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What is loop-spec?

stumpyfr/loop-spec — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

1Audience · developerComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

In one sentence

A draft specification defining a portable YAML format and OCI-based packaging system for sharing reusable, phase-based AI agent orchestration instructions.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((loop-spec))
    What it does
      Defines Agent Loop format
      Specifies OCI packaging
      No runnable code
    Tech stack
      YAML documents
      OCI Artifacts
      Draft specification
    Use cases
      Share agent workflows
      Version-pin agent loops
      Build compliant tooling
    Audience
      Tool builders
      Agent framework authors

Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Design a standardized, shareable format for describing multi-phase AI agent workflows.

USE CASE 2

Publish and version-pin reusable agent loop definitions through an OCI-compliant registry.

USE CASE 3

Build a client tool that reads, validates, and executes Agent Loop YAML documents.

USE CASE 4

Track exact dependency versions of agent loops used in a project via a lock file.

What is it built with?

YAMLOCI Artifacts

How does it compare?

stumpyfr/loop-spec0xkinno/neuralvault0xlocker/d17-contracts
Stars111
LanguageTypeScriptSolidity
Setup difficultyeasyhardhard
Complexity2/54/55/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

There is nothing to install, only a specification document to read and implement against.

Use freely, including commercial use, as long as you follow the Apache 2.0 license's terms, such as keeping attribution notices.

So what is it?

loop-spec is a written specification document, not a runnable tool, that defines a standard way to describe and share reusable instructions for AI agents, called Agent Loops. It is currently a draft, version 0.1.0. An Agent Loop is a YAML file that lays out how an AI agent should carry out a piece of work: what information it needs as input, what stages or phases the work moves through, what actions happen in each phase, how the agent knows a phase is finished, what it produces as output, how it moves from one phase to the next, and when it should stop and ask a human for a decision instead of continuing on its own. The bulk of the document is about how to package and share these loop files using OCI Artifacts, the same general packaging system used for container images, but applied here to plain YAML files instead of software containers. This means loop definitions can be published to any registry that already supports that packaging format, given a fixed version identifier so the exact same loop can be pulled again later, optionally signed to prove who published them, and organized into named collections. The spec also defines a project level file for listing which loops a project depends on, plus a lock file that records the specific version of each one actually in use, similar to how some programming tools track exact dependency versions. The author explains this is closely modeled on an existing, separate specification for something called Agent Skills, following the same overall pattern but applied to a different kind of building block: a skill teaches an agent how to do a type of task, while a loop is described as directing a full bounded run through defined stages with a beginning and an end. The two are meant to work side by side rather than replace one another. The document notes that a command line tool called agentkit implements this specification, but states plainly that the specification itself, not any particular tool, is the authoritative source of truth. It is released under the Apache 2.0 license, which permits free use, including commercial use, provided the license terms are followed.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Explain the top-level structure required in an Agent Loop YAML document according to this spec.
Prompt 2
How does this specification's lock file differ from its project manifest file?
Prompt 3
Compare the relationship between Agent Loops and the referenced Agent Skills specification.
Prompt 4
What would a minimal conforming Agent Loop document look like based on this spec's required fields?

Frequently asked questions

What is loop-spec?

A draft specification defining a portable YAML format and OCI-based packaging system for sharing reusable, phase-based AI agent orchestration instructions.

What license does loop-spec use?

Use freely, including commercial use, as long as you follow the Apache 2.0 license's terms, such as keeping attribution notices.

How hard is loop-spec to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is loop-spec for?

Mainly developer.

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