loop

name	loop
description	Execute a task repeatedly on a configurable interval (polling pattern)
tags	["automation","monitoring"]
tools_required	["wait_seconds"]
parameters	[{"name":"instruction","type":"string","description":"Task to execute each iteration","required":true},{"name":"interval_seconds","type":"integer","description":"Seconds between iterations","default":600},{"name":"max_iterations","type":"integer","description":"Maximum number of iterations","default":6}]
output_format	json

Loop / Polling Pattern

Execute a task on a recurring interval, collecting results from each iteration.

Steps

1. Initialize: Set iteration = 0 and results = []. Note the current time as start_time.

2. Execute iteration: Perform the task described by {instruction}. Record the output and whether it succeeded or failed.

3. Record result: Append to results:

   {"iteration": <n>, "timestamp": "<ISO 8601>", "status": "ok|error", "output": "..."}
   

4. Check exit conditions: Stop early if:

   • The instruction output contains an explicit "STOP" or "DONE" signal
   • A critical error occurs that makes further iterations pointless
   • iteration >= {max_iterations}

5. Wait: If more iterations remain, call wait_seconds with {interval_seconds}. Then increment the iteration counter and go to step 2.

6. Summarize: After all iterations complete (or early exit), return:

   {
     "iterations_completed": <int>,
     "max_iterations": {max_iterations},
     "interval_seconds": {interval_seconds},
     "early_exit": true|false,
     "early_exit_reason": "...",
     "results": [...]
   }
   

Guidelines

• Keep each iteration's output concise -- avoid accumulating unbounded context.
• If the instruction involves checking a status, compare with the previous iteration and only report changes.
• Respect the agent's overall budget -- if running low on iterations or tokens, exit early and note the reason.