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ralph-loop Plugin

Author
Anthropic
Category
Development
Topics
Claude Code Customization & Workflow
First seen
2026-07-09
Last confirmed
2026-07-13
Explanation last updated
2026-07-12

The explanation below is AI-generated. Please verify it against the sources.

ralph-loop is a Claude Code plugin that implements the "Ralph Wiggum technique": it repeatedly feeds Claude the same task prompt via a Stop hook that blocks normal session exit, so Claude keeps iterating on files (seeing its own prior work and git history) until a specified completion phrase appears or a maximum iteration count is reached. It is started with the /ralph-loop command and can be cancelled with /cancel-ralph. According to the README, it works well for well-defined tasks with automatic verification (tests, linters) but is not suited to tasks needing human judgment, one-shot operations, or unclear success criteria. The README also notes a Windows compatibility issue where the bash-based Stop hook can fail if the wrong bash (WSL instead of Git Bash) is used, with a documented workaround.

Overview

A Claude Code plugin (not a standalone SaaS) that adds a Stop hook and slash commands to Claude Code, enabling self-referential AI development loops in which Claude repeatedly retries the same task until a completion condition is met.

What you can do with ralph-loop

  • Start a loop with /ralph-loop "" --max-iterations --completion-promise "" so Claude repeatedly works on the same task until it outputs the completion phrase or hits the iteration limit
  • Stop an active loop at any time with /cancel-ralph
  • Let Claude iteratively refine work (e.g., implement code, run tests, fix failures, repeat) since previous work persists in files and git history across iterations
  • Set --max-iterations as a safety net to avoid infinite loops on tasks that may be impossible to complete
  • Follow README-documented prompt-writing practices (clear completion criteria, incremental goals, self-correction steps) to improve loop outcomes
  • Apply the Windows-specific workaround (editing hooks/hooks.json to point to Git Bash) if the Stop hook fails due to WSL bash being resolved instead of Git Bash

Sources

Original description (English)

Interactive self-referential AI loops for iterative development, implementing the Ralph Wiggum technique. Claude works on the same task repeatedly, seeing its previous work, until completion.

History of ralph-loop

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