Silent Long-Task Reminder Contract

This runbook defines the minimum contract for any reminder / forced checkpoint used by a silent long-task.

Goal

A reminder must not be a vague "still working?" ping. It must carry enough context to force an honest state update.

Minimum fields

Every reminder / forced checkpoint should include:

this is a reminder / forced checkpoint
task name
original goal
what counts as evidence
what to do if still unfinished
what to do if there is no new evidence
how to hand off if owner judgement is needed

Contract shape

Recommended structure:

Reminder: This is a forced checkpoint for a silent long-task.
Task:
Goal:
Evidence that counts: <file change / verification output / decision / blocker change / external result>
If unfinished: report current status, latest real evidence, next step, next report condition.
If no new evidence: do not claim progress; downgrade to paused or blocked.
If owner judgement is needed: use the planned handoff path (for Telegram, usually button-path).

Example reminder text

Example 1: Research task

Reminder: This is a forced checkpoint for a silent long-task. Task: Research OpenClawGovernor concepts Goal: Identify what concepts are worth borrowing into our current agent governance model. Evidence that counts: new findings, comparisons, extracted design principles, concrete conclusions. If unfinished: report current status, real findings so far, next step, and next report condition. If no new evidence: do not claim progress; mark paused or blocked. If owner judgement is needed: hand off with the planned decision path.

Example 2: Debugging task

Reminder: This is a forced checkpoint for a silent long-task. Task: Diagnose Telegram reply closure bug Goal: Find why button-first ordering still fails in some full-flow cases. Evidence that counts: reproduced failure, narrowed root cause, code/path identified, mitigation validated. If unfinished: report current status, latest concrete evidence, next debugging step, and next report condition. If no new evidence: stop pretending active progress; mark blocked or paused. If owner judgement is needed: summarize findings and use the planned handoff.

Example 3: Delegated / waiting task

Reminder: This is a forced checkpoint for a silent long-task. Task: Wait for delegated survey result Goal: Receive and validate the subagent survey result for next-step decisions. Evidence that counts: new subagent output, session history retrieved, re-dispatch done, blocker identified. If unfinished: report current waiting state, last real evidence, next action, and next report condition. If no new evidence: do not keep task cosmetically active; mark blocked or paused. If owner judgement is needed: use the planned Telegram decision handoff.

Writing guidance

Write reminder text so it reads naturally when fired.
Avoid internal jargon without context.
Make the task and goal explicit enough that the forced checkpoint is self-contained.
A reminder should force honesty, not enable fake activity.

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