Stop condition
Also: stop conditions
The rule that tells an agent when to stop.
The fuller definition
A stop condition is an explicit event or test that ends a run or sends it for review.
- ObserveRead the task, the current state, and the last result.
- DecidePropose the next action: a search, a file read, a calculation.
- ActThe harness runs the action, if permitted.
- CheckStop condition met? If not, loop again.
The model proposes; the surrounding software executes and records. Where the loop may act, and when it must stop and ask, are decisions made outside the model.
A concrete example
Stop after all five documents have a final status, after a fixed budget, or when required access is missing.
The distinction that matters
A vague instruction to keep improving can produce unbounded work without a checkable finish line.
Related terms
Agent loop
The cycle an agent repeats: look, decide, act, check, until the task is done or it must stop.
Agents & automationAgent harness
The code that runs an agent's tools. It can keep logs and limit what the agent may do.
Agents & automationApproval gate
A point in an automated task where it must stop and wait for a person to say yes.
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.