P.03PRODUCT · Loops

loops propose.
a person approves.

A loop claims a card, studies it, and files a proposal. Nothing it proposes touches the card until a person says yes.

Start free How loops work

acme / Web / Agent loops

Loop Waiting● FiredFinished

Backlog hygiene

Fires on: An issue created
Runs as: claude-triage
Playbook: Triage
May write: Nothing

Backlog

WEB-131

Retry failed webhooks with backoff

no labelapi

WEB-133

Label contrast in dark mode

design

In ProgressDoing

Review

Loop review Nothing waiting1 proposalDecided

WEB-131 Retry failed webhooks with backoff

claude-triage proposes priority High and label api

Approve Veto Waiting for a person. Lena Park approved.

A loop cannot change a card. It can only ask. Proposed. The card is unchanged. Applied. Back in the backlog, groomed.

Runs on: Your machine, through the Claude plan you already pay for
Or on ours: With your own key, at cost
AI credits: None. Tokens are not metered or marked up

Loop

Backlog hygiene

Fires on: A clock, or the board
Claims: One card each, never twice
May write: Nothing
Applied by: A person, in batches
Holds to: The ceilings you set
Runs on: Your machine, or your key
Keeps: Every run, with its reason

01The loop Backlog hygiene fired: an issue was created

it starts on a clock,
or on the board.

Fire a loop on a cadence, on a schedule, or when something happens to an issue.

CADENCEEvery N minutes
SCHEDULEA time, chosen weekdays, your time zone
EVENTSAn issue created, edited or moved. An agent mentioned

When a loop firesThree kinds of trigger

Cadence every 30 minutesFired
Schedule weekdays at 09:00, America/ChicagoFired
Event an issue was createdFired

However it starts, what follows is the same: claim, study, propose.

02claude-triage claimed WEB-131. It moved to In Progress.

two runners never
take the same card.

One fire can send out several runners. Each claims its own card under a lock, and the board rings a card for as long as a run holds it.

ORDERHighest priority first, then oldest

Backlog · WebOne fire · 2 runners

WEB-131 Retry failed webhooksFreeRunner 1
WEB-134 Export times out past 10k rowsFreeRunner 2
WEB-133 Label contrast in dark modeFreeRunner 1
WEB-136 Typo in the invite emailFree

3 claimed. 0 taken twice. A runner skips a card another one holds.

03claude-triage proposed priority High and label api for WEB-131

it can read.
it cannot write.

Tool grants are default-deny. A triage loop can read around the card, and neither playbook is given a tool that changes an issue.

PLAYBOOKSGroom and triage
AN ADMINMay add read tools, never write tools

Tool grant · TriageDefault deny

✓issue_getread
✓issue_listread
✓comment_listread
✓cycle_activeread
✕issue_updatenot granted
✕comment_createnot granted
✕issue_deletenot granted

WEB-131 Proposal

Priority High · label api · duplicate of WEB-97

Confidence0.82

What it finds goes in a proposal. That is its only output.

04Lena Park approved 1 proposal and vetoed 1

you review a batch,
not a changed board.

Proposals wait in a queue, least confident first. An admin approves or vetoes them in one pass. A veto sends the card back untouched.

APPROVEDApplied, and the card returns to the backlog
NEVERAn agent approving its own work

Loop review2 proposals · try it

WEB-133 Label contrast in dark mode0.61

claude-triage proposes priority Low and label design

Waiting for a person.

WEB-131 Retry failed webhooks with backoff0.82

claude-triage proposes priority High and label api

Waiting for a person.

05Run 41 stopped at the review ceiling you set

it stops when
you said it would.

You set the ceilings for each project: claims, spend, and how deep the review queue gets. The server holds every run to them, not a prompt.

Project Web · loopsCeilings you set

Spend$6.40 of your $10.00

Claims this run18 of your 25

Proposals waiting for review12 of your 12

At your ceilingreview_backpressureRun 41

It waits for you to read what it has already proposed.

06A runner on your machine leased the fire

your machine,
or ours on your key.

On your hardware a loop runs through the Claude subscription you already pay for. On ours it uses a key you supply, at cost.

LOCALOn your own hardware. Included in Pro and Ultra
HOSTEDOn schedule, machine off. Included in Ultra

Pricing →

runneron your machine · harness: claude

↳ watching for fires

↳ leased "Backlog hygiene" · WEB-131

✓ reported 1 proposal

Your machine: The Claude plan you already pay for; Pro
Ours: Your own key, at cost; Ultra
AI credits: None, on either; $0

07Run 40 completed: 9 claimed, 9 proposed

every run
is on the record.

A run keeps what it claimed, proposed and spent, and the tools it had. Loop configuration is versioned, so an earlier one can come back.

CONSOLELive, with a stop for any run

How loops work →

Runs · Backlog hygieneConfiguration v3

39Completedqueue_empty7 claimed · 7 proposed · $0.44
40Completedqueue_empty9 claimed · 9 proposed · $0.58
41At your ceilingreview_backpressure6 claimed · 6 proposed · $0.41

Each run keeps why it ended, what it claimed and what it spent.

P.03.STECH SPECS

playbooks, triggers,
guardrails, compute.

Playbooks

groom: Reads the claimed issue. Proposes
triage: Also reads the backlog, comments and cycles
Writes: None. Both propose

A proposal

Carries: Priority, labels, placement, acceptance criteria
Flags: Duplicate, or junk
With: A rationale and a confidence

Triggers

Cadence: Every N minutes
Schedule: 24-hour time, weekdays, IANA zone
Events: issue.created issue.updated issue.status_changed agent.mentioned

loops propose.
a person approves.

it starts on a clock,
or on the board.

two runners never
take the same card.

it can read.
it cannot write.

you review a batch,
not a changed board.

it stops when
you said it would.

your machine,
or ours on your key.

every run
is on the record.

playbooks, triggers,
guardrails, compute.

Playbooks

A proposal

Triggers

Guardrails

Where it runs

keep going.

close the gap.

loops propose.a person approves.

it starts on a clock,or on the board.

two runners nevertake the same card.

it can read.it cannot write.

you review a batch,not a changed board.

it stops whenyou said it would.

your machine,or ours on your key.

every runis on the record.

playbooks, triggers,guardrails, compute.

Playbooks

A proposal

Triggers

Guardrails

Where it runs

keep going.

close the gap.

loops propose.
a person approves.

it starts on a clock,
or on the board.

two runners never
take the same card.

it can read.
it cannot write.

you review a batch,
not a changed board.

it stops when
you said it would.

your machine,
or ours on your key.

every run
is on the record.

playbooks, triggers,
guardrails, compute.