Task Finish Contract

Enforce task completion with explicit Goal/Progress/Next state. Prevent mid-task stalls and ensure evidence-based completion.

Prevent mid-task stalls. Every task must finish with explicit state and evidence.

Problem

Agents often:

• Stop mid-task without explanation
• Output plans without execution
• Lack clear completion criteria
• Missing evidence artifacts

Workflow

1. State Output (Each Substantial Step)

markdown

**Goal**: What finished looks like
**Progress**: What has been done
**Next**: One concrete action executing now

2. Completion Proof Format

For tasks with 2+ steps, include:

markdown

**DONE_CHECKLIST**:
- [ ] Item 1 completed
- [ ] Item 2 completed

**EVIDENCE**:
- Executed: command/action summary
- Artifact: path/URL/id
- Verified: check command result

**NEXT_AUTONOMOUS_STEP**:
- One follow-up that runs without user input

3. Anti-Stall Rule

• Planning-only replies: max 1
• Next reply MUST contain execution evidence
• Never end with "I will now..." without tool result

Executable Completion Criteria

Criteria	Verification
Goal stated	Select-String "Goal" memory/{date}.md matches
Progress tracked	Select-String "Progress" memory/{date}.md matches
Next action defined	Select-String "Next" memory/{date}.md matches
Evidence present	Artifact path/URL exists
No unresolved markers	`Select-String "TODO

Privacy/Safety

• No sensitive data in completion evidence
• Artifact paths use relative or workspace paths
• No credentials in task logs

Self-Use Trigger

Use when:

• Starting any multi-step task
• Resuming after interruption
• Handoff to another agent

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Finish what you start. Prove it with evidence.