hubcode-loop

name	hubcode-loop
description	Run an agent loop until an exit condition is met. Use when the user says "loop", "babysit", "keep trying until", "check every X", "watch", or wants iterative autonomous execution.
user-invocable	true

Hubcode Loop Skill

You are setting up a loop — an iterative worker/verifier cycle managed by the Hubcode daemon.

User's arguments: $ARGUMENTS

---

Prerequisites

Load the Hubcode skill first. It contains the CLI reference for hubcode loop and related commands.

Core Model

A loop repeats: launch a worker → verify → repeat until done or limits hit.

1. Worker prompt: what the worker does each iteration
2. Verification: verifier prompt and/or shell checks that judge success
3. Sleep: optional pause between iterations
4. Stop conditions: max iterations and/or max total runtime
5. Model selection: different providers/models for worker vs verifier
6. Archive: optionally preserve agent history after each iteration

Verification

Every loop needs at least one form of verification:

• --verify "<prompt>" — a verifier agent judges the worker's output
• --verify-check "<command>" — a shell command that must exit 0 (repeatable)
• Both can be combined: shell checks run first, then the verifier prompt

Model Selection

Choose the right provider/model for worker and verifier independently:

• --provider <provider/model> — sets the worker (e.g. codex/gpt-5.4)
• --verify-provider <provider/model> — sets the verifier (e.g. claude/opus)

Default: both use Claude/sonnet. For implementation loops, use Codex for the worker and Claude for the verifier — each catches the other's blind spots.

Archive

--archive preserves worker and verifier agents after each iteration instead of destroying them. Use this when you need to inspect conversation history for debugging.

Defaults by User Intent

Babysit / watch / check every X

hubcode loop run "Check PR #42. Review CI, comments, and branch status. Fix issues as they arise." \
  --verify-check "gh pr checks 42 --fail-fast" \
  --sleep 2m \
  --max-time 1h \
  --name babysit-pr-42

Keep trying until tests pass

hubcode loop run "Run the test suite, investigate failures, and fix the code." \
  --provider codex/gpt-5.4 \
  --verify "Run the test suite. Return done=true only if all tests pass. Cite the exact command and outcome." \
  --verify-check "npm test" \
  --max-iterations 10 \
  --name fix-tests

Implementation loop with cross-provider review

hubcode loop run "Implement issue #456. Make incremental progress each iteration." \
  --provider codex/gpt-5.4 \
  --verify "Verify issue #456 is complete. Check changed files, run typecheck and tests." \
  --verify-provider claude/sonnet \
  --max-iterations 8 \
  --max-time 2h \
  --archive \
  --name issue-456

Managing Loops

hubcode loop ls                   # List all loops
hubcode loop inspect <id>         # Show details and iteration history
hubcode loop logs <id>            # Stream logs
hubcode loop stop <id>            # Stop a running loop

Your Job

1. Understand the user's intent from the conversation and $ARGUMENTS
2. Decide the worker prompt — self-contained, concrete about what to do
3. Decide verification — shell checks for objective criteria, verifier prompt for judgment
4. Choose providers/models for worker and verifier
5. Choose sleep only when the task is polling or waiting on an external system
6. Add sensible stop conditions
7. Run hubcode loop run with the final arguments

Prompt Writing Rules

Worker prompt

The worker prompt must be:

• self-contained
• concrete about commands, files, branches, tests, PRs, or systems to inspect
• explicit about what counts as progress this iteration

Verifier prompt

The verifier prompt should:

• check facts, not offer fixes
• cite commands, outputs, or file evidence
• be specific about what "done" means