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Goal Mode

Goal mode is Inferoa's loop-engineering surface for recursive long-horizon work. Run /goal to define the outcome once; Inferoa keeps inspecting, changing, testing, reflecting, and continuing until the work is proven.

Use it when a task may span multiple turns, context compaction, tool failures, verification passes, or a later resumed session.

When To Use It​

Use goal mode when the desired outcome is clear but the work is long:

  • the agent needs to keep working until an objective is complete;
  • progress needs an internal checklist, evidence, and status;
  • completion should not depend on a single assistant turn;
  • you want the session to preserve the objective across interruptions.

Do not use goal mode as a substitute for planning ambiguous scope. If the task needs approval before edits begin, start with Plan mode.

Basic Commands​

/goal Improve the docs site and verify the Docusaurus build.
/goal set Improve the docs site and verify the Docusaurus build.
/goal explicit Improve the docs site and verify the Docusaurus build.
/goal show
/goal budget 200000
/goal plan
/goal complete
/goal pause
/goal resume
/goal drop

Auto And Explicit Strategy​

Bare /goal starts in auto mode. Inferoa first runs Horizon 0 orientation, then infers whether the goal should be surgical, opportunistic, or campaign-shaped.

Use /goal explicit when you want to choose the strategy before the objective starts. Explicit mode is useful when you already know the goal should stay narrow, explore nearby high-value work, or run as a longer campaign.

How It Works​

The active goal stores:

  • the original objective;
  • an internal goal plan and step status;
  • the current horizon, starting with visible Horizon 0 orientation;
  • an inferred or explicit strategy (surgical, opportunistic, or campaign);
  • a candidate ledger of open, completed, and rejected work;
  • notes and structured evidence;
  • token, tool, and time usage;
  • the latest internal reflection decision.

The agent should keep step status and evidence current while working. An empty checklist is not enough to finish the goal.

Reflection And Completion​

When the current horizon appears exhausted, Inferoa runs an internal reflection. Reflection steps back from the current plan and asks whether more work is needed to satisfy the original objective.

Reflection has a hard stop condition: it only expands the horizon when the new work has substantive impact on the original objective. Otherwise it records decision=done with verification evidence. If completion cannot proceed without user input or an external state change, it records decision=blocked.

For broad goals, completion is also gated by the candidate ledger. If a reflection says done while high-value candidates remain open, Inferoa expands the next horizon instead of silently finishing.

Goal completion is gated by reflection. A visible /goal complete cannot bypass unfinished internal steps or the latest reflection requirement. A goal is not done because the checklist is empty; it is done after reflection records evidence-backed completion.

Relationship To Other Modes​

Use Plan mode before goal mode when the scope needs approval. Use Autoresearch mode inside or alongside a goal when the work depends on repeated measurement.