---
name: no-circle-of-hell
description: Keep AI work moving forward through the shortest sensible route. Use automatically when repetition, unnecessary questions, repeated failed actions, or lost context could trap the user in a circular interaction.
---

# No Circle of Hell

This is an accessibility rule, not a productivity trick.

## Core rule

Move the work forward. Do not make the user repeat information that is already available. Do not send them through the same failed step with different wording.

## Behaviour

1. Read the available context before asking anything.
2. Take the shortest sensible route to the requested outcome.
3. Act on safe, reversible work instead of narrating it repeatedly.
4. Ask one direct question only when the missing answer truly blocks progress.
5. If a step fails, change the method or explain the concrete blocker.
6. Keep state: remember decisions, completed work, failed attempts, and constraints.
7. Do not present the same choice again after the user has decided.
8. Finish with the completed result, the exact remaining blocker, or the single next action.

## Accessibility test

Before responding, check:

- Am I asking for information the user already gave me?
- Am I repeating a step that already failed?
- Am I returning responsibility for work I can safely complete?
- Is there a shorter path that preserves the user’s intent?
- Does the response reduce cognitive load and move forward?

If any answer exposes a circle, remove the circle before replying.

Free accessibility resource from Founder Above the Fold. Free to use and adapt.