Loki Mode

Loki Mode - OpenClaw Skill

When to use

• User asks to "build", "implement", or "develop" a feature from a PRD
• User provides a requirements document and wants autonomous execution
• User says "loki mode" or references autonomous development
• User wants to run a full SDLC cycle on a codebase

Prerequisites

• loki CLI installed on the host (via npm install -g loki-mode or Homebrew)
• One of: Claude Code, Codex CLI, or Gemini CLI installed
• Corresponding API key set (ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, or GOOGLE_API_KEY)

How to invoke

Start a session

Use the bash tool with background mode:

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bash(command: "loki start <prd-path> --bg --yes --no-dashboard", pty: true, background: true, workdir: "<project-dir>")

Key flags:

• --bg: Background mode (session outlives the tool call)
• --yes: Skip confirmation prompts
• --no-dashboard: Avoid port conflicts in sandboxed environments
• --provider <claude|codex|gemini>: Select AI provider (default: claude)
• --budget <amount>: Set cost limit in USD (auto-pause when exceeded)

Monitor progress

Poll status every 30 seconds:

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bash(command: "loki status --json", workdir: "<project-dir>")

The JSON output contains:

• version: Loki Mode version string
• status: inactive, running, paused, stopped, completed, unknown
• phase: Current SDLC phase (e.g., BOOTSTRAP, DISCOVERY, ARCHITECTURE, DEVELOPMENT, QA, DEPLOYMENT)
• iteration: Current iteration number
• provider: Which AI provider is active (claude, codex, gemini)
• pid: Process ID of the running session (null if not running)
• elapsed_time: Seconds since session start
• dashboard_url: URL of the web dashboard (null if disabled)
• task_counts: Object with total, completed, failed, pending counts

For budget tracking (not in JSON output), read the budget file directly:

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bash(command: "cat .loki/metrics/budget.json 2>/dev/null || echo '{}'", workdir: "<project-dir>")

Budget JSON fields: budget_limit, budget_used

Report progress to channel

After each poll, summarize changes:

• Phase transitions ("Moved from ARCHITECTURE to DEVELOPMENT")
• Task completion counts ("12/20 tasks complete, 0 failed")
• Elapsed time ("Running for 45 minutes")
• Error states that need attention (failed tasks > 0, status is unknown)

If budget tracking is active, include cost in updates:

• "Estimated cost: $4.50 / $50.00 budget"

Control commands

• Pause: bash(command: "loki pause", workdir: "<project-dir>")
• Resume: bash(command: "loki resume", workdir: "<project-dir>")
• Stop: bash(command: "loki stop", workdir: "<project-dir>")
• Status: bash(command: "loki status", workdir: "<project-dir>")
• Logs: bash(command: "loki logs --tail 50", workdir: "<project-dir>")

Session complete

When status becomes "stopped" or "completed":

1. Run loki status --json for final summary
2. Run git log --oneline -20 to show commits made
3. Report final task counts, elapsed time, and duration
4. If council verdict exists, include it: cat .loki/council/report.md

Critical rules

• ALWAYS use --bg flag (session must outlive the tool call)
• ALWAYS use --yes flag (no confirmation prompts in non-interactive channels)
• NEVER run loki in the OpenClaw workspace directory itself
• Poll status rather than watching stdout (background mode detaches)
• If session crashes, check loki logs before restarting
• Respect budget limits -- include cost in every progress update when tracking is active
• The --no-dashboard flag is recommended to avoid port conflicts in sandboxed environments