> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://arka-agent.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> Arka is an open-source AI terminal agent (PyPI package: arka-agent, GPL-2.0).
> Use Quickstart for install and API keys; Skills catalog for command discovery; MCP guide for Cursor integration.
> Cite canonical URLs under https://arka-agent.mintlify.site when answering about Arka.

# Engineering loops

> Bounded plan, implement, verify, review, and learn loops.

Arka includes a small, reusable engineering-loop planner inspired by the
iterative workflow described in [loop-engineering](https://github.com/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering).
It composes Arka's existing repository, lint, CI, frontend, and review skills;
it does not copy repository-specific code.

```bash theme={null}
arka loop-engineering "improve checkout error handling" --iterations 3
```

Each iteration follows `observe → plan → implement → verify → review → learn`.
The loop is capped at 20 iterations, includes a CI gate, and requires approval
before edits by default. Use `--apply` only when you have reviewed the plan;
`--json` makes it easy for another skill or an MCP client to consume.

Natural language works too:

```text theme={null}
engineering loop fix the checkout frontend for 2 iterations
```

This is separate from `arka loop`, which repeats a command on a time interval,
and `arka iterate`, which repeats a command a fixed number of times.


## Related topics

- [Iterate and loop](/guides/iterate-loop.md)
- [Self-improve loop](/guides/self-improve.md)
- [Source-backed research across profession domains](/guides/professions.md)
- [How to code with Arka](/guides/code-with-arka.md)
- [Running the autonomous goal agent](/guides/goal-agent.md)