Loop

---
description: Run multiple phases autonomously (Ralph loop)
allowed-tools: Bash, Read
args: "[N]"
---

# /riff:loop

Launch the RIFF loop to execute multiple phases autonomously. Each phase runs in a fresh Claude Code context via `/riff:next`. The loop stops on failure, R3 decisions, security issues, or when all phases are done.

## Arguments

- No args: run all remaining AFK phases (up to safety limit of 20)
- `[N]`: run exactly N phases, then stop

## What You Do

1. **Check prerequisites:**
   - `riff-loop.sh` exists in project root
   - `ROADMAP.yaml` exists
   - `.planning/` directory exists

2. **Launch the loop:**

```bash
./riff-loop.sh -n {{N}}

Where {{N}} is the argument provided, or omitted for default (all remaining).

3. The loop handles everything:
   • Reads ROADMAP.yaml to find next AFK phase
   • Spawns fresh Claude Code agent per iteration
   • Each agent runs /riff:next (which picks highest priority, dependencies-met task)
   • Commits atomically after each phase
   • Sends Telegram notifications on stop conditions
   • Stops on: FAIL, R3, CRITICAL security, all done, or iteration limit

Stop Conditions

Condition	What happens
Verification FAIL	Loop stops, writes LOOP_STOP to STATE.md, notifies Telegram
R3 deviation	Loop stops, architecture decision needs human
Security CRITICAL/HIGH	Loop stops, security issue needs human
All phases done	Loop stops, notifies "BUILD COMPLETE"
Only HITL phases remain	Loop stops, notifies human presence required
All remaining blocked	Loop stops, notifies human intervention needed
Iteration limit reached	Loop stops (safety)

Examples

# Run next 3 phases autonomously
/riff:loop 3

# Run all remaining AFK phases
/riff:loop

# Run just 1 phase (same as /riff:next but via loop script)
/riff:loop 1

Anti-Patterns

• Don't run the loop on HITL phases (auth, payment, public API) - it will skip them automatically
• Don't run without a ROADMAP.yaml - the loop needs phases to pick from
• Don't run if the last phase has LOOP_STOP in STATE.md - fix the issue first