detect-zero-iteration-failures

Detect Zero-Iteration Failures

This skill helps identify and properly categorize agent failures that occur before any task execution begins. These failures require system-level investigation rather than agent-level debugging.

When to Apply

Use this skill when analyzing agent task executions where:

1. Iteration count is 0 - The agent completed zero iterations
2. No tool usage - No tools were invoked during the execution
3. No artifacts created - No files, documents, or outputs were produced
4. Minimal or no conversation log - Only the user instruction exists, with no agent responses

Identification Checklist

Check the following indicators to confirm a zero-iteration failure:

[ ] Iterations reported: 0
[ ] Tool invocations: None
[ ] Files created: None  
[ ] Conversation turns: 1 (user instruction only)
[ ] Agent self-report: Indicates failure before execution began

Failure Categories

Zero-iteration failures typically indicate one of these pre-execution issues:

Category	Description	Investigation Focus
Initialization crash	Agent failed during setup	System logs, environment config
Environment issue	Missing dependencies or resources	Infrastructure, permissions
Prompt parsing error	Input could not be processed	Prompt format, encoding
Resource exhaustion	Quota or limits exceeded	System capacity, rate limits

Diagnostic Steps

Step 1: Verify Zero-Iteration Indicators

def is_zero_iteration_failure(execution_log):
    """Check if execution shows zero-iteration failure pattern."""
    indicators = {
        'iterations': execution_log.get('iterations', 0) == 0,
        'tools_used': len(execution_log.get('tool_calls', [])) == 0,
        'artifacts': len(execution_log.get('files_created', [])) == 0,
        'conversation_length': len(execution_log.get('messages', [])) <= 1
    }
    return all(indicators.values())

Step 2: Check System-Level Indicators

Look for these error patterns in system logs:

• Environment errors: Missing packages, permission denied, path not found
• Initialization errors: Connection failures, timeout during setup
• Resource errors: Memory exceeded, quota limits, rate limiting
• Parsing errors: Invalid JSON, encoding issues, malformed input

Step 3: Route Investigation Appropriately

IF zero-iteration failure detected:
    └── Do NOT debug agent logic or prompt instructions
    └── DO investigate:
        ├── System initialization logs
        ├── Environment configuration
        ├── Resource allocation and limits
        └── Input parsing and validation

Response Actions

For Analysts

1. Flag as system-level issue - Do not attribute to agent behavior
2. Check infrastructure health - Verify system components are operational
3. Review recent changes - Look for deployments, config updates, or quota changes
4. Escalate appropriately - Route to infrastructure/platform team, not agent developers

For Automated Systems

def categorize_failure(execution_log):
    """Categorize failure type for routing."""
    if is_zero_iteration_failure(execution_log):
        return {
            'category': 'PRE_EXECUTION_FAILURE',
            'severity': 'HIGH',
            'investigation_team': 'INFRASTRUCTURE',
            'agent_debug_required': False,
            'recommended_actions': [
                'Check system initialization logs',
                'Verify environment configuration',
                'Review resource quotas and limits',
                'Validate input parsing pipeline'
            ]
        }
    else:
        return {
            'category': 'EXECUTION_FAILURE',
            'severity': 'MEDIUM',
            'investigation_team': 'AGENT_DEVELOPMENT',
            'agent_debug_required': True
        }

Example Analysis

Zero-Iteration Failure Example:

Task ID: 69a8ef86-phase1
Iterations: 0
Tools Used: None
Files Created: None
Messages: [User instruction only]
Agent Report: "Failed before executing any iterations"

Analysis: PRE_EXECUTION_FAILURE
- No agent logic was executed
- Failure occurred during initialization
- Action: Investigate system environment, not agent prompts

Normal Execution Failure (for contrast):

Task ID: abc123
Iterations: 3
Tools Used: [read_file, write_file, shell_agent]
Files Created: [output.txt]
Messages: [User instruction, Agent response x3]
Agent Report: "Could not complete task due to X"

Analysis: EXECUTION_FAILURE
- Agent logic was executed
- Failure occurred during task performance
- Action: Debug agent reasoning and tool usage

Key Takeaways

1. Zero iterations = Pre-execution failure - The agent never got to work
2. System-level, not agent-level - Debug infrastructure, not prompts
3. High severity - Indicates potential systemic issues affecting multiple tasks
4. Distinct failure mode - Treat separately from normal execution failures