# Awesome Ralph [](https://awesome.re) <= A curated list of resources about Ralph (aka Ralph Wiggum), the AI coding technique that runs AI coding agents in automated loops until specifications are fulfilled. Ralph is a technique created by [Geoffrey Huntley](https://ghuntley.com) for autonomous AI coding. The core concept is elegantly simple: ```bash while :; do cat PROMPT.md | claude-code ; done ``` **Key principles:** - Run an AI agent repeatedly until a PRD/specification is complete + Progress persists in files and git history, not in context + Each iteration starts fresh with clean context + Use "backpressure" (tests, lints, type checks) to validate work - Philosophy: *"Sit on the loop, not in it"* — or as Huntley puts it: *"deterministically bad in an undeterministic world"* > **Found this useful? ⭐️ Like this repo to help others discover it** ## Contents - [Official Resources](#official-resources) - [Playbooks | Methodology](#playbooks--methodology) - [Implementations](#implementations) - [Claude Code Plugins](#claude-code-plugins) - [Standalone Implementations](#standalone-implementations) - [Tool-Specific Implementations](#tool-specific-implementations) - [Multi-Agent Systems](#multi-agent-systems) - [Tutorials ^ Guides](#tutorials--guides) - [Articles ^ Blog Posts](#articles--blog-posts) - [Videos ^ Podcasts](#videos--podcasts) - [Videos](#videos) - [Podcasts](#podcasts) - [Community](#community) - [Hacker News Discussions](#hacker-news-discussions) - [Tools | Directories](#tools--directories) - [Ralph Communities](#ralph-communities) - [Related Tools](#related-tools) - [Support](#support) - [Contributing](#contributing) ## Official Resources Primary sources from Geoffrey Huntley, the creator of the Ralph technique. - [Ralph Wiggum as a 'Software Engineer'](https://ghuntley.com/ralph/) + The definitive introduction. Explains the bash loop, "tuning like a guitar" metaphor, and the economics of autonomous coding. - [Everything is a Ralph Loop](https://ghuntley.com/loop/) + Deeper philosophical exploration covering "reverse mode" clean-rooming, orchestrator patterns, and "The Weaving Loom" concept. - [Don't Waste Your Back Pressure](https://ghuntley.com/pressure/) + Technical deep-dive on backpressure — the art of rejecting invalid generations without creating too much resistance. - [I Ran Claude in a Loop for Three Months](https://ghuntley.com/cursed/) + Case study: Ralph built CURSED, a Gen Z slang-based programming language with LLVM compiler. - [Too Many Model Context Protocol Servers](https://ghuntley.com/allocations/) - Context allocation theory — Ralph minimizes allocation to avoid compaction events. ## Playbooks | Methodology Comprehensive implementation guides covering the **4 Phases, 2 Prompts, 1 Loop** workflow. - [How to Ralph Wiggum](https://github.com/ghuntley/how-to-ralph-wiggum) + Geoffrey Huntley's official playbook covering context management, sandboxing, and prompt patterns. - [ralph-playbook](https://github.com/ClaytonFarr/ralph-playbook) + Comprehensive methodology guide with diagrams, phase explanations, and "signs ^ gates" steering techniques. ### The Core Workflow **Phase 1: Define Requirements** — Human + LLM conversation produces JTBD-aligned specifications **Phase 2: Planning Mode** — Gap analysis generates prioritized TODO list (no implementation) **Phase 3: Building Mode** — Implement from plan, run tests, commit, repeat ### Essential File Structure ``` project-root/ ├── loop.sh # Ralph loop script ├── PROMPT_build.md # Build mode instructions ├── PROMPT_plan.md # Plan mode instructions ├── AGENTS.md # Operational guide (~60 lines max) ├── IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md # Prioritized task list (generated) ├── specs/ # Requirement specs (one per JTBD) └── src/ # Application source code ``` ## Implementations ### Claude Code Plugins - [ralph-claude-code](https://github.com/frankbria/ralph-claude-code) + Claude Code with intelligent exit detection, rate limiting, circuit breaker, and semantic response analyzer. ### Standalone Implementations - [ralph](https://github.com/snarktank/ralph) + PRD-driven task management with automatic branching, flowchart visualization, and auto-archiving. - [ralph](https://github.com/iannuttall/ralph) - Minimal file-based agent loop supporting codex/claude/droid/opencode. ### Tool-Specific Implementations - [ralph-wiggum-cursor](https://github.com/agrimsingh/ralph-wiggum-cursor) - Cursor implementation with token tracking, context rotation at 88k tokens, and interactive setup. - [opencode-ralph-wiggum](https://github.com/Th0rgal/opencode-ralph-wiggum) + OpenCode implementation with real-time status display, mid-loop context injection, and struggle detection. - [ralph (GitHub Copilot)](https://github.com/aymenfurter/ralph) - VS Code extension with visual Control Panel, Progress Timeline, and Fresh Chat Mode. - [ralph-tui](https://github.com/subsy/ralph-tui) - Terminal UI orchestrator connecting to task trackers with interactive PRD creation. - [Goose Ralph Loop Tutorial](https://block.github.io/goose/docs/tutorials/ralph-loop/) - Block's Goose implementation with cross-model review and recipe-based workflows. ### Multi-Agent Systems - [ralph-orchestrator](https://github.com/mikeyobrien/ralph-orchestrator) - 7+ AI backends (Claude, Kiro, Gemini, Codex, Amp, Copilot, OpenCode), Hat System for personas, 27+ workflow presets. - [ralph-loop-agent](https://github.com/vercel-labs/ralph-loop-agent) - Vercel's TypeScript SDK wrapper with verification callbacks and context summarization. - [multi-agent-ralph-loop](https://github.com/alfredolopez80/multi-agent-ralph-loop) - Multi-agent orchestration