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ericzakariasson
b697d35c75
Replace legacy agent install snippets across plugin READMEs so docs reflect the current add-plugin workflow. Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>
62 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
62 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
# Ralph Loop
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Ralph Loop runs Cursor in a self-referential loop, feeding the same prompt back after every turn until the task is complete. It implements the [Ralph Wiggum technique](https://ghuntley.com/ralph/) pioneered by Geoffrey Huntley.
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## How it works
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Two hooks drive the loop. An `afterAgentResponse` hook watches each response for a `<promise>` tag matching the completion phrase. A `stop` hook fires when Cursor finishes a turn. If the promise hasn't been detected and the iteration limit hasn't been reached, the stop hook sends the original prompt back as a `followup_message`, starting the next iteration. Cursor sees its own previous edits in the working tree and git history, iterates on them, and repeats. The prompt never changes. The code does.
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## Installation
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```
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/add-plugin ralph-loop
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```
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## Quick start
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> Start a ralph loop: "Build a REST API for todos. CRUD operations, input validation, tests. Output COMPLETE when done." --completion-promise "COMPLETE" --max-iterations 50
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Cursor will implement the API, run tests, see failures, fix them, and repeat until all requirements are met.
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## Skills
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**ralph-loop** starts the loop. Provide a prompt and options:
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> Start a ralph loop: "Refactor the cache layer" --max-iterations 20 --completion-promise "DONE"
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- `--max-iterations <N>` stops after N iterations (default: unlimited)
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- `--completion-promise <text>` sets the phrase that signals completion
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**cancel-ralph** removes the state file and stops the loop.
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**ralph-loop-help** explains the technique and usage in detail.
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## Writing good prompts
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Define explicit completion criteria. Vague goals like "make it good" give Cursor nothing to verify against.
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```markdown
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Build a REST API for todos.
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When complete:
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- All CRUD endpoints working
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- Input validation in place
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- Tests passing (coverage > 80%)
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- Output: <promise>COMPLETE</promise>
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```
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Break large tasks into phases. Encourage self-correction by including test/fix cycles in the prompt. Always pass `--max-iterations` to prevent runaway loops.
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## When to use Ralph Loop
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Works well for tasks with clear, verifiable success criteria: getting tests to pass, completing a migration, building a feature from a spec. Not a good fit for tasks that need human judgment or have ambiguous goals.
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## Learn more
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- [Original technique by Geoffrey Huntley](https://ghuntley.com/ralph/)
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- [Ralph Orchestrator](https://github.com/mikeyobrien/ralph-orchestrator)
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## License
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MIT
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