Run agents, automations and loops

Understand a loop case and follow its result

A loop is a recurring workflow with steps, checks, branches and possible waits. A case is one occurrence of that workflow: one input and its progress towards an outcome. Inspecting a case helps you see whether work ran, is waiting for something or stopped, instead of assuming that an active loop has completed every job successfully.

Contents

The Portal is your Mind's web interface. In Agents, open the intended loop and then its case. Your connected agent can also inspect the loop and case through the tools your account is allowed to use.

Check the loop version and why the case started

Read the case identity, start reason, loop version and current status. A case belongs to the definition it started with. A newly approved successor is not a reason to assume that an already-running case used the new steps.

Separate the loop's status from its rollout. An approved loop can still be in shadow mode. Build your first loop explains approval and activation as different decisions.

Follow the steps that were recorded

The timeline shows recorded node outcomes, available outputs, checks and retries. Some output may be hidden because it is outside your access. Read a row's own label to distinguish an action recorded without execution from one that ran.

Shadow mode does not mean that nothing happens: read-only steps and quality checks can really run, and model checks may incur cost. The timeline does not record every possible detail. Per-step timestamps, per-step activity references and an explicit continuation decision may be absent; their absence is not evidence of a successful action.

Understand a waiting case

A wait can be for an event or a person's answer. Read its question, offered choices and due time where supplied. Answer only the specific request through its supported controls. Then inspect the same case again: an accepted answer allows further processing, but does not prove that later steps completed.

An expired wait, a failed check or an escalation needs its recorded reason. Review what needs your attention explains the Inbox that brings these requests together.

A wait pauses one case at a named point

An answer and a completed outcome are different observations.

A case reaches a step that needs an event or a person’s answer. It waits with a recorded reason and deadline where supplied. An accepted answer or matching event lets processing continue; inspect the same case to see what happened next. A timeout or failed check can stop or escalate it. Do not infer completion from the answer alone.

Check the outcome against the intended work

When a case finishes, read its outcome and supporting output. If it proposed a file change, inspect the proposal and current saved source. A successful node or a finished case is useful evidence about execution; it does not establish that its business conclusion is true.

If the same error recurs, keep the case reference and the correction you made. Correct a loop explains how those examples support a reviewed replacement rather than repeated manual repair.

Related

Build your first recurring workflow with a loop · Answer a loop exception and correct repeated mistakes · Review what needs your attention · Control agent autonomy, budgets and access

Practical guides for people and agents

Start with one useful job

Join the waitlist

Plain text for AI agents. Same content as the human page.

## For agents

- What Mensara is: it gives a team its own Mind, one shared memory for the team and their AI agents, built by Xanadu Labs LLC.
- Status: signup is not open. A person joins the waitlist at https://app.mensara.ai/#waitlist. Agents cannot create an account or sign up.
- How you can help your person: explain what Mensara does, check whether it fits a job their team repeats, and share the waitlist link.
- Agent references: https://app.mensara.ai/llms.txt lists every page as Markdown and the tool input references for connected agents.

---

# Understand a loop case and follow its result

Guides · Run agents, automations and loops · [How it works](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works)

A loop is a recurring workflow with steps, checks, branches and possible waits. A case is one occurrence of that workflow: one input and its progress towards an outcome. Inspecting a case helps you see whether work ran, is waiting for something or stopped, instead of assuming that an active loop has completed every job successfully.

[Page as Markdown](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/loop-cases.md)

[Operating procedure](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/inspect-loop-case-procedure)

The Portal is your Mind's web interface. In **Agents**, open the intended loop and then its case. Your connected agent can also inspect the loop and case through the tools your account is allowed to use.

## Check the loop version and why the case started

Read the case identity, start reason, loop version and current status. A case belongs to the definition it started with. A newly approved successor is not a reason to assume that an already-running case used the new steps.

Separate the loop's status from its rollout. An approved loop can still be in shadow mode. [Build your first loop](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/first-loop) explains approval and activation as different decisions.

## Follow the steps that were recorded

The timeline shows recorded node outcomes, available outputs, checks and retries. Some output may be hidden because it is outside your access. Read a row's own label to distinguish an action recorded without execution from one that ran.

Shadow mode does not mean that nothing happens: read-only steps and quality checks can really run, and model checks may incur cost. The timeline does not record every possible detail. Per-step timestamps, per-step activity references and an explicit continuation decision may be absent; their absence is not evidence of a successful action.

## Understand a waiting case

A wait can be for an event or a person's answer. Read its question, offered choices and due time where supplied. Answer only the specific request through its supported controls. Then inspect the same case again: an accepted answer allows further processing, but does not prove that later steps completed.

An expired wait, a failed check or an escalation needs its recorded reason. [Review what needs your attention](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/review-attention) explains the Inbox that brings these requests together.

### A wait pauses one case at a named point

An answer and a completed outcome are different observations.

A case reaches a step that needs an event or a person’s answer. It waits with a recorded reason and deadline where supplied. An accepted answer or matching event lets processing continue; inspect the same case to see what happened next. A timeout or failed check can stop or escalate it. Do not infer completion from the answer alone.

## Check the outcome against the intended work

When a case finishes, read its outcome and supporting output. If it proposed a file change, inspect the proposal and current saved source. A successful node or a finished case is useful evidence about execution; it does not establish that its business conclusion is true.

If the same error recurs, keep the case reference and the correction you made. [Correct a loop](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/correct-a-loop) explains how those examples support a reviewed replacement rather than repeated manual repair.

## Related

- [Build your first recurring workflow with a loop](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/first-loop)
- [Answer a loop exception and correct repeated mistakes](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/correct-a-loop)
- [Review what needs your attention](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/review-attention)
- [Control agent autonomy, budgets and access](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/control-agent-autonomy)

Previous page: [Build your first recurring workflow with a loop](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/first-loop)

Next page: [Answer a loop exception and correct repeated mistakes](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/correct-a-loop)

A loop exception is a case that needs information, a person's decision or attention after a failed check.

[Join the waitlist](https://app.mensara.ai/#waitlist)