Three guardrails that stop tool-calling loops
Tool loops usually stop reliably when the system checks progress, not only the number of steps. Use a hard ceiling as the final safety net, but add two earlier controls: detect repeated calls with equivalent arguments, and require each action to change a tracked state or resolve a named subgoal.
A useful agent loop records the last action, tool result, current plan, and unresolved objective. If the same state recurs without new evidence, the agent should stop, explain the loop, and ask for input rather than trying another paraphrased call.
Guardrails should also distinguish recoverable failures from blocked states. Retrying a transient network error is reasonable; repeating a successful search that produced no relevant result is not.
- Category
- Automation
- Platform
- Web