fix(prompt): encourage iteration when results are near but below thresholds

TerminalBench showed several near-miss failures where the agent completed
with results just outside specified thresholds (dna-insert off by 0.44C,
train-fasttext 8% below accuracy threshold, video-processing off by 1 frame).

Adds rule to verify output against stated thresholds and iterate to improve
rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/anthropic_claude_sonnet_4-basic.snap

@@ -621,6 +621,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - The user may ask generic non-development tasks, such as "what\'s the latest news" or "look up the weather in San Diego", in which case you might use the browser_action tool to complete the task if it makes sense to do so, rather than trying to create a website or using curl to answer the question. However, if an available MCP server tool or resource can be used instead, you should prefer to use it over browser_action.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/anthropic_claude_sonnet_4-no-browser.snap

@@ -585,6 +585,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.
 - When presented with images, utilize your vision capabilities to thoroughly examine them and extract meaningful information. Incorporate these insights into your thought process as you accomplish the user's task.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/anthropic_claude_sonnet_4-no-focus-chain.snap

@@ -540,6 +540,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - The user may ask generic non-development tasks, such as "what\'s the latest news" or "look up the weather in San Diego", in which case you might use the browser_action tool to complete the task if it makes sense to do so, rather than trying to create a website or using curl to answer the question. However, if an available MCP server tool or resource can be used instead, you should prefer to use it over browser_action.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/anthropic_claude_sonnet_4-no-mcp.snap

@@ -599,6 +599,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - The user may ask generic non-development tasks, such as "what\'s the latest news" or "look up the weather in San Diego", in which case you might use the browser_action tool to complete the task if it makes sense to do so, rather than trying to create a website or using curl to answer the question. However, if an available MCP server tool or resource can be used instead, you should prefer to use it over browser_action.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/cline_devstral-basic.snap

@@ -642,6 +642,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - The user may ask generic non-development tasks, such as "what\'s the latest news" or "look up the weather in San Diego", in which case you might use the browser_action tool to complete the task if it makes sense to do so, rather than trying to create a website or using curl to answer the question. However, if an available MCP server tool or resource can be used instead, you should prefer to use it over browser_action.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/cline_devstral-no-browser.snap

@@ -606,6 +606,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.
 - When presented with images, utilize your vision capabilities to thoroughly examine them and extract meaningful information. Incorporate these insights into your thought process as you accomplish the user's task.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/cline_devstral-no-focus-chain.snap

@@ -566,6 +566,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - The user may ask generic non-development tasks, such as "what\'s the latest news" or "look up the weather in San Diego", in which case you might use the browser_action tool to complete the task if it makes sense to do so, rather than trying to create a website or using curl to answer the question. However, if an available MCP server tool or resource can be used instead, you should prefer to use it over browser_action.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/cline_devstral-no-mcp.snap

@@ -620,6 +620,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - The user may ask generic non-development tasks, such as "what\'s the latest news" or "look up the weather in San Diego", in which case you might use the browser_action tool to complete the task if it makes sense to do so, rather than trying to create a website or using curl to answer the question. However, if an available MCP server tool or resource can be used instead, you should prefer to use it over browser_action.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/openai_gpt_3-basic.snap

@@ -610,6 +610,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - The user may ask generic non-development tasks, such as "what\'s the latest news" or "look up the weather in San Diego", in which case you might use the browser_action tool to complete the task if it makes sense to do so, rather than trying to create a website or using curl to answer the question. However, if an available MCP server tool or resource can be used instead, you should prefer to use it over browser_action.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/openai_gpt_3-no-browser.snap

@@ -574,6 +574,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.
 - When presented with images, utilize your vision capabilities to thoroughly examine them and extract meaningful information. Incorporate these insights into your thought process as you accomplish the user's task.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/openai_gpt_3-no-focus-chain.snap

@@ -538,6 +538,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - The user may ask generic non-development tasks, such as "what\'s the latest news" or "look up the weather in San Diego", in which case you might use the browser_action tool to complete the task if it makes sense to do so, rather than trying to create a website or using curl to answer the question. However, if an available MCP server tool or resource can be used instead, you should prefer to use it over browser_action.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/__tests__/__snapshots__/openai_gpt_3-no-mcp.snap

@@ -588,6 +588,7 @@ RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert `--` before the positional values if they may begin with `-` (for example `my-cli -- "$value"`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 - The user may ask generic non-development tasks, such as "what\'s the latest news" or "look up the weather in San Diego", in which case you might use the browser_action tool to complete the task if it makes sense to do so, rather than trying to create a website or using curl to answer the question. However, if an available MCP server tool or resource can be used instead, you should prefer to use it over browser_action.
 - NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/components/rules.ts

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ const getRulesTemplateText = (context: SystemPromptContext) => `RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert \`--\` before the positional values if they may begin with \`-\` (for example \`my-cli -- "$value"\`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 {{BROWSER_RULES}}{{CLI_RULES}}- NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.
 - When presented with images, utilize your vision capabilities to thoroughly examine them and extract meaningful information. Incorporate these insights into your thought process as you accomplish the user's task.

src/core/prompts/system-prompt/variants/next-gen/template.ts

@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ export const rules_template = (context: SystemPromptContext) => `RULES
 - When passing untrusted or variable text as positional command arguments, insert \`--\` before the positional values if they may begin with \`-\` (for example \`my-cli -- "$value"\`). This prevents the values from being parsed as options.
 - The user may provide a file's contents directly in their message, in which case you shouldn't use the read_file tool to get the file contents again since you already have it.
 - Your goal is to try to accomplish the user's task, NOT engage in a back and forth conversation.
+- When the task specifies numerical thresholds, accuracy targets, or quality constraints, always verify your output meets these criteria before completing. If your result is close but does not satisfy the threshold, iterate: adjust parameters, try alternative approaches, or refine your implementation rather than declaring completion with a near-miss result.
 {{BROWSER_RULES}}- NEVER end attempt_completion result with a question or request to engage in further conversation! Formulate the end of your result in a way that is final and does not require further input from the user.
 - You are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN from starting your messages with "Great", "Certainly", "Okay", "Sure". You should NOT be conversational in your responses, but rather direct and to the point. For example you should NOT say "Great, I've updated the CSS" but instead something like "I've updated the CSS". It is important you be clear and technical in your messages.
 - When presented with images, utilize your vision capabilities to thoroughly examine them and extract meaningful information. Incorporate these insights into your thought process as you accomplish the user's task.