Detect when agents are stuck in repetitive action loops using a rolling 20-action window with escalating nudges — replan after 3 similar actions, explore after 5, force-done after 8.
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Detect when agents are stuck in repetitive action loops using a rolling 20-action window with escalating nudges — replan after 3 similar actions, explore after 5, force-done after 8.
Detects when an agent is stuck in a repetitive action loop by maintaining a rolling 20-action
history window. Compares recent actions using normalized similarity scoring and applies
escalating interventions before the agent wastes tokens or blocks progress.
Designed for any agentic context — browser automation, file editing, API calls, or
multi-step orchestration — not tied to any specific tool type.
When to Use
Invoke this skill when:
An agent task has been running for more than 10 steps without clear progress
The same tool is being called repeatedly with similar arguments
A task appears stalled with no TaskUpdate(completed) after a long sequence
You want proactive loop-prevention in a custom orchestrator
Skill({ skill: 'behavioral-loop-detection' });
The Iron Law
SAME ACTION × 3 = REPLAN
SAME ACTION × 5 = EXPLORE
SAME ACTION × 8 = FORCE-DONE
Never let an agent silently loop forever. Each repetition consumes tokens and produces no value.
Action History Window
Maintenance Rules
Keep a rolling buffer of the last 20 actions (FIFO — drop oldest when full)
Each entry in the buffer: { toolName, normalizedArgs, timestamp, stepIndex }
Reset the buffer only when a fundamentally different tool/action type appears
Never reset on argument variation alone (e.g., same tool, different file path = still similar)
Normalized Action Comparison
Two actions are similar when:
The toolName is identical, AND
The normalized argument string similarity score ≥ 0.75 (Jaccard over word tokens)
Normalization rules (apply in order):
Convert all values to lowercase
Strip file paths down to basename only (e.g., /a/b/file.ts → file.ts)
Remove timestamps, UUIDs (8-4-4-4-12 hex pattern), and numeric IDs
Sort object keys alphabetically before stringifying
At the start of task execution or when this skill is loaded, create the buffer:
Command:
const actionBuffer = {
window: [], // Array of last 20 action entriesmaxSize: 20,
similarRunLength: 0, // Current streak of similar actionslastNormalized: null, // Normalized args of last action
};
Expected output: In-memory buffer ready; no file I/O required unless persisting across sessions.
Verify:actionBuffer.window.length === 0 on initialization.
Step 2: Record Each Action
Before executing any tool call, append to the buffer:
Expected output:{ similar: boolean, runLength: number, score: number }
Verify:runLength increments only when score >= 0.75.
Step 4: Apply Escalation Rule
Evaluate the run-length and emit the appropriate intervention:
Command:
functionapplyEscalation(runLength, taskId) {
if (runLength >= 8) {
console.error(`[loop-detection] FORCE-DONE: ${runLength} similar actions. Task ${taskId}`);
return {
level: 3,
action: 'force-done',
message:
'Loop limit reached (8 repetitions). Mark this task complete with partial results and explain what was not accomplished.',
};
}
if (runLength >= 5) {
console.error(`[loop-detection] EXPLORE: ${runLength} similar actions. Task ${taskId}`);
return {
level: 2,
action: 'explore',
message:
'You have repeated a similar action 5 times. The current approach is failing. Try a completely different tool or method.',
};
}
if (runLength >= 3) {
console.error(`[loop-detection] REPLAN: ${runLength} similar actions. Task ${taskId}`);
return {
level: 1,
action: 'replan',
message:
'You have repeated a similar action 3 times. Stop and produce a revised plan before continuing.',
};
}
return { level: 0, action: 'continue', message: null };
}
When level === 3, the agent MUST stop and complete the task:
Command:
// In the agent's task loop, when applyEscalation returns level 3:TaskUpdate({
taskId: context.taskId,
status: 'completed',
metadata: {
summary:
'Task partially completed. Loop detected after 8 similar actions. ' + partialResultsSummary,
partial: true,
loopDetected: true,
loopDetails: {
runLength: runLength,
lastAction: buffer.lastNormalized,
bufferSnapshot: buffer.window.slice(-5),
},
},
});
Expected output: Task marked completed with partial: true metadata.
Verify:TaskList() shows the task as completed, not in_progress.
Enforcement Hooks
Input validated against schemas/input.schema.json before execution.
Output contract defined in schemas/output.schema.json.
Pre-execute hook at hooks/pre-execute.cjs validates that taskId is provided.
Post-execute hook at hooks/post-execute.cjs emits a loop-detection event to tool-events.jsonl.
Integration Points
master-orchestrator: Integrate after each wave of agent spawns; check for stalled tasks
developer: Active during file-editing loops (same file edited 3+ times without test progress)
qa: Active during test-fix loops (same test file modified 3+ times without green)
planner: Active during re-planning loops (same plan section rewritten 3+ times)
Anti-Patterns
Never reset the buffer on every tool call — that defeats detection
Never apply force-done for level < 3 — nudges are sufficient at levels 1 and 2
Never compare raw unormalized args — path differences will mask real loops
Never skip the similarity check when toolName differs — tool variety alone ≠ not looping
Memory Protocol (MANDATORY)
Before starting: Read .claude/context/memory/learnings.md for previously detected loop patterns.
After completing: If a loop was detected and force-done triggered, append to .claude/context/memory/learnings.md:
## Behavioral Loop Detection — [date]
- Task [taskId]: [toolName] looped [N] times. Final normalized args: [args].
- Root cause hypothesis: [explain why the agent got stuck]
- Recommendation: [what to change in the task prompt or approach]
After issues: Append to .claude/context/memory/issues.md if force-done fires more than twice in a session.
Related Skills
verification-before-completion — Pre-completion gates that prevent false success
judge-verification — Independent LLM judge that verifies task completion
error-recovery-escalation — 5-level error recovery before force-done
context-compressor — Compress context when loop detection fires repeatedly
