Loop

An open-source operator desk for self-updating agent skills. Track sources, refresh with research agents, version every change with immutable diffs. "Skills that never go stale."

• Site: https://loooop.dev
• Repo: https://github.com/Kevin-Liu-01/loop
• Tagline: "Skills that never go stale"
• Launched: 2026-04-27
• GitHub signal: pinned public TypeScript repo, MIT license, 13 stars, 2 forks as of 2026-07-03; default branch main at c5a62a5ae0805ed71218703f22e1589f6145fb7c; no public tags returned by git ls-remote; deployment verified 200 at https://loooop.dev. Source: GitHub API, git ls-remote, curl -I, 2026-07-03

What It Does

Loop lets you track, browse, refresh, and version agent skills from external sources. Skills go stale as APIs version, docs restructure, and best practices shift - Loop treats them like living documents. You attach sources to a skill (docs, changelogs, repos, release notes, RSS feeds), set a refresh cadence, and Loop runs a research agent to scan those sources, evaluate what shifted, and write a new immutable version with a full before/after diff. No silent overwrites - every refresh is a versioned snapshot with complete audit trail. Source: loooop.dev, 2026-04-27

Point any agent at the raw endpoint (e.g. https://loooop.dev/api/skills/frontend-frontier/raw) and it always fetches the latest version kept current by the daily or weekly cron.

Loop's file-backed skill model matters because coding agents can update files with normal repository mechanics: inspect, patch, diff, validate, and commit. That makes the skill catalog an editable source tree, not a passive prompt database. Source: X/@zachlloydtweets reply, 2026-06-17

The current README describes Loop as "an operator desk for agent skills that tracks sources, refreshes changes, and keeps every diff inspectable." The catalog now has 100+ verified skills, with many at v16 through v21 after weeks of autonomous refreshes. The project thesis is explicit: agent skills should improve while Kevin sleeps, not decay while he forgets. Source: loop README, 2026-06-18

Launch Artifact Review

The April 28 launch screenshot set is the strongest compact proof of the product surface. The hero says "Skills that never go stale" and shows diff cards as the value proof. The catalog view shows 111 skills in the catalog and 45 tracked, with category tabs for A2A, Containers, Frontend, Infra, Ops, Security, SEO+GEO, and Social Systems, plus an automation calendar. The skill detail view shows version history, automation state, tabs for Studio/Content/Agent docs/Activity/Automations/Research/Sources, and a raw endpoint such as https://loooop.dev/api/skills/frontend-frontier/raw for agents to fetch the current skill. The run log modal shows the evidence trail: success, 139.5s, 11 sources, 94 signals, 20 steps, completion 11/11, and a revise_skill tool call with a before/after diff. Source: local launch image review, 2026-07-03

Core Jobs

1. Skill catalog - browse, import, create, fork, and track source-backed skills.
2. Auto-refresh - scheduled research agent scans tracked sources and live web signals, then writes a new version when evidence changes.
3. Version history - every refresh creates an immutable snapshot with summary, source scan, logs, and before/after diff.
4. MCP catalog - import and manage MCP servers (http and stdio) alongside skills; attach them to agents.
5. Agent sandbox / studio - choose a model/provider, attach skills and MCPs, inspect assembled context, and run code in Node/Python through Vercel Sandbox.
6. Publisher / marketplace path - verified authors, brand icons, public/member/private visibility, Operator tier, and Stripe Connect payouts. Source: loop/lib/faq-data.ts, 2026-06-18

Live Catalog (at launch)

The public catalog ships with actively-refreshed skills across multiple domains. Source: loooop.dev, 2026-04-27

MCP catalog ships with: AWS API, Brave Search, Cloudflare, Context7, Docker, Exa, Fetch, Figma, Filesystem, Firecrawl. Source: loooop.dev, 2026-04-27

