langchain_agent_intermediate_steps

Recursive chains, agent loops, or unbounded context windows can generate thousands of tokens in seconds, causing unexpected cost explosions (e.g., $12k-$30k bills).

Agents can enter infinite tool-calling loops when tool selection logic fails or tools return results that trigger repeated invocations, consuming tokens and delaying responses.

langchain_agent_intermediate_steps counts reasoning/tool-use iterations. Unbounded growth indicates agents spinning on complex tasks, inefficient tool selection, or poor stopping criteria, driving up latency and cost.