Stop A Stuck Loop Question Explained
This worked Loop Engineering practice question tests Limits and Safety. Try the answer first, then review why B is the best choice.
Short answer
The correct answer is B. Add a stop rule for repeated failure, then inspect the task before restarting.
Fourteen identical failures mean the task or the environment is wrong, and another try will fail the same way. Give the loop a no-progress rule, such as an attempt cap or a repeated-failure rule, that ends the loop and hands the problem to a person. Inside a /loop prompt, that rule is an instruction to Claude, not an enforced limit. For claude -p runs, Claude Code enforces the --max-turns and --max-budget-usd flags, though spend can pass the budget cap. Then read what failed and fix the task before you start again. The correct answer is B. Add a stop rule for repeated failure, then inspect the task before restarting
The Question
Your overnight loop tried the same task fourteen times. Each run edited the same line, the check failed the same way, and the run ended. What should you change before restarting?
Why B is correct
Fourteen identical failures mean the task or the environment is wrong, and another try will fail the same way. Give the loop a no-progress rule, such as an attempt cap or a repeated-failure rule, that ends the loop and hands the problem to a person. Inside a /loop prompt, that rule is an instruction to Claude, not an enforced limit. For claude -p runs, Claude Code enforces the --max-turns and --max-budget-usd flags, though spend can pass the budget cap. Then read what failed and fix the task before you start again. The correct answer is B. Add a stop rule for repeated failure, then inspect the task before restarting
Why the other options are wrong
A shorter interval repeats the same failure faster. Nothing about the task changes between runs.
A larger model can solve some tasks a smaller one cannot. It does not fix a missing file, a wrong path, or a task that cannot be done, and it costs more per failed attempt.
Removing the check hides the failure. The queue moves on and the broken change stays in the page.
Key idea: Limits and Safety
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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