Current FAQ copy says the MCP catalog includes 70+ servers across developer platforms, databases, productivity, search, browser automation, payments, design, observability, AI providers, infrastructure, and security, each with brand-aware icons. Treat the launch table above as historical launch proof, not the current catalog size. Source: loop/lib/faq-data.ts, 2026-06-18

Architecture

• Data layer: Supabase (Postgres) as single source of truth. RLS on all tables. No local filesystem stores in production.
• Auth: Clerk for user authentication.
• Billing: Stripe for subscriptions, portal sessions, webhook ingestion, and Connect payouts for skill sellers.
• Automation: stored as JSONB on each skill in Supabase. Daily cron (GET /api/refresh) is an orchestrator only: it checks which skills are due, then dispatches one queue job per skill.
• Model routing: Vercel AI Gateway (createGateway from ai) - single API key routes to multiple providers. Default model is gpt-5-mini but configurable.
• Job dispatch: @vercel/queue (v2 beta, topic-based) dispatches per-skill refresh jobs. vercel.json wires the queue consumer to the API route.
• Sandbox: @vercel/sandbox - Node and Python runtimes for the agent sandbox. Sandbox.create spins up an isolated environment per session.

Refresh workers run the research-first pipeline: load tracked sources, fetch signals, search the web with Brave Search API by default (Firecrawl, Serper, Tavily, and Jina are optional overrides), fetch full pages as markdown, revise the skill body from evidence, save an immutable version, and persist run logs/diffs/source results. The worker reserves steps for the revision phase so research does not crowd out the actual skill update. Source: loop README, 2026-06-18

Core Objects

Current product limits and tiers

Free accounts can browse the catalog, create up to 10 skills, run up to 3 automations, and use the Sandbox. Operator is $5/month and unlocks unlimited automations, configurable cadence, preferred model selection, custom import sources, marketplace pricing, Stripe Connect payouts, and priority support. Automations use Vercel AI Gateway; Operator subscribers can choose preferred models per automation from the UI. Source: loop/lib/faq-data.ts, 2026-06-18

Why I Built It

I was maintaining a personal wiki with 200+ pages and 14 automations keeping skills current, and I wanted to turn that workflow into a real product that other people building with agents could use. The hardest part was getting the refresh pipeline right: scanning sources, summarizing what changed, and deciding whether the skill body actually needs an update, all without hallucinating or introducing drift. It taught me a lot about agent reliability, versioning, and how to build feedback loops that actually compound over time. Source: User, 2026-04-13

Shipping Beliefs

Loop's README states the principles that encode Kevin's build-don't-buy line - build the differentiated product logic, rent the commodity plumbing: Source: loop/README.md "Shipping beliefs", 2026-06-13

• Automations should run unattended. If a system needs a laptop, a pinned app, or routine manual rescue, it is not automation. Loop began as the fix for Codex automations that needed Codex left open on a Mac and kept dying on stale refresh tokens.
• Product logic deserves the custom code; infrastructure plumbing should be rented whenever possible.
• Every refresh should be inspectable - sources, search traces, summaries, diffs, and version history are product surfaces, not debug leftovers.
• Managed primitives are a feature, not a compromise, when they free time for the refresh pipeline, editor agent, diff viewer, and scheduler instead of undifferentiated ops work.

This is why Loop is intentionally Vercel-native: AI Gateway (one key across OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, OpenRouter, Groq, Together), @vercel/queue (cron fans out one worker per due skill), @vercel/sandbox (Firecracker microVMs for Node/Python), plus @vercel/blob, Cron, and Analytics - with Supabase, Clerk, Stripe, and Brave Search for persistence, auth, billing, and research. The name "Loop" was inspired by Aryan Mahajan. Source: loop/README.md, 2026-06-13

Loop is itself Open Core — the operator desk is open source, with a paid Operator tier ($5/mo: unlimited automations, model choice, Stripe Connect marketplace payouts). Source: loop/README.md, 2026-06-13

