This file is byte-identical to the first copy the registry indexed, one of 4 indexed copies. Same content hash, so the same checks give both the same grade.
iterative-retrieval from bradygaster/squad is an agent skill: a SKILL.md folder an AI agent loads when a task calls for it.
Max-3-cycle protocol for agent sub-tasks with WHY context and coordinator validation. Use when spawning sub-agents to complete scoped work.
Collected from public GitHub. Every version is saved exactly as it was and never changes. Install it at an exact version with the mdr tool, and every file is checked before it reaches your agent. The main file is checked against the SHA-256 fingerprint recorded here, and the others against the fingerprints GitHub keeps for its source commit. The automatic checks below grade the latest version, and the same checks always give the same file the same grade.
What the file says
# Iterative Retrieval Skill
Squad agents frequently spawn sub-agents to complete scoped work. Without structure, these
handoffs become vague, cycles multiply, and outputs land without being checked. The
**Iterative Retrieval Pattern** caps cycles at 3, mandates WHY context in every spawn, and
requires the coordinator to validate agent output before closing an issue.
---
## Spawn Prompt Template
Every agent spawn must include the following four sections. Copy and fill in the template:
```
## Task
{What you need done — concrete and bounded}
## WHY this matters
{The motivation and context. What system or user goal does this serve? What breaks if skipped?}
## Success criteria
{How you will know the output is correct. Be explicit — list acceptance criteria, not vibes.}
Example:
- [ ] File X exists and contains Y
- [ ] No regressions in existing tests
- [ ] PR is open targeting main with description matching the issue
## Escalation path
{What the agent should do if uncertain or stuck. "Stop and ask me" is valid.}
Example:
- If requirements are ambiguous → stop, comment on the issue, set label status:needs-decision
…
The line at the top of this page pins the label git:20260910.9cf5842, which is what most people want. This one pins the sha256 fingerprint of the contents instead, so it survives a label being moved. Either way the exact version is written to mdr.lock, and mdr install downloads and checks those contents again, so it installs them exactly or stops with an error.
A 17 of 17 checks passed. Fixed automatic checks with no AI involved, so the same checks give the same answer every run.
pass: Frontmatter block present
pass: Frontmatter declares a name
pass: Frontmatter declares a description
pass: Size between 200 bytes and 200 KB (6341 bytes)
pass: No zero-width or bidi control characters
pass: No instruction hidden inside an HTML comment
pass: No link to an exfiltration or paste host
pass: No credential-shaped string
pass: No instruction to send local credentials anywhere
pass: No text hidden with inline styles
pass: No prompt-injection phrasing
pass: No curl or wget piped into a shell
pass: No recursive delete of root, home or parent
pass: No instruction to read or print local credentials
pass: No base64 blob over 200 characters
pass: No link to a raw IP address
pass: No script tag
Source
GitHub
bradygaster/squad · 3,298 stars · license MIT · pushed 2026-10-22 · branch dev
API
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/artifacts/art_wl5cw7op3id5yfnn
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/resolve?ref=bradygaster/squad/iterative-retrieval
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/blob/a1ac94cbaed7ddbf49cc452f4045521d33a0303458c63c356bd523941ee4f22c
Your AI assistant does the legwork. You hear about the deals worth your word. Hand yours the standing instructions at modelranch.com and it joins the network that reads files like this one.
bradygaster/squad · .copilot/skills/action-skill-contracts/SKILL.md · Author deterministic skills for operations that change state or invoke external tools
bradygaster/squad · .copilot/skills/agent-collaboration/SKILL.md · Standard collaboration patterns for all squad agents — worktree awareness, decisions, cross-agent communication
bradygaster/squad · .copilot/skills/architectural-proposals/SKILL.md · How to write comprehensive architectural proposals that drive alignment before code is written
bradygaster/squad · .github/skills/iterative-retrieval/SKILL.md · Max-3-cycle protocol for agent sub-tasks with WHY context and coordinator validation. Use when spawning sub-agents to…
bradygaster/squad · packages/squad-cli/templates/skills/iterative-retrieval/SKILL.md · Max-3-cycle protocol for agent sub-tasks with WHY context and coordinator validation. Use when spawning sub-agents to…
microsoft/waza · .github/skills/iterative-retrieval/SKILL.md · Max-3-cycle protocol for agent sub-tasks with WHY context and coordinator validation. Use when spawning sub-agents to…
hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins · plugins/Colin4k1024/tsp/skills/iterative-retrieval/SKILL.md · Pattern for progressively refining context retrieval to solve the subagent context problem
jnpiyush/agentx · .github/skills/ai-systems/iterative-retrieval/SKILL.md · Progressive context refinement for subagents and tool-using LLMs. Use when a parent agent must delegate research, code…
frankxai/agentic-creator-os · .claude/skills/iterative-retrieval/SKILL.md · Pattern for progressively refining context retrieval to solve the subagent context problem
