| name | agentic-abstention |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| category | agent |
| description | Encode CONVOLVE-style stopping rules: decide when to stop acting instead of
continuing tool calls on an infeasible task. Use this skill whenever an agent
must determine if further execution is warranted. Not for general task
planning (use goap-agent).
|
| license | MIT |
Agentic Abstention
Decide when to stop acting instead of continuing tool calls on an infeasible task.
When to Use This Skill
- Agent has made repeated tool calls with no progress
- Task appears blocked by environment constraints
- Resource errors indicate the goal is unreachable
- Agent must decide between retrying and emitting ABSTAIN
Core Stopping Rules (CONVOLVE-derived)
Any single rule triggers mandatory abstention. All thresholds reference
AGENTS.md named constants.
Rule 1: Empty-Result Repetition
Agent returns 2+ consecutive tool calls that yield identical empty or null
results. A single empty result does NOT trigger abstention.
Check: result[N] == result[N-1] == empty (N ≥ 2)
Rule 2: Resource Unavailable
Target resource returns HTTP 404, connection refused, DNS resolution failure,
or equivalent "does not exist" signal from the environment.
Check: Error code ∈ {404, 502, 503, ECONNREFUSED, ENOENT}
Rule 3: No-Progress Step Budget
Agent has taken ≥ DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES (3) steps without measurable progress
toward the goal. Progress is measured by state change in the task output.
Check: steps_since_last_progress ≥ DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES
Rule 4: Infeasibility Signal
External system, user, or tool explicitly states the task cannot be completed
(e.g., "not supported", "does not exist", "permission denied", "cannot be done").
Check: Output contains explicit infeasibility keyword
Rule 5: Timeout Budget Exceeded
Elapsed wall-clock time since task start exceeds DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
(1800s). Agent must track start time at task initiation.
Check: now - task_start_time > DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
ABSTAIN Protocol
When any rule fires, emit the following and halt:
-
Log: Record which rule triggered and relevant context
-
Emit: Return structured ABSTAIN response:
{
"action": "ABSTAIN",
"rule": "<rule-name>",
"reason": "<brief explanation>",
"steps_taken": <int>,
"elapsed_seconds": <int>
}
-
Halt: Do NOT retry the failed action
What NOT to Do
- Do not retry after a rule fires — the rule indicates futility
- Do not bypass rules by rephrasing the same tool call
- Do not ignore timeout because "almost done" — budget is absolute
- Do not treat a single empty result as Rule 1 — requires 2+ repetitions
Integration with Existing AGENTS.md Constants
| Constant | Value | Applies to Rule |
|---|
DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES | 3 | Rule 3 (No-Progress Step Budget) |
DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS | 1800 | Rule 5 (Timeout Budget Exceeded) |
Example Usage
Scenario: Agent searches for a file 3 times, each returning empty.
- Call 1:
glob("missing.txt") → empty (no abstain)
- Call 2:
glob("missing.txt") → empty (Rule 1 fires: 2+ empty results)
- Action: Emit ABSTAIN with
rule: "empty-result-repetition"
Scenario: Agent calls API, receives 404.
- Call 1:
GET /api/v1/resource/999 → 404
- Action: Emit ABSTAIN with
rule: "resource-unavailable"
Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|
| "One more try might work" | If a stopping rule fired, the evidence says it will not. Retrying wastes tokens. |
| "The timeout hasn't hit yet" | Rules are independent — timeout is one of five triggers, not the only one. |
| "I'll rephrase and try again" | Rephrasing the same infeasible request still wastes resources. Halt and report. |
Red Flags
References
- CONVOLVE stopping rules — origin of the 5-rule framework
AGENTS.md named constants — DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
See Also
goap-agent — Task decomposition and planningiterative-refinement — When to continue refining (opposite of abstention)