Stack

• Next.js 16 (App Router, React 19 Server Components)
• Supabase (Postgres, RLS)
• Vercel AI SDK + AI Gateway (multi-provider model routing)
• @vercel/queue (v2 beta, topic-based job dispatch)
• @vercel/sandbox (Node/Python code execution)
• Firecrawl (grounded web research during refreshes)
• Clerk (auth)
• Stripe (billing)
• Tailwind CSS
• TypeScript

Launch Posts (2026-04-27)

Kevin launched Loop publicly on Apr 27, 2026. Free and open source. Distribution strategy: X main post → LinkedIn → Reddit staggered over 4 days (r/ChatGPTCoding → r/LocalLLaMA → r/SideProject → r/nextjs after 1-2 weeks of engagement). Source: Content Plan Archive, April–May 2026 (distribution detail), 2026-04-27

The actual public X launch went out on Apr 28, 2026: "Releasing Loop! An open-source operator desk for agent skills." The post described Loop as tracking the sources skills depend on, running a research agent when docs change or APIs version, and auto-refreshing playbooks with versioned diffs and no silent overwrites. Source: X/@kevskgs, 2026-04-28

X - Main Post:

releasing Loop - an open-source desk for keeping agent skills current.

track the sources your skills depend on. when docs change or APIs version, Loop auto-refreshes your playbooks with a research agent. every update is a new immutable version with a full diff. no silent overwrites.

been running it on my own skills for a while. it's a skill issue - now there's a fix.

free and open source. stay in the loop loooop.dev github.com/Kevin-Liu-01/loop

LinkedIn Post:

Releasing Loop - an open-source operator desk for agent skills.

If you use Cursor, Claude Code, or Codex, you've written skills, rules, and playbooks that guide your agents. The problem: they go stale. The API versions. The docs restructure. The best practice you encoded becomes an anti-pattern. But your playbook still says what it said weeks ago.

It's a skill issue.

Loop tracks the sources your skills depend on - docs, changelogs, repos, release notes. When something upstream changes, it runs a research agent, evaluates what shifted, and writes a new version of your skill with a full before/after diff.

No silent overwrites. Every refresh is an immutable version with a complete audit trail. You see exactly what changed and why.

I've been running Loop on my own skills for a while. When an upstream library ships a breaking change, my playbooks update before I even notice. That's the difference between skills that rot and skills that evolve.

Free and open source. Stay in the loop: loooop.dev | github.com/Kevin-Liu-01/loop

Reddit distribution (staggered 1 day apart):

• r/ChatGPTCoding - practical problem/solution angle: "I built a free, open-source tool that auto-refreshes your agent skills when the docs/APIs they reference change"
• r/LocalLLaMA - technical architecture: skill versioning, immutable versions, Firecrawl research, queue dispatch
• r/SideProject - builder story + feedback request
• r/nextjs - stack lessons (Next.js 16, Vercel AI Gateway, Sandboxes, Queues) - post after 1-2 weeks of sub engagement

Screenshots needed (1440x900, real data, no browser chrome):

1. Hero shot - "Skills that never go stale" headline + 3D floating diff cards
2. Diff proof - skill detail with sidebar diff panel open (green/red highlighting, version switcher)
3. Automation calendar - month grid with multicolor dots, skill icons, next run times
4. Sandbox - empty state or mid-conversation with code output

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Timeline

• 2026-06-25 | Added current GitHub/pinned/deployment evidence for portfolio routing. Source: raw/github/kevin-repos-2026-06-25.json; raw/github/kevin-pinned-repos-2026-06-25.json; raw/github/deployment-check-2026-06-25.tsv

• 2026-07-04 | Added file-native skill editability as product rationale: coding agents can update skill files through ordinary repo workflows. Source: X/@zachlloydtweets reply, 2026-06-17

• 2026-07-03 | Deep-reviewed the public X launch artifact set and refreshed current GitHub/site status. Added launch hero, catalog, skill detail/raw endpoint, and refresh run-log evidence to the project page. Source: X/@kevskgs, 2026-04-28

