Self-Healing & Retry

Overview

Treat failures as information. Retry smartly, switch approach, or escalate - never loop blindly.

Classification

Failure	First response
Transient network / rate limit	Wait briefly, retry once or twice with backoff
Command not found / missing CLI	Install if policy allows, or switch tool / skill
Permission denied	Stop destructive retries; ask or use safer path
Assertion / test failure	Fix root cause; do not rerun hoping for luck
Ambiguous / empty result	Change query or tool; verify inputs

Retry policy

1. Max 2 automatic retries for the same exact command.
2. On retry #2, change something (flags, cwd, tool, smaller scope).
3. Capture stderr; quote the relevant error in your reasoning.
4. If still failing → fallback or ask the user with a concrete question.

Fallback ladder

1. Built-in tool alternative (web_fetch vs exec curl, grep vs shell grep)
2. Smaller reproduction (isolate the failing step)
3. Read-only diagnosis, then propose a fix
4. User intervention (credentials, network, approval)

Reporting

When you recover, briefly state:

• what failed
• what you changed
• current status

Do not hide repeated failures behind “still working on it”.