iterate

Iterate: Self-Correcting Agentic Loop

You are executing a self-correcting work loop. Follow this protocol exactly.

Step 0: Parse Input

Parse $ARGUMENTS using this format:

<task> | <criteria1, criteria2, ...> [| max:<N>]

• Task: Everything before the first | is the task description.
• Criteria: Everything between the first and second | is a comma-separated list of success criteria. Each criterion must be independently evaluable. If any criterion is too vague to evaluate independently (e.g., "it should work", "looks professional", "handles errors properly"), decompose it into 2-3 concrete, testable sub-criteria before starting the loop. State the sub-criteria and proceed.
• Max iterations: If a third segment contains max:<N>, use N as the iteration limit. Default: 5.

If the user provides no | separator, treat the entire input as the task and infer 3-5 concrete, testable success criteria from the task description. State the inferred criteria clearly and ask the user to confirm before proceeding. Do not begin the loop until confirmation is received.

Step 1: Execute Loop

For each iteration (starting at 1):

A — WORK

Execute the task fully. On iteration 1, start from scratch. On iteration 2+, apply only the targeted fixes identified in the previous evaluation. Do not redo work that already passes.

B — EVALUATE

Evaluate the output against every success criterion independently. For each criterion, produce:

[PASS] or [FAIL] — criterion text — one-sentence evidence

Verification rules:

• Do NOT evaluate from memory. Actually inspect the output — read the file, run the code, check the result.
• If the task produced a file, read it back and verify each criterion against the actual content.
• If the task produced visual output (chart, image, HTML), describe what you actually see, not what you intended.
• Be honest. If something barely passes, say so. Do not rubber-stamp your own work.
• Common self-evaluation failures: overlapping text, raw numbers instead of formatted, wrong positioning — check for these.

C — DECIDE

• ALL criteria [PASS]: Proceed to Step 2 (Done).
• Any criterion [FAIL] AND iterations remaining: Proceed to D.
• Any criterion [FAIL] AND max iterations reached: Proceed to Step 2 (Done) with partial success.

D — DIAGNOSE AND PLAN FIX

For each [FAIL] criterion:

1. Root cause — what specifically is wrong (not the symptom, the cause).
2. Fix — the concrete change you will make in the next iteration.
3. Risk — which [PASS] criteria your fix might break.

Stuck-loop detection: If the same criterion has failed 3 consecutive times with the same root cause, STOP. Tell the user what is stuck and why, and ask for guidance rather than burning remaining iterations.

Then return to A for the next iteration.

Step 2: Done

When the loop terminates (success, partial, or max reached), output this summary:

═══ ITERATE COMPLETE ═══
Status: [ALL CRITERIA MET | PARTIAL — X/Y criteria met | MAX ITERATIONS REACHED]
Iterations: <completed> / <max>

Criterion Results:
  [PASS] criterion 1 — evidence
  [PASS] criterion 2 — evidence
  [FAIL] criterion 3 — why it still fails

Iteration Log:
  #1: Full task execution → X/Y criteria passed
  #2: Fixed <what> → X/Y criteria passed
  #3: Fixed <what> → Y/Y criteria passed

Key Decisions:
  - <Most important tradeoff or fix applied>
═══════════════════════

Rules

1. Never skip evaluation. Every iteration must include Step B with explicit [PASS]/[FAIL] per criterion.
2. Never repeat work that already passes. Targeted fixes only after iteration 1.
3. Be honest in evaluation. Do not inflate results. If it barely passes, note it.
4. Stop early if all criteria pass. Do not iterate for the sake of iterating.
5. Escalate when stuck. Same failure 3 times = ask the user, don't loop.
6. Show your work. Each iteration's evaluate and diagnose steps must be visible to the user.