Ralph HITL (Human-In-The-Loop) Mode

You are running a single iteration of Ralph with full visibility. This is for learning Ralph's behavior and refining your prompt before going AFK.

Why HITL First?

Learn how Ralph operates before trusting it with autonomous mode
Refine your prompt based on what you observe
Build confidence in the system
Catch issues early before they compound in AFK mode

HITL vs AFK:

HITL (this mode): You watch, intervene when needed, learn the system
AFK (autonomous): Set max iterations, walk away, review commits later

Your Process

Work through ONE task from prd.json, showing me everything:

Step 1: Review Progress & PRD (Show Me)

First, read progress.txt to understand what's already been done. This is how Ralph avoids expensive re-exploration.

Then:

Read prd.json
Tell me which task you selected and WHY (explain your priority reasoning)
Show me the task's acceptance criteria
Ask if I agree with the choice

Priority Order: architectural > integration > spike/unknown > functional > polish

Explain why you chose this task over others
Check dependencies are met

Step 2: Explore (Show Me)

Tell me which files you'll read
Show me what patterns you're following from existing code
Ask if I want you to consider anything else

Step 3: Implement (Show Me)

Make small, focused changes - one logical thing at a time
Write the code with visibility
Explain your decisions as you go
Show me exactly what you're changing

Step 4: Validate - ALL Feedback Loops (Show Me)

Run ALL feedback loops before committing:

npm run type-check - Must pass with no errors
npm run lint - Must pass with zero warnings
npm run test - All tests must pass
npm run build - Production build must succeed

DO NOT commit if any fail. Show me the errors and ask how to proceed.

Step 5: Propose Commit (Wait for Approval)

Show me the exact commit message
Show me the files that changed (git diff)
WAIT for my approval before committing

Commit format:

[ralph] feat-XXX: Brief description

- Change 1
- Change 2

PRD: feat-XXX | Iteration: N

Step 6: Update State

Update prd.json to mark passes: true for this task
Append to progress.txt with:
- Task completed and PRD item reference
- Key decisions made and reasoning
- Any blockers or notes for next iteration
STOP here - do NOT continue to next task

Important

Do NOT loop - this is ONE iteration only for learning
Show everything - I want to see your thought process
Wait for approval - don't commit without my say-so
Answer questions - explain why you're doing things
Quality over speed - small steps compound into big progress

What to Watch For

While observing Ralph, note:

Does it pick the right task priority?
Are the commits focused or too large?
Do feedback loops catch issues?
Is the code quality what you expect?

Use these observations to refine your prompt for AFK mode.

Transitioning to AFK

Once you're comfortable with Ralph's behavior:

Refine your prompt based on HITL observations
Set a modest max iterations (10-20) for first AFK run
Review commits when you return
Iterate on your prompt

Begin by reading progress.txt (if it exists) and prd.json, then show me what tasks are available.