Autopilot Mode

Recommended model tier: smart (opus) - this mode handles complex multi-step tasks

Full autonomous execution mode. The agent keeps working until all tasks in the todo list are verified complete. No stopping early, no partial results.

Activation

Type naturally:

autopilot build me a web app
autopilot fix all failing tests
autopilot refactor the auth module

Or explicitly set the mode:

aide state set mode autopilot

How It Works

When autopilot mode is active:

1. The persistence hook intercepts stop signals
2. If incomplete tasks exist in the todo list, the agent is re-prompted to continue
3. The agent keeps working through its task list
4. Auto-releases when ALL tasks are complete (terminal state)
5. Safety cap: releases after 20 iterations even if tasks remain

Platform Behavior

Platform	Mechanism
Claude Code	Stop-blocking — prevents the AI from ending the conversation early
OpenCode	Re-prompting — session.prompt() is called on idle to keep going

Task Tracking

Autopilot relies on the todo list to determine completeness:

• Has incomplete tasks → Block stop, continue working
• All tasks complete → Auto-release, allow stop
• No tasks exist → Generic reinforcement (verify your work)

When to Use

Autopilot mode is ideal for:

• Multi-step implementations — "autopilot implement the user dashboard"
• Fixing all test failures — "autopilot fix all failing tests"
• Complete refactors — "autopilot refactor all error handling to use Result types"
• Migration tasks — "autopilot migrate all components to the new API"
• Build fixes — "autopilot make the build pass"

When NOT to Use

Avoid autopilot for:

• Exploratory tasks — "investigate why X happens" (no clear completion criteria)
• Design work — Use the design skill instead (needs human input)
• Tasks requiring human judgment — Autopilot continues based on automated checks
• Parallel work — Use swarm mode instead for decomposed parallel stories

Combining with Skills

Autopilot works well with any skill:

autopilot fix the build errors       # autopilot + build-fix behavior
autopilot make all tests pass        # autopilot + implement behavior
autopilot debug why login fails      # autopilot + debug behavior

Deactivation

To stop autopilot mode early:

aide state set mode ""

Or type "stop" — the keyword detector clears the active mode.

Instructions

When autopilot mode is activated:

1. Create a comprehensive todo list — Break the task into specific, actionable items
2. Work through items sequentially — Mark each as in_progress then completed
3. Verify each step — Run tests, check builds, confirm behavior
4. Do not stop until all items are complete — The persistence hook will block premature stops
5. If stuck on an item after 3 attempts, record a blocker memory and move to the next item:

   ./.aide/bin/aide memory add --category=blocker --tags=project:<name>,session:<id>,source:discovered "Blocked on <task>: <reason>"
   

Binary location: The aide binary is at .aide/bin/aide. If it's on your $PATH, you can use aide directly.