Task Finish Contract

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name: task-finish-contract description: Enforce task completion with explicit Goal/Progress/Next state. Prevent mid-task stalls and ensure evidence-based completion.

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Task Finish Contract

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)

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:

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|PENDING|TBD" artifact returns nothing |

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.