By name: do-not-retry-without-diagnosis description: Common mistake — retrying the same failing command or API call without understanding why it failed. Always diagnose the root cause before retrying anything. category: common_mistakes
Do Not Retry Without Diagnosis
Mistake pattern: Tool call fails → retry the same call → fails again → repeat.
Fix: After the first failure, read the error message carefully and diagnose the root cause before retrying.
Questions to ask:
- Is this a transient error (network timeout, rate limit)? Retry with backoff.
- Is this a permanent error (wrong input, missing resource, permission denied)? Fix the cause.
Anti-pattern: Blindly retrying or escalating without examining the error output.