| name | critique-loop-protocol |
| description | Formal protocol for draft → critique → revise loops in AI agent workflows. Defines when to use critique loops (money, public publishing, strategy) and when to skip (simple edits, routine coding). Prevents both over-engineering simple tasks and under-reviewing critical ones. |
| metadata | {"emoji":"🔄","category":"model-behavior","platform":"any"} |
Critique Loop Protocol
A formal decision framework for when and how to run draft → critique → revise loops with AI models.
The Problem
Without clear trigger conditions:
- Over-critique: Simple edits get three rounds of review, wasting time and tokens
- Under-critique: Money-touching code ships without adversarial review
- Cargo-cult critique: Running the loop for optics, not quality
When to Use
| Trigger Condition | Why |
|---|
| Money is involved | Billing, payments, pricing, financial reports |
| Output will be published publicly | Blog posts, docs, social media, open-source |
| Strategy/roadmap quality matters more than speed | Architecture decisions, quarterly plans |
| Comparing models or proving benchmark claims | Any claim that will be cited needs adversarial review |
| Legal/compliance implications | Contracts, terms, privacy-affecting code |
When to Skip
| Condition | Why |
|---|
| Simple edits (typos, config changes) | Overhead exceeds value |
| Routine coding (well-understood patterns) | Tests catch errors cheaper |
| Low-stakes chat responses | Speed matters more than perfection |
| Time-critical fixes (production down) | Ship now, review later |
The Three Phases
Phase 1: Draft (Generate)
Produce the initial output with a clear CRICD prompt (see cricd-prompt-standard). Don't self-censor during drafting — capture all ideas, even rough ones.
Key rule: The drafter should commit to a recommendation. Never produce "you could do X or Y" — pick one and defend it.
Phase 2: Critique (Adversarial Review)
A second agent (or second pass with a different system prompt) reviews the draft. The critique prompt:
You are reviewing this draft for [CONTEXT].
Your job is adversarial — find problems, not confirm quality. Specifically:
1. FACTUAL: Are there claims that aren't supported by the data provided?
2. COMPLETENESS: What's missing that should be there?
3. RISK: What could go wrong if this ships as-is?
4. CLARITY: Where would a reader be confused?
5. ALTERNATIVES: Is there a clearly better approach the draft missed?
Rate severity: BLOCKING (must fix) | IMPORTANT (should fix) | MINOR (nice to fix).
If the draft is genuinely good, say so and explain why — don't invent problems
to justify your existence.
Phase 3: Revise (Incorporate)
The original drafter (or a synthesis agent) incorporates the critique. Rules:
- Address every BLOCKING item
- Address IMPORTANT items unless there's a clear reason not to (state the reason)
- MINOR items: fix if easy, note if not
- Never "just patch" — if the critique reveals a structural problem, restructure
Anti-Pattern: Critique as Avoidance
The critique loop is NOT a way to avoid committing to a recommendation. If after three rounds of critique you still can't decide, the problem isn't quality — it's decision avoidance. Pick one, ship it, and iterate.
Implementation Patterns
Two-Agent Pattern (recommended for high-stakes)
Agent A (drafter) → output
Agent B (critic, different system prompt) → critique
Agent A → revised output incorporating critique
Self-Critique Pattern (acceptable for medium-stakes)
Agent A → draft with system prompt emphasizing generation
Agent A → critique with system prompt emphasizing adversarial review
Agent A → synthesis
Token Budget
| Complexity | Typical tokens |
|---|
| Blog post critique | ~2K draft + ~1K critique + ~2.5K final |
| Architecture review | ~4K draft + ~2K critique + ~5K final |
| Financial report | ~1.5K draft + ~1K critique + ~2K final |
Rule of thumb: critique loop costs ~2x a single generation. Worth it only when the cost of a bad output exceeds the cost of the extra tokens.
Decision Flowchart
Is money/legal involved? ──▶ YES ──▶ Full critique loop
│ NO
▼
Will it be published? ──▶ YES ──▶ Full critique loop
│ NO
▼
Is it strategy/architecture? ──▶ YES ──▶ Self-critique minimum
│ NO
▼
Skip critique loop. Ship it.
