> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://yellowhammer.dev/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set limits and protected paths

> Review the Project limits and repository paths that constrain execution.

Use Yellowhammer's per-Project [Bounds](https://yellowhammer.dev/docs/reference/statuses-and-glossary.md#bound) to limit repeated effort, and Protected Paths to refuse overlapping declared work before dispatch.

## Set the Bounds

Open **Settings**, choose the Project, and select **Configuration**. Edit **Bounds** and choose **Save**. Each value must be an integer of at least 1.

| Bound | Default | Effect |
| - | - | - |
| Review Rounds per Attempt | 2 | Bounds repeated review or Check requests for changes; exhausting it ends the Attempt and allows another eligible Route. |
| Attempts per Card | 3 | Bounds dispatches of a Card; Operator aborts and usage-limited endings do not consume the budget. |
| Unanswered Nights | 3 | Bounds how long a question or decision can wait before becoming Blocked; only Nights this Project runs count. |
| Re-selections per Night | 2 | Bounds additional Feature selections after a refusal, then stops authoring for that Night. |
| Refusals in a row | 3 | Raises repeated refusals of one Feature as a standing decision for you. |
| Failed Adoptions in a row | 2 | Raises repeated failures to adopt carried-forward work as a standing decision. |
| Authoring faults in a row | 3 | Bounds consecutive authoring faults for a Feature before its next selection is halted. |
| Unmerged Features | 3 | Stops authoring more Features once this many implemented Features await merge, until a merge is observed. |

Read each setting's explanation when tuning it. Exhausting a review Round budget alone does not immediately block a Card while another Attempt and Route remain. Raising a standing decision does not itself stop unrelated work.

## Review Protected Paths

In **Configuration → Repos**, edit each Repo's **Protected paths** field as a comma-separated list of repository paths, then choose **Save**. For example, Acme Checkout might protect `infra/production` and `.github/workflows`; these are illustrative choices, not defaults.

The check compares the Card's Declared Scope and protected paths in both directions. A Card scoped to `infra` overlaps a protected `infra/production` directory, just as a Card scoped to a file below that directory does. Matching is case-sensitive and compares path components, not shell glob patterns.

Protected Paths is a scoping check, not a sandbox: refusal happens before dispatch, and nothing prevents a dispatched agent from touching a protected path during its run. Review the resulting diff and pull request.

Planned screenshot

**Project limits and Protected Paths**

Show where verified per-Project limits and repository path declarations are reviewed.

Planned screenshot: current configuration locations, with any default or example value verified before publication.

**Screenshot instructions:** Capture the illustrative Acme Checkout Project in **Settings → Acme Checkout → Configuration**. Show the Project name, representative Bounds with their explanations, and a Repo's **Protected paths** field containing clearly illustrative sensitive paths. If both sections do not fit legibly, capture them separately under this placeholder rather than shrinking the text. Prepare a configured sample Project; do not provoke a real protected-path refusal merely to obtain the image.

## Tune from Night evidence

Select **Recalibrate** in the Project settings. **This Night** identifies the reported Night; each Bound shows its proximity as reported by `yh recalibrate`. Change a value and save, or inspect the report from a terminal:

```bash theme={null}
yh recalibrate --project acme-checkout
```

Read a blocked Card's Managed Block before changing limits. For an overlapping scope, correct the intended work in Linear or review the protected declaration deliberately. For repeated Check or review failure, fix the underlying cause before spending a new budget.

## Next steps

[Review the morning](https://yellowhammer.dev/docs/review/overview.md) · [Statuses and glossary](https://yellowhammer.dev/docs/reference/statuses-and-glossary.md)


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