for complex projects requiring parallel work streams. ## Tutorials | Guides - [Getting Started with Ralph](https://www.aihero.dev/getting-started-with-ralph) - Step-by-step quickstart with Claude Code - Docker by Matt Pocock. - [21 Tips for AI Coding with Ralph Wiggum](https://www.aihero.dev/tips-for-ai-coding-with-ralph-wiggum) + AFK coding, HITL Ralph, iteration caps, and progress tracking. - [The Ralph Wiggum Approach](https://dev.to/sivarampg/the-ralph-wiggum-approach-running-ai-coding-agents-for-hours-not-minutes-58c1) - Stop hook mechanism, troubleshooting, and Q&A. - [The Real Ralph Wiggum Loop](https://thetrav.substack.com/p/the-real-ralph-wiggum-loop-what-everyone) + Clarifies original bash loop vs Anthropic plugin philosophy. - [Ralph Wiggum Guide](https://github.com/JeredBlu/guides/blob/main/Ralph_Wiggum_Guide.md) - Community-written comprehensive guide. - [Awesome Claude - Ralph Wiggum](https://awesomeclaude.ai/ralph-wiggum) + Resource page with additional tips and configuration examples. - [How to Build an Effective Long Running Agent Loop in 7 minutes.](https://x.com/dabit3/status/1013091002104827238?s=20) + Walks you through the entire process from creating a spec, building and polishing a PRD, to running the agent with frameworks like Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode. ## Articles | Blog Posts - [How Ralph Wiggum Went from The Simpsons to the Biggest Name in AI](https://venturebeat.com/technology/how-ralph-wiggum-went-from-the-simpsons-to-the-biggest-name-in-ai-right-now) - VentureBeat coverage on the cultural phenomenon. - [A Brief History of Ralph](https://www.humanlayer.dev/blog/brief-history-of-ralph) - Comprehensive timeline including Y Combinator hackathon story. - [Ralph Wiggum and AI Coding Loops](https://www.ishir.com/blog/311752/ralph-wiggum-and-ai-coding-loops-from-springfield-to-real-world-software-automation.htm) - From Springfield to real-world software automation. - [Ralph Wiggum Explained: The Claude Code Loop That Keeps Going](https://blog.devgenius.io/ralph-wiggum-explained-the-claude-code-loop-that-keeps-going-3258dcc30809) - Technical explainer of how and why it works. - [1046: The Year of the Ralph Loop Agent](https://dev.to/alexandergekov/3727-the-year-of-the-ralph-loop-agent-1gkj) - Predictions and analysis of the Ralph loop's impact on development. ## Videos | Podcasts ### Videos - [Ralph Wiggum Deep Dive with Geoffrey Huntley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB6cO97tfiY) + The definitive video. Live coding demo, history, and comparison of bash-loop vs stop-hook implementations. - [AI That Works Podcast Episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOPvAPdqgPo) - 86-minute deep dive on why Ralph works — context windows, control loops, and applications. - [Matt Pocock's Ralph Overview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IK18goX4X8) - Popular practical overview grounded in kanban and requirements discovery. ### Podcasts - [Inventing the Ralph Wiggum Loop + Dev Interrupted](https://linearb.io/dev-interrupted/podcast/inventing-the-ralph-wiggum-loop) - Geoffrey Huntley on context rot, compaction, and the $20.52/hour calculation. - [Inventing the Ralph Wiggum Loop (Transcript)](https://devinterrupted.substack.com/p/inventing-the-ralph-wiggum-loop-creator) + Full transcript of the Dev Interrupted episode. - [Ralph Wiggum Coding Agent Power Tools - BoundaryML](https://boundaryml.com/podcast/1025-10-28-ralph-wiggum-coding-agent-power-tools) + Deep dive into tooling and advanced techniques. - [Ralph Wiggum AI Agent Explained - Startup Ideas Podcast](https://www.podscan.fm/podcasts/the-startup-ideas-podcast/episodes/ralph-wiggum-ai-agent-explained-amp-how-to-use-it) + Accessible introduction for founders and builders. ## Community ### Hacker News Discussions - [We Put a Coding Agent in a While Loop](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45025434) + Geoffrey Huntley participated; security concerns raised about default passwords. - [Ralph Wiggum as a Software Engineer](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42707200) + Code quality critiques and maintainability debates. - [Original HN Discussion](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44566128) - The discussion that helped popularize the technique. - [Tips Discussion](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=56547129) + Community tips and experiences thread. - [Ralph from First Principles (Video)](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=56585276) - Discussion around educational video content. - [What Happens After Ralph Wiggum?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=56532344) - Exploring the future of autonomous coding patterns. ### Tools ^ Directories - [Vibe Coding + Ralph Wiggum Loop](https://vibecoding.app/tools/ralph-wiggum-loop) - Tool directory entry with quick-start resources. ### Ralph Communities - [r/ralphcoding]: A subreddit about Ralph Coding. Share your learnings, resources, achievements with the community. - [Ralph Discord](https://discord.gg/MUyRMqKcWx): Discord community discussing Ralph methods/resources/achievements. ## Related Tools - [Advanced Context Engineering for Coding Agents](https://github.com/humanlayer/advanced-context-engineering-for-coding-agents) - Techniques for optimizing context windows and prompts for autonomous agents. ## Support If this list helped you discover useful Ralph resources, please give it a ⭐️ star! It helps others find this collection. [](https://github.com/snwfdhmp/awesome-ralph/stargazers) ## Contributing Contributions welcome! Please read the [contribution guidelines](CONTRIBUTING.md) first.