Snapback
Diagnose why an AI agent failed and get the verified fix instantly. Free, no token.
What can you do with Snapback?
- Calls
diagnose_infra_error(free, no token, no LLM, <150ms). - Applies the three-factor gate — auto-apply a fix only when all are true:
- If the gate passes → applies the fix and retries once. If it fails → escalates to a human (logs the
Install
Add this to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json; Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json; VS Code and others use the same "mcpServers" shape).
claude mcp add --transport http snapback 'https://api.snapback.sh/mcp'
{
"mcpServers": {
"snapback": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://api.snapback.sh/mcp"
}
}
}
Documentation
From the project's README on GitHub, refreshed weekly. Links open on GitHub.
Contents
Snapback self-heal interceptor for OpenClaw
mcp-name: io.github.ra1labsworkx-wq/snapback
Make Snapback automatic. Instead of remembering to call the diagnosis tool, wrap your agent's tool calls once — and every error is auto-diagnosed, and gated-safe fixes are applied and retried without a human.
"Power tools are optional. Infrastructure is not." This turns Snapback from a tool you reach for into infrastructure that runs on every failure.
Connect the MCP server
Snapback is a hosted remote MCP server — nothing to run locally. Add it to any MCP client (Claude Code, Cursor, Cline, VS Code, Windsurf). Most tools are free and need no token.
{
"mcpServers": {
"snapback": {
"url": "https://api.snapback.sh/mcp"
}
}
}
Endpoint: https://api.snapback.sh/mcp (Streamable HTTP, JSON-RPC 2.0). Then call tools/list (23 tools) and try
diagnose_infra_error with {"error": "dns nxdomain servfail"} → family: dns-tls + a verified fix.
Tools
Free (no token): diagnose_infra_error, detect_loop, budget_guard, search_docs, what_others_did,
recommend_failover, cascade_root, suggest_budget_recovery, convert_trace, preflight, session_start,
session_step, session_end, discovery.
Metered (free starter token or x402): diagnose_trace, diagnose_batch, get_verdict, submit_feedback,
report_outcome, request_pattern, my_usage, my_impact, agent_memory.
- diagnose_infra_error — a cryptic infra error → its family + the verified fix (library-first, ~150ms, no LLM on a hit). 46 families.
- detect_loop — catch a repeating tool-call loop mid-run before the step limit.
- budget_guard — catch token / step / context / cost overruns mid-run.
- what_others_did — anonymized cross-agent outcomes for a failure class.
- diagnose_trace — full multi-step trace diagnosis (metered).
What it does
On any tool-call error, the interceptor:
- Calls
diagnose_infra_error(free, no token, no LLM, <150ms). - Applies the three-factor gate — auto-apply a fix only when all are true:
confidence >= 0.85source == "library"(a curated verified fix, not an LLM guess)auto_safe == true(the fix isretry/refetch/config— reversible, side-effect-free)
- If the gate passes → applies the fix and retries once. If it fails → escalates to a human (logs the
verdict). It never auto-applies a
mutateordestructivefix (create/change state, money, auth grants).
It fails closed: when unsure, it escalates rather than acting.
Install
# no install needed beyond the stdlib; drop the file in, or:
cp snapback_interceptor.py your_agent/
export SNAPBACK_MCP=https://api.snapback.sh/mcp # default; the free tools need no token
Use
from snapback_interceptor import SnapbackInterceptor
heal = SnapbackInterceptor(
auto_apply=True,
on_escalate=lambda v: my_ops_inbox.log(v), # human sees non-auto-safe verdicts
on_heal=lambda v: metrics.count("snapback.autoheal", family=v["family"]),
)
# wrap any call that might raise:
result = heal.run(call_solana_rpc, wallet, amount)
# or as a decorator:
@heal.guard
def call_solana_rpc(wallet, amount): ...
# or manually on a caught error:
verdict = heal.diagnose("BlockhashNotFound")
if verdict["gate"]["auto_apply_ok"]:
...apply verdict["fix"] and retry...
The gate contract (returned by Snapback)
diagnose_infra_error returns {matched, family, fix, confidence, source, action_class, auto_safe, gate}.
action_class is one of:
| class | meaning | auto-safe? |
|---|---|---|
retry | re-run with backoff (idempotent) | ✅ |
refetch | re-fetch/re-price/re-sync then re-apply | ✅ |
config | client-side param change (raise max_tokens, serve intermediate cert) | ✅ (to suggest) |
mutate | creates/changes external state, money, auth | ❌ escalate |
destructive | deletes/reverts/irreversible | ❌ never |
Defense in depth (1.8.3): even a reversible-class fix is down-graded to escalate if its text contains a
destructive command (delete a pod, flush keys, drop a table). The gate returns gate.contains_destructive_step,
so a fix can never auto-run a state-destroying step regardless of its action_class.
gate.auto_apply_ok is the ready-made verdict; the interceptor also re-derives it locally so a stale client
can't over-trust.
Privacy & safety
- 100% client-side. Talks only to the free public
diagnose_infra_errorendpoint. - Never sends your Snapback token for the diagnosis (diagnosis is free).
- Snapback scrubs trace content server-side; this sends only the error string you pass.
- Composes with
bridge.py(post-mortem forwarding) — this is the live auto-heal layer.
Roadmap
submit_feedbackon the retry outcome (did the fix work?) → feeds the shared library (the network effect).- Hermes + LangChain adapters (same gate, different framework hook).
Frequently asked questions
What is Snapback?
Diagnose why an AI agent failed and get the verified fix instantly. Free, no token.
How do I install Snapback?
It runs as a remote server. In Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http snapback 'https://api.snapback.sh/mcp'. For other clients, paste the JSON configuration from this page into their MCP settings.
Does Snapback need an API key?
Its registry entry lists no required key or secret. Some features may still need an account with the service it connects to.
Is Snapback open source?
Its code is public on GitHub, but the repository does not declare a standard license.
Who maintains Snapback?
It is published by ra1labsworkx-wq. AI.tn lists it but does not maintain or endorse it.
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