Skill Routing Evaluation Loop
Test whether tasks are matched to the right methodology or agent skill before adding automatic routing.
What this Loop Engineering template does
Evaluate whether a set of example tasks routes to the intended methodology skills with an acceptable accuracy and clear fallback behavior.
Use a small labeled test set before trusting automatic routing. Include ambiguous tasks and expected none/fallback cases.
When to use it
When not to use it
Validation checks
Boundaries & stop rule
Copy the loop prompt
/goal Evaluate whether a set of example tasks routes to the intended methodology skills with an acceptable accuracy and clear fallback behavior.Task type: CustomTarget tool: Generic AgentWork toward this goal until all validation checks pass or the stop rule is reached.Design hypothesis:This skill routing evaluation loop can produce a safer result if the scope stays narrow, validation is explicit, and a checker can reject shortcut work.Smallest useful run:Run one bounded pass on the newest relevant signal before expanding scope or adding a schedule.Loop cycle:1. Discovery — Read the latest signal for this template before acting: CI output, issue detail, review comment, dataset report, or content brief.2. Handoff — Hand the work to one agent in an isolated branch, worktree, or clearly scoped session. Keep final approval with a human.3. Verification — Use an independent review pass to confirm the result, inspect the diff or artifact, and reject shortcut work.4. Persistence — Save a short run note with the signal reviewed, actions taken, validation result, and next recommended step.5. Scheduling — Run manually until the loop is reliable; only then consider a scheduled or event-triggered run.Context:Use a small labeled test set before trusting automatic routing. Include ambiguous tasks and expected none/fallback cases.Validation:At least 10 labeled routing cases are testedExpected and actual skill choices are comparedAmbiguous cases have a fallbackAccuracy and failure reasons are summarizedValidation evidence:Record the original signal, checks run, final result, changed files or artifacts, and any checker rejection.Independent checker:Use an independent review pass to confirm the result, inspect the diff or artifact, and reject shortcut work.Boundaries:Do not route high-stakes work without human overrideDo not hide ambiguous matchesDo not optimize only for accuracy while ignoring unsafe matchesDo not add a skill to routing until its checklist is clearStop rule:Stop when the routing test passes the chosen threshold or after 3 prompt revisions.Maximum iterations: 3Budget:Example only: stop before exceeding the agreed per-run token budget.Human approval:Required before merge, deploy, delete, purchase, or external communication.Fallback:If routing is unreliable, require manual skill selection and improve skill descriptions before retrying.Loop Validation Log:- Hypothesis: This skill routing evaluation loop can produce a safer result if the scope stays narrow, validation is explicit, and a checker can reject shortcut work.- Smallest useful run: Run one bounded pass on the newest relevant signal before expanding scope or adding a schedule.- Expected evidence: Record the original signal, checks run, final result, changed files or artifacts, and any checker rejection.- Actual evidence: [fill in after the run]- Passed? [yes / no / partial]- Feedback: After the run, note what the loop learned, what failed, and what should change before the next pass.- Next step: [stop / adjust the loop / run the next pass]Do not delete tests, bypass checks, or modify unrelated files just to satisfy the validation condition. If blocked, stop and summarize the blocker, attempted fixes, and recommended next action.
Failure modes to watch
Review receipt
This is a bounded review exercise for the template, not a claim about a production deployment.
Scenario
A router must choose among research, spreadsheet, browser, and general coding skills for twenty labeled requests.
Baseline evidence
The evaluation freezes the skill descriptions, labeled task set, expected route or abstention, scoring rule, and baseline router output before prompt changes.
Validation result
The revised router improves correct selection without reducing abstention on unsupported tasks, and every changed error is listed rather than hidden inside an aggregate score.
Shortcut rejected
Adding task phrases from the test set directly to routing rules or reporting only average accuracy is rejected as leakage and incomplete evidence.
Human gate
A maintainer reviews harmful false routes and decides whether the sample covers real traffic well enough to change production routing.
Loop Engineering FAQ
Automatic routing can be useful, but it should be tested first. A wrong method can produce confident but badly framed work.