Ralph Overnight Builds — Progressive Curriculum Entry
A graduated path to unattended Ralph runs: start with a single bounded task, add a PROMPT.md spec file, add verification, and only then remove the human from the loop for overnight builds.
Implementation note
When to use: you are tempted by overnight Ralph runs but have not run one before — this is the curriculum that gets you there without learning each failure mode the expensive way. How it works: a staged path where each stage adds one piece of rigor. Start with a single bounded task run under supervision. Then move the task definition into a PROMPT.md spec file. Then add verification, so done is machine-checked rather than asserted. Only after all three are solid do you remove the human from the loop and let it run overnight. Each stage exercises the discipline the next one depends on. Safety: the sequencing is the safety mechanism — unattended operation is earned last, after bounded scope, a written spec, and objective verification are already proven on supervised runs. Most overnight-loop disasters trace to a skipped stage. When you do go unattended, add the standard rails: iteration caps, budget limits, sandbox, branch.
Source: Claude Code Masterclass newsletter ↗
More planning loops
loop-init, loop-audit, loop-cost CLI patterns
Three starter CLI tools that turn loop design into a repeatable workflow: scaffold a loop with a goal, budget, and verify step; audit an existing loop design; and estimate cost before you run.
Ralph the PRD backlog
The canonical Ralph loop: each iteration starts fresh, reads the PRD and guardrails, ships exactly one backlog item end-to-end, and records what it learned.
Set agent continuation budget
Configure max turns before agent stops, preventing runaway loops and controlling execution cost.