agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to post

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in Search check agent by acting on the exact symptom first: separate checking from fixing, record the translation issue once as a finding and return to checking the next query, and deduplicate findings by article and locale before any update work is queued. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Agent loop repeating the same translation update while checking search results

Use this when

• Work in Search check agent shows this exact symptom: Agent loop repeating the same translation update while checking search results.
• The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
• Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

Not for this skill when

• The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
• The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

Steps

1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Search check agent, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: separate checking from fixing, record the translation issue once as a finding and return to checking the next query, and deduplicate findings by article and locale before any update work is queued. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Search check agent that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

Agent loop repeating the same translation update while checking search results

The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

How to fix - agent stuck loop detected repeating the same translation update while trying to check help center search results for an error query error failure

The how to phrasing for the same problem in Search check agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

Search check agent troubleshooting for this symptom

The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

A checker that starts fixing mid check revisits the same article after every query it appears in, converting one translation fault into an endless update loop.

Edge cases

• The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
• A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
• Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Search check agent at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_BtKJ9jw-Jk2-F748Xc2lTw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_BtKJ9jw-Jk2-F748Xc2lTw

Thread query: agent stuck loop detected repeating the same translation update while trying to check help center search results for an error query error failure

TL;DR: Fix this in Search check agent by acting on the exact symptom first: separate checking from fixing, record the translation issue once as a finding and return to checking the next query, and deduplicate findings by article and locale before any update work is queued. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in policy question answering agent by acting on the exact problem first: record each answered question id in a run file, check that file before answering again, stop when the same question id appears twice, and report questions still open instead of reanswering a question whose answer post has not indexed yet. Do not resend the same announcement or rerun the same rollout unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one employee group or policy page first, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the results.

agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to answer an employee question on the new policy error failure

Use this when

• The operation in policy question answering agent fails with this exact problem: agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to answer an employee question on the new policy error failure.
• The same failure repeats on retry with unchanged inputs.
• A policy rollout, handbook acknowledgment, announcement or employee question is blocked until this is resolved.

Not for this skill when

• The notice is a platform outage from the vendor. Resolve that first, then return here if this problem remains.
• The operation completes and you only disagree with a policy wording or eligibility judgement. That is a policy owner decision, not this failure.

Steps

1. Reproduce the failure on one named employee group, policy page or announcement in policy question answering agent and record the full problem text plus the group, page or policy involved. Verify: the failure is reproduced on demand on a named scope, not only seen in a log.
2. Apply the specific fix for this problem: record each answered question id in a run file, check that file before answering again, stop when the same question id appears twice, and report questions still open instead of reanswering a question whose answer post has not indexed yet. Verify: the single failing group, page or announcement now behaves as the fix predicts, or the corrected value is visible on the record.
3. Check neighbouring employee groups, policy pages or announcements that share the same audience, template or schedule, because this class of failure rarely affects only one group. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Rerun the original operation in policy question answering agent on the previously failing scope, watching for the same problem rather than assuming success from a quiet log. Verify: the operation completes and the original problem does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth, the published policy text, the HR roster or the acknowledgment record, so a silent partial success is caught. Verify: values match the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the triggering input and the verification result on the rollout log so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the problem, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to answer an employee question on the new policy error failure

The verbatim form searchers paste from the console, report or run log. Treat it identically: same fix, same single group proof, then the full rerun.

How to fix - agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to answer an employee question on the new policy error failure

The how to phrasing for the same failure in policy question answering agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the rerun.

policy question answering agent troubleshooting for this failure

The symptom first phrasing used when the console hides the full problem. Surface the full problem first, confirm it matches the text block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

The agent checks the question thread for its answer before the thread view updates, so its own posted answer looks missing and it drafts the same answer repeatedly.

Edge cases

• The policy was republished, the audience changed or a group was renamed after the failing run started. Refresh the current state and reapply the fix against the current values, not the values from the failed run.
• The single group proof passes but the full rerun still fails on other groups. Treat each remaining failure as its own scope, because a shared audience, template or schedule can hide more than one cause.
• The source systems disagree on the correct value. The published policy text governs wording, the HR roster governs audience and employment status, and the acknowledgment record governs who signed; record which source won and why.

