| name | revert-on-extended-red |
| description | When stuck in red for >5 turns or >3 failed runs without progress, propose reverting the latest production-code edits to restore green and try a smaller step. Use to escape unproductive red sessions. |
Revert on extended red
If the orchestrator has been in red for more than 5 turns OR more than 3 failed test runs without recovering to green, it has hit extended-red. At this point:
- Stop editing. More edits dig the hole deeper.
- Read the recent file_edits. Use
turn_search({ type: "file_edit", since: "<phase-start>" }).
- Propose a revert. Identify the production-code edits made during this red phase and propose reverting them.
- Restart with a smaller step. Once green is restored, write a smaller failing test — one that asserts a less ambitious behavior — and try again.
The orchestrator records the revert decision in a hypothesis explaining why the original step was too large.
Rules
- Never delete tests. Reverts target production-code edits only.
- The revert is itself a TDD action: it requires a passing run to confirm green is restored.
- After reverting, decompose the goal further before retrying. The previous attempt failed because the target was too coarse.