• 2026-06-18 | Re-synced current README/FAQ facts: Loop now describes itself as an operator desk for source-backed skills; catalog has 100+ verified skills with many at v16-v21; refresh is Brave-first with optional Firecrawl/Serper/Tavily/Jina; cron only dispatches @vercel/queue jobs; FAQ describes 70+ MCP servers, Operator pricing/features, verified authors, and Vercel Sandbox agent studio. Source: loop README + loop/lib/faq-data.ts, 2026-06-18

• 2026-06-13 | Added Shipping Beliefs section from the repo README (unattended automation, build the product logic + rent the plumbing, inspectable refreshes, managed primitives as a feature) and linked it to Build, Don't Buy as Kevin's dogfooding proof. Normalized repo URL casing (/Loop → /loop), credited Aryan Mahajan for the name, and cross-linked AI SDK HarnessAgent. Source: loop/README.md, 2026-06-13

• 2026-05-31 | Architecture re-synced from the repo README: the cron is now an orchestrator only - @vercel/queue fans out one worker per skill (POST /api/refresh/skill). Research default switched to Brave Search + page fetch (Firecrawl/Serper/Tavily/Jina optional per user). Added an Operator tier ($5/mo): unlimited automations, model pick, Stripe Connect marketplace payouts. Catalog reached 100+ verified skills (v16–v21) after weeks of autonomous refresh; dynamic step budget reserves 5 steps for revision. Stack leans on Vercel primitives (AI Gateway, Queue, Sandbox, Blob, Cron). Source: loop/README.md + loop/lib/faq-data.ts, 2026-05-31

• 2026-04-28 | Public X release post shipped: Loop framed as an open-source operator desk for agent skills that tracks source dependencies and auto-refreshes playbooks with versioned diffs. Source: X/@kevskgs, 2026-04-28

• 2026-05-11 | Documented shared agent/CSS enforcement stack with wiki brain: CSS UI Enforcement, Lean Ctx bootstrap for Cursor sessions touching Loop. Source: User, 2026-05-11

• 2026-04-29 | Automation system fixes: forked skills can now be unpaused, automations can be edited post-creation, forking duplicates automation config. maxDuration export added to refresh route to prevent Vercel cron timeout. Vercel Analytics integrated. Source: Cursor transcript, 2026-04-29

• 2026-04-28 | Twitter OpenGraph and OG images fixed for Discord and other platforms. Domain purchased: ptd.quest (cross-project). Google Search Console homepage URL ownership verification resolved for loooop.dev. Source: Cursor transcript, 2026-04-28

• 2026-04-27 | Public launch. Free and open source at loooop.dev. Catalog ships with 10+ actively-refreshed skills across Frontend, A2A, Security, and SEO categories. MCP catalog with 10 servers. FAQ added ("why does loop have 4 o's"). MCP pages built for browsing imported servers. Source: User, 2026-04-27

• 2026-04-27 | Landing page built with real skill/MCP data and actual automation schedule. Shader effects (Plasma, Dither, WaveDistortion) explored for hero section. Logo redesigned using golden ratio. Source: Cursor transcript, 2026-04-27

• 2026-04-13 | Project page created. Core architecture defined: Supabase + Clerk + Stripe + Vercel AI SDK + Firecrawl. Source: User, 2026-04-13

• 2026-04-06 | Early development: sandbox UI completely redesigned. Modals improved and aligned with aesthetic. Icons expanded throughout app. 404 page created. Free search alternatives explored to replace Firecrawl (user ran out of credits) - users can now add their own API keys for paid search tools. Source: Cursor transcript, 2026-04-06

• 2026-04-05 | Initial build sessions. Supabase and Clerk API keys configured. Dev server running. Source: Cursor transcript, 2026-04-05

• 2026-06-17 | Referenced in Vercel Eve and ZCode — new agent-framework / coding-agent entrants (GLM-5.2-powered ZCode; Vercel's filesystem-first eve) to compare against loop's skills/MCP catalog. Source: User, 2026-06-17