Retry
Also: retries
Trying a failed step again, usually after a short wait.
The fuller definition
A retry repeats an operation after a failure under a defined policy, often with waiting time and a maximum number of attempts.
- Failure
Classify the error
- Policy
Wait, stop, or escalate
- Next attempt
Respect duplicate protection
A simplified relationship, not a screenshot or a complete design.
A concrete example
A temporary API timeout leads to a later attempt, while an authorization error is escalated for review.
The distinction that matters
Blindly retrying can duplicate side effects, increase costs, or repeat a permanent failure.
Related terms
Idempotency
A property of an action: doing it twice has the same effect as doing it once. This helps when a system retries a task.
APIs & softwareRate limit
A cap on how many requests a service will accept in a given time.
Agents & automationAgent harness
The code that runs an agent's tools. It can keep logs and limit what the agent may do.
Where it is taught
Prompts, skills, workflows, and agentsSource and further reading
Anthropic · Building effective agentsThe definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.