# Ralph Loop: Autonomous AI Task Loops

Build autonomous coding loops where an AI agent picks tasks, implements them, validates against backpressure (tests, builds), commits, and repeats — each iteration in a fresh context window.

> **Runnable example:** [recipe/ralph-loop.go](recipe/ralph-loop.go)
>
> ```bash
> cd go
> go run recipe/ralph-loop.go
> ```

## What is a Ralph Loop?

A [Ralph loop](https://ghuntley.com/ralph/) is an autonomous development workflow where an AI agent iterates through tasks in isolated context windows. The key insight: **state lives on disk, not in the model's context**. Each iteration starts fresh, reads the current state from files, does one task, writes results back to disk, and exits.

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   loop.sh                       │
│  while true:                                    │
│    ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│    │  Fresh session (isolated context)       │  │
│    │                                         │  │
│    │  1. Read PROMPT.md + AGENTS.md          │  │
│    │  2. Study specs/* and code              │  │
│    │  3. Pick next task from plan            │  │
│    │  4. Implement + run tests               │  │
│    │  5. Update plan, commit, exit           │  │
│    └─────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│    ↻ next iteration (fresh context)             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

**Core principles:**

- **Fresh context per iteration**: Each loop creates a new session — no context accumulation, always in the "smart zone"
- **Disk as shared state**: `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` persists between iterations and acts as the coordination mechanism
- **Backpressure steers quality**: Tests, builds, and lints reject bad work — the agent must fix issues before committing
- **Two modes**: PLANNING (gap analysis → generate plan) and BUILDING (implement from plan)

## Simple Version

The minimal Ralph loop — the SDK equivalent of `while :; do cat PROMPT.md | copilot ; done`:

```go
package main

import (
	"context"
	"fmt"
	"log"
	"os"

	copilot "github.com/github/copilot-sdk/go"
)

func ralphLoop(ctx context.Context, promptFile string, maxIterations int) error {
	client := copilot.NewClient(nil)
	if err := client.Start(ctx); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	defer client.Stop()

	prompt, err := os.ReadFile(promptFile)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	for i := 1; i <= maxIterations; i++ {
		fmt.Printf("\n=== Iteration %d/%d ===\n", i, maxIterations)

		// Fresh session each iteration — context isolation is the point
		session, err := client.CreateSession(ctx, &copilot.SessionConfig{
			OnPermissionRequest: copilot.PermissionHandler.ApproveAll,
			Model: "gpt-5.3-codex",
		})
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}

		_, err = session.SendAndWait(ctx, copilot.MessageOptions{
			Prompt: string(prompt),
		})
		session.Disconnect()
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}

		fmt.Printf("Iteration %d complete.\n", i)
	}
	return nil
}

func main() {
	if err := ralphLoop(context.Background(), "PROMPT.md", 20); err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
}
```

This is all you need to get started. The prompt file tells the agent what to do; the agent reads project files, does work, commits, and exits. The loop restarts with a clean slate.

## Ideal Version

The full Ralph pattern with planning and building modes, matching the [Ralph Playbook](https://github.com/ClaytonFarr/ralph-playbook) architecture:

```go
package main

import (
	"context"
	"fmt"
	"log"
	"os"
	"strconv"
	"strings"

	copilot "github.com/github/copilot-sdk/go"
)

func ralphLoop(ctx context.Context, mode string, maxIterations int) error {
	promptFile := "PROMPT_build.md"
	if mode == "plan" {
		promptFile = "PROMPT_plan.md"
	}

	client := copilot.NewClient(nil)
	if err := client.Start(ctx); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	defer client.Stop()

	cwd, _ := os.Getwd()

	fmt.Println(strings.Repeat("━", 40))
	fmt.Printf("Mode:   %s\n", mode)
	fmt.Printf("Prompt: %s\n", promptFile)
	fmt.Printf("Max:    %d iterations\n", maxIterations)
	fmt.Println(strings.Repeat("━", 40))

	prompt, err := os.ReadFile(promptFile)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	for i := 1; i <= maxIterations; i++ {
		fmt.Printf("\n=== Iteration %d/%d ===\n", i, maxIterations)

		session, err := client.CreateSession(ctx, &copilot.SessionConfig{
			Model:            "gpt-5.3-codex",
			WorkingDirectory: cwd,
			OnPermissionRequest: func(_ copilot.PermissionRequest, _ copilot.PermissionInvocation) (copilot.PermissionRequestResult, error) {
				return copilot.PermissionRequestResult{Kind: "approved"}, nil
			},
		})
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}

		// Log tool usage for visibility
		session.On(func(event copilot.SessionEvent) {
			if d, ok := event.Data.(*copilot.ToolExecutionStartData); ok {
				fmt.Printf("  ⚙ %s\n", d.ToolName)
			}
		})

		_, err = session.SendAndWait(ctx, copilot.MessageOptions{
			Prompt: string(prompt),
		})
		session.Disconnect()
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}

		fmt.Printf("\nIteration %d complete.\n", i)
	}

	fmt.Printf("\nReached max iterations: %d\n", maxIterations)
	return nil
}

func main() {
	mode := "build"
	maxIterations := 50

	for _, arg := range os.Args[1:] {
		if arg == "plan" {
			mode = "plan"
		} else if n, err := strconv.Atoi(arg); err == nil {
			maxIterations = n
		}
	}

	if err := ralphLoop(context.Background(), mode, maxIterations); err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
}
```

