Claude Code team breaks agent loops into four types, from manual to fully autonomous

Claude Code 团队详解四种智能体循环类型

The Claude Code team defines a 'design loop' as an agent repeating work until a stop condition is met, and splits it into four types. Turn-based loops are manually prompted, with Claude deciding when it's done—good for short tasks, and verifiable via SKILL.md files. Goal loops use /goal, stopping when the goal is hit or max turns reached, requiring deterministic criteria like test pass counts. Time loops use /loop and /schedule to run on intervals, suited for syncing messages or checking PRs, and can run in the cloud. Proactive loops trigger on events or schedules with no human in the loop; each subtask exits independently. The team recommends starting simple and only adding complexity when needed.

Why it matters: The Claude Code team breaks down agent design loops into four types with concrete commands and scenarios—highly practical. It's a methodology share, not a product launch, so it doesn't hit the 85+ band, but it's directly useful for anyone building with Claude Code.