Agentic loop
The cycle of model call, tool call and result that an agent repeats until it stops.
The loop sends the conversation to the model; if the model asks for a tool, your code runs it and appends the result; then it calls the model again. It ends when the model answers without a tool call, or when a limit stops it.
Related terms
- AI agent: A model that decides its next step itself, calls tools and repeats until the task is done.
- Tool use (function calling): The model returns a structured request to run a function you defined; your code runs it.
- Harness: Everything around the model that makes it an agent: the loop, tools, permissions, memory, context management.
