agent loop detected creating duplicate expansion tasks for the same usage spike hourly

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in expansion task agent workflow by acting on the exact message first: give each expansion task an idempotency key built from account plus usage spike date, store created task ids in a progress file, skip accounts already tasked in this spike, and halt the run when the same account is offered twice in one pass. Do not rerun the whole job unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one account, batch or record set first, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the counts.

agent loop detected creating duplicate expansion tasks for the same usage spike hourly

Use this when

• The operation in expansion task agent workflow fails with this exact message or symptom: agent loop detected creating duplicate expansion tasks for the same usage spike hourly.
• The same failure repeats on retry with unchanged inputs.
• Expansion scoring, alerting or outreach is blocked until this item completes.

Not for this skill when

• The message is an outage notice from the platform. Resolve that first, then return here if this error remains.
• The operation completes and you only disagree with its output quality. That is a quality review, not this failure.

Steps

1. Reproduce the failure with the smallest scope that still shows it in expansion task agent workflow, and copy the full message plus the account, signal or job involved into the run notes. Verify: the error is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only seen in a log.
2. Apply the specific fix for this error: give each expansion task an idempotency key built from account plus usage spike date, store created task ids in a progress file, skip accounts already tasked in this spike, and halt the run when the same account is offered twice in one pass. Verify: the smallest failing scope now completes, or the named account, signal or job behaves as the fix predicts.
3. Check the neighbouring accounts, signals or jobs that share the same config, schema or source, because this class of failure rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Rerun the original operation in expansion task agent workflow on the previously failing scope, watching for the same message rather than assuming success from a quiet log. Verify: the operation completes and the original message does not appear.
5. Compare the result counts, scores or status against the source in expansion task agent workflow so a silent partial success is caught before sign off. Verify: counts match the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the triggering input and the verification result on the item so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the error, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Why it happens

Hourly runs with no record of tasks already created treat the same spike as new every hour, because the spike stays visible until the underlying alert clears.

Variant phrasings

agent loop detected creating duplicate expansion tasks for the same usage spike hourly

The verbatim form searchers paste from the terminal or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the full rerun.

How to fix - agent loop detected creating duplicate expansion tasks for the same usage spike hourly

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

expansion task agent workflow troubleshooting for this failure

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

Edge cases

• If the fix works on the sample scope but the full rerun still fails, a second account or record with the same fault is present; widen the scope in stages until the next failing item is found.
• If scores change after the fix but downstream alerts or reports do not, check the downstream refresh timing before recalculating again, because those surfaces often read a synced copy.
• If the source information itself is missing for the affected accounts, record that as a source gap rather than scoring the accounts as zero.

Compatibility: expansion task agent workflow at current versions, plus the platform API or console the query names; no extra tooling beyond the source system access needed to verify counts.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_oPINdbzwI6qMeHTn7Wo8fw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_oPINdbzwI6qMeHTn7Wo8fw

Thread query: agent loop detected creating duplicate expansion tasks for the same usage spike hourly

TL;DR: Fix this in expansion task agent workflow by acting on the exact message first: give each expansion task an idempotency key built from account plus usage spike date, store created task ids in a progress file, skip accounts already tasked in this spike, and halt the run when the same account is offered twice in one pass. Do not rerun the whole job unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one account, batch or record set first, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the counts.