# Diagnose Why Work Stopped

> Compatibility entry point for failed, stalled, looping, or over-recovered Paperclip work.

Compatibility entry point for failed, stalled, looping, or over-recovered Paperclip work. Use fix-failed-paperclip-run for the full diagnosis, regression, repair, real verification, and green-PR workflow; honor an explicitly requested diagnosis-only scope.

- Page: https://ss33.ai/skills/paperclipai/diagnose-why-work-stopped-73709318239
- Publisher: paperclipai
- Category: [AI & Agents](https://ss33.ai/skills/category/ai-and-agents-y6jz7i) › [Orchestration & multi-agent](https://ss33.ai/skills/category/ai-and-agents-y6jz7i/orchestration-and-multi-agent-tlbx40)
- License: MIT
- Source: https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/blob/9179d8dcc3e908c217fde4f63c9d08ccf8132eeb/.agents/skills/diagnose-why-work-stopped/SKILL.md

## Skill

SKILL.md: https://ss33.ai/api/v1/ss33/download/paperclipai/diagnose-why-work-stopped-73709318239

# Diagnose Why Work Stopped

Use [Fix Failed Paperclip Run](../fix-failed-paperclip-run/SKILL.md). It owns the current
workflow: find the first causal failure, reproduce it red, repair the shared
contract, test second-order effects, verify the real workflow, and deliver a PR
with passing checks. A normal request to fix stopped work continues through that
workflow without a separate plan-approval gate.

If the user or calling workflow explicitly asks for diagnosis only or requires
approval before implementation, perform the investigation and safety analysis
within that scope. For example, a Terminal-Bench diagnosis child does not override
the loop's board approval boundary. Keep the next action and its owner explicit.

For issue-tree diagnosis, read the current `doc/execution-semantics.md`, inspect the
relevant subtree and recent repairs, and classify non-progressing nodes:

- **Genuine wait:** a named human or external dependency must act.
- **Agent-actionable but unrouted:** authorized useful work lacks a live path.
- **Already covered:** existing work owns the next action; do not duplicate it.

Preserve these three invariants together:

1. Productive work has a real next action and owner.
2. Only genuine blockers stop work, including approval, credentials, and budget.
3. Recovery is bounded and cannot recursively recover itself.

Frame any repair as a general behavioral contract, check it against a productive
counterexample, and follow the new skill through the authorized finish line.
Historical task links and private incident access are not required.