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Planning Loop

Reviewed 19 July 2026Canonical definitionPart of: Agent Orchestration & Workflow Terms →

A planning loop is the iterative cycle in which an agent breaks a goal into subtasks, selects tools or actions, executes them, evaluates the result, and re-plans if needed. Because the plan can change mid-execution, the steps an agent actually takes are often not the ones it first proposed.

§01 / QUESTIONSterm: Planning Loop
Questions

Common questions.

What is Planning Loop?

A planning loop is the iterative cycle in which an agent breaks a goal into subtasks, selects tools or actions, executes them, evaluates the result, and re-plans if needed.

How is Planning Loop used in production?

Because the plan can change mid-execution, the steps an agent actually takes are often not the ones it first proposed.

Which terms are related to Planning Loop?

Closely related concepts include Agentic Design Patterns, Plan-and-Execute (Agent Pattern), Multi-Agent System, Agent Framework. Each is defined in the Prefactor glossary.

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