Tech SkillsLoop Basics

What Is An Agent Loop Question Explained

This worked Loop Engineering practice question tests Loop Basics. Try the answer first, then review why C is the best choice.

Short answer

The correct answer is C. A trigger, an attempt, a fresh check, a stop-or-continue rule, and limits.

A loop is a cycle. Something triggers a run and the agent attempts the task. A check inspects the result, and a rule decides whether to continue, stop, or ask a person. Limits such as a maximum number of attempts or a budget make sure the cycle ends. Without the check, the loop accepts any result. Without the rule or the limits, nothing ends the cycle. The correct answer is C. A trigger, an attempt, a fresh check, a stop-or-continue rule, and limits

The Question

A teammate wants Claude Code to keep working on a task list without a person pressing Enter each time. She asks what a working agent loop needs. Which list names every part?

AA detailed prompt, a fast model, a large context window, and a retry on error
BA task file, a browser, a log file, and a Stop hook that never exits
CA trigger, an attempt, a fresh check, a stop-or-continue rule, and limitsCorrect
DA cron job that starts a brand-new Claude session every minute until you kill it

Why C is correct

A loop is a cycle. Something triggers a run and the agent attempts the task. A check inspects the result, and a rule decides whether to continue, stop, or ask a person. Limits such as a maximum number of attempts or a budget make sure the cycle ends. Without the check, the loop accepts any result. Without the rule or the limits, nothing ends the cycle. The correct answer is C. A trigger, an attempt, a fresh check, a stop-or-continue rule, and limits

Why the other options are wrong

Option A: A detailed prompt, a fast model, a large context window, and a retry on error

Prompt detail, model speed, and context size shape one attempt. A retry on error repeats the attempt, but nothing checks the result or decides when to stop.

Option B: A task file, a browser, a log file, and a Stop hook that never exits

A Stop hook that never exits is a failure mode, not a design. By default, Claude Code overrides a Stop hook after it blocks eight times in a row with no tool call in between.

Option D: A cron job that starts a brand-new Claude session every minute until you kill it

Starting a session each minute gives you a trigger and nothing else. Nothing checks the result or decides to stop.

Key idea: Loop Basics

Loop engineering is a practice skill. Open Claude Code in a throwaway folder, write one small task in a file, and run it with /loop or /goal while you watch. If you doubt an answer, test it against a real run in that folder.

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