Compatibility: policy question answering agent at current versions, plus the HR system, handbook or messaging tool the query names; no extra tooling beyond access to the source records needed to verify results.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstX1yM71dhOBRT-t7dq-n3w

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstX1yM71dhOBRT-t7dq-n3w

Thread query: agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to answer an employee question on the new policy error failure

TL;DR: Fix this in policy question answering agent by acting on the exact problem first: record each answered question id in a run file, check that file before answering again, stop when the same question id appears twice, and report questions still open instead of reanswering a question whose answer post has not indexed yet. Do not resend the same announcement or rerun the same rollout unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one employee group or policy page first, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the results.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in handbook answer agent by acting on the exact problem first: record each handbook page already searched in a run file, check that file before searching a page again, break out after a repeat page, and answer from the best page found so far with its limits stated instead of searching in a circle. Do not rerun the whole onboarding flow unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one hire or one task first, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the results.

agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to answer a new hire question from the handbook error failure

Use this when

• The operation in handbook answer agent fails with this exact problem: agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to answer a new hire question from the handbook error failure.
• The same failure repeats on retry with unchanged inputs.
• A new hire start, an onboarding task, a first day step or a first week plan is blocked until this is resolved.

Not for this skill when

• The notice is a platform outage from the vendor. Resolve that first, then return here if this problem remains.
• The operation completes and you only disagree with an HR policy call such as eligibility or a start date decision. That is a people team decision, not this failure.

Steps

1. Reproduce the failure on one named hire or task in handbook answer agent and record the full problem text plus the hire, task or start date involved. Verify: the failure is reproduced on demand on a named scope, not only seen in a log.
2. Apply the specific fix for this problem: record each handbook page already searched in a run file, check that file before searching a page again, break out after a repeat page, and answer from the best page found so far with its limits stated instead of searching in a circle. Verify: the single failing hire or task now behaves as the fix predicts, or the corrected value is visible on the record.
3. Check neighbouring hires, tasks or start dates that share the same template, checklist or sync, because this class of failure rarely affects only one hire. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Rerun the original operation in handbook answer agent on the previously failing scope, watching for the same problem rather than assuming success from a quiet log. Verify: the operation completes and the original problem does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth, the HRIS hire record, the signed offer or the current handbook page, so a silent partial success is caught. Verify: values match the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the triggering input and the verification result on the onboarding log so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the problem, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to answer a new hire question from the handbook error failure

The verbatim form searchers paste from the console, report or run log. Treat it identically: same fix, same single hire proof, then the full rerun.

How to fix - agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to answer a new hire question from the handbook error failure

The how to phrasing for the same failure in handbook answer agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the rerun.

handbook answer agent troubleshooting for this failure

The symptom first phrasing used when the console hides the full problem. Surface the full problem first, confirm it matches the text block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

The agent loops because it reads its progress from a result view that updates after its check, so a searched page looks unsearched forever until progress is recorded where its own check looks.

Edge cases

• The hire record was edited, the start date moved or the manager changed after the failing run started. Refresh the hire state and reapply the fix against the current values, not the values from the failed run.
• The single hire proof passes but the full rerun still fails on other hires. Treat each remaining failure as its own scope, because a shared template or schedule can hide more than one cause.
• The source systems disagree on the correct value. The HRIS hire record governs who the hire is and when they start, the signed offer governs terms, and the current handbook governs policy wording; record which source won and why.

Compatibility: handbook answer agent at current versions, plus the HRIS, handbook or onboarding tool the query names; no extra tooling beyond access to the source records needed to verify results.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstMfXLvoqk2EBf_3EX7FjAg

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstMfXLvoqk2EBf_3EX7FjAg

Thread query: agent stuck loop detected repeating the same step while trying to answer a new hire question from the handbook error failure

TL;DR: Fix this in handbook answer agent by acting on the exact problem first: record each handbook page already searched in a run file, check that file before searching a page again, break out after a repeat page, and answer from the best page found so far with its limits stated instead of searching in a circle. Do not rerun the whole onboarding flow unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one hire or one task first, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the results.