### Required Project Files

The ideal version expects this file structure in your project:

```
project-root/
├── PROMPT_plan.md              # Planning mode instructions
├── PROMPT_build.md             # Building mode instructions
├── AGENTS.md                   # Operational guide (build/test commands)
├── IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md      # Task list (generated by planning mode)
├── specs/                      # Requirement specs (one per topic)
│   ├── auth.md
│   └── data-pipeline.md
└── src/                        # Your source code
```

### Example `PROMPT_plan.md`

```markdown
0a. Study `specs/*` to learn the application specifications.
0b. Study IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md (if present) to understand the plan so far.
0c. Study `src/` to understand existing code and shared utilities.

1. Compare specs against code (gap analysis). Create or update
   IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md as a prioritized bullet-point list of tasks
   yet to be implemented. Do NOT implement anything.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT assume functionality is missing — search the
codebase first to confirm. Prefer updating existing utilities over
creating ad-hoc copies.
```

### Example `PROMPT_build.md`

```markdown
0a. Study `specs/*` to learn the application specifications.
0b. Study IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md.
0c. Study `src/` for reference.

1. Choose the most important item from IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md. Before
   making changes, search the codebase (don't assume not implemented).
2. After implementing, run the tests. If functionality is missing, add it.
3. When you discover issues, update IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md immediately.
4. When tests pass, update IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md, then `git add -A`
   then `git commit` with a descriptive message.

5. When authoring documentation, capture the why.
6. Implement completely. No placeholders or stubs.
7. Keep IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md current — future iterations depend on it.
```

### Example `AGENTS.md`

Keep this brief (~60 lines). It's loaded every iteration, so bloat wastes context.

```markdown
## Build & Run

go build ./...

## Validation

- Tests: `go test ./...`
- Vet: `go vet ./...`
```

## Best Practices

1. **Fresh context per iteration**: Never accumulate context across iterations — that's the whole point
2. **Disk is your database**: `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` is shared state between isolated sessions
3. **Backpressure is essential**: Tests, builds, lints in `AGENTS.md` — the agent must pass them before committing
4. **Start with PLANNING mode**: Generate the plan first, then switch to BUILDING
5. **Observe and tune**: Watch early iterations, add guardrails to prompts when the agent fails in specific ways
6. **The plan is disposable**: If the agent goes off track, delete `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` and re-plan
7. **Keep `AGENTS.md` brief**: It's loaded every iteration — operational info only, no progress notes
8. **Use a sandbox**: The agent runs autonomously with full tool access — isolate it
9. **Set `WorkingDirectory`**: Pin the session to your project root so tool operations resolve paths correctly
10. **Auto-approve permissions**: Use `OnPermissionRequest` to allow tool calls without interrupting the loop

## When to Use a Ralph Loop

**Good for:**

- Implementing features from specs with test-driven validation
- Large refactors broken into many small tasks
- Unattended, long-running development with clear requirements
- Any work where backpressure (tests/builds) can verify correctness

**Not good for:**

- Tasks requiring human judgment mid-loop
- One-shot operations that don't benefit from iteration
- Vague requirements without testable acceptance criteria
- Exploratory prototyping where direction isn't clear

## See Also

- [Error Handling](error-handling.md) — timeout patterns and graceful shutdown for long-running sessions
- [Persisting Sessions](persisting-sessions.md) — save and resume sessions across restarts
