Stop-Hook Pattern (How to Enforce Task Completion)

This pattern prevents the agent from ending a session until the contract is satisfied, matching the article's recommendation.

Core Idea

Instead of relying on the agent to voluntarily output "CONTRACT_MET", the orchestration layer (you or a thin wrapper) only allows the session to terminate when the stop condition is met.

Implementation Options

Option 1: Explicit Stop Condition in Every Prompt (Recommended)

Add this block to the end of implement.md, research.md, and any other phase that produces a deliverable:

## Stop Condition (MANDATORY)
You are not allowed to end this session until one of the following is true:
- You have produced the required output file(s) AND output the exact phrase "CONTRACT_MET"
- You have explicitly stated that the contract cannot be met and explained why

Until then, continue working or ask clarifying questions.

Option 2: Contract File as Gate

Every task folder must contain a {task-name}_CONTRACT.md.

The agent is instructed:

Read the contract at the start of the session
Only output "CONTRACT_MET" after every item in the contract has been verified (tests pass, files exist, acceptance criteria checked)

Option 3: External Orchestrator Hook (Strongest)

If using a thin wrapper script around the agent CLI:

# Example pseudo-wrapper
while true; do
  agent run --prompt "$(render_prompt implement.md)"
  if grep -q "CONTRACT_MET" last_output.txt; then
    break
  fi
  # Otherwise feed the failure back into the same session or new one
done

Recommended Addition to referee.md and implement.md

After the verdict or implementation, add:

## Final Gate
Before finishing, re-read the CONTRACT.md (if present) and confirm every line item is satisfied.
Only then output "CONTRACT_MET".

Files to Update

Add the stop condition block to:
- prompts/implement.md
- prompts/research.md
- prompts/bug_finder.md (optional)
Update ONBOARDING.md to document this pattern under "Define Clear End States"

This turns the voluntary "CONTRACT_MET" into a hard mechanical requirement.

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