build-loop

Iterates build, render, exercise, and critique cycles until acceptance criteria pass or a stop-condition fires.

83|8|Updated Jun 9, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/nelsonwerd/idea-to-ship-skills --skill build-loop-nelsonwerd
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: build-loop
Source: https://github.com/nelsonwerd/idea-to-ship-skills/tree/main/skills/build-loop
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/nelsonwerd/idea-to-ship-skills --skill build-loop-nelsonwerd

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Builds that compile but don't actually work slip through when agents stop at green tests. This Skill drives a build from "compiles" to near-finish-line craft by repeatedly running, rendering, exercising, and critiquing it against locked acceptance criteria, with explicit stop-conditions so it never thrashes forever. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Disciplined iteration loop: Repeats build → see → exercise → check → critique → rebuild, orchestrating existing tools (bash build/test, headless screenshots, Playwright, axe/Lighthouse) rather than reinventing a harness. - Dual-track ledger: Tracks objective machine facts (exit codes, test counts, console errors, a11y violations) alongside a design bar when feel is load-bearing, including a different-model critic for taste. - Guaranteed termination: Stops on PASS, PLATEAU, BUDGET (default 4 rebuild passes per surface), or BLOCKED, and hands off anything it cannot verify as a named human gate. - Use Case: After scaffolding a new web feature, invoke the loop to render key UI states across mobile and desktop, drive the core flows headless, fix the top defects each pass, and stop with a per-iteration ledger showing exactly what improved. ## Quick Start Tighten this build by looping until the acceptance criteria pass, then report the iteration ledger and which stop-condition fired.

Frequently Asked Questions about build-loop

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I make an AI agent iterate a build until it actually works?▼

Lock binary, machine-checkable acceptance criteria first, then run repeated build, render, exercise, and critique cycles using bash tests, headless screenshots, and Playwright. Stop only when no Blocker/High/Medium defects remain or a budget or plateau condition fires.

How to self-verify a UI with headless screenshots and Playwright?▼

Render the running app with an interactive renderer or a Playwright screenshot script, capturing empty, loading, error, hover, and focus states across mobile and desktop viewports. Then drive core flows headless and assert each control actually changes its claimed output.

Does this work for non-browser projects like CLIs or backends?▼

Yes. Non-browser surfaces skip the visual step and run build/test plus a targeted exercise, such as invoking the binary or calling the endpoint and asserting results. The loop still applies using only the objective signals.

What are the limitations of automated build verification loops?▼

The loop catches machine-checkable defects but cannot see content wrongness against external sources of truth, subtle correctness or security bugs with no failing check, or genuine taste. It reaches roughly 80% of craft; the last-mile tail and market validation remain human gates.

Why does an iteration loop sometimes never finish or stop too early?▼

Unfalsifiable criteria like "make it beautiful" cause endless thrash, while stopping after one fix ignores open defects. Translate goals into countable criteria and stop only on PASS, two progress-free iterations, the rebuild budget, or a human-blocking gate.