Troubleshooting or preventing issues | | [integration.md](references/integration.md) | OpenClaw / TaskFlow and other platform integration | Connecting to actual toolchains |