# Core Principles

> If in doubt → HALT and ask the operator.

Source: https://bifrost5.com/foundry/docs/core-principles/

# Core Principles

Information

Keep these principles and gain the backup, control and support that make them easier to rely on, with Production-Grade.

[See editions](/foundry/docs/editions)

## What Foundry Does

- Operator injects goals; Foundry does **not** define them

- Scope **cannot** be expanded by AI

- All tasks require explicit acceptance criteria

- No task runs without validation

- No refactoring without explicit instruction

- State persisted after every step

- Ambiguity halts execution (with retry mechanism)

- Provider CLIs are worker tools, not decision authority

- **AUTO MODE** is default and mandatory

- All outputs are reviewable (diffs, logs)

## Anti-Goals (What Foundry Does NOT Do)

- Autonomous goal refinement

- Speculative task creation

- Retry heuristics beyond explicit `retry_policy`

- AI-only validation (deterministic first)

- "Helpful" corrections or fallback behaviors

If in doubt → **HALT** and ask the operator.