verification-before-completion

name	verification-before-completion
description	Run verification commands and confirm output before claiming success
user-invocable	false
disable-model-invocation	true
version	2.0.0
category	debugging
author	Jesse Vincent
license	MIT
source	https://github.com/obra/superpowers-skills/tree/main/skills/debugging/verification-before-completion
progressive_disclosure	{"entry_point":{"summary":"Evidence before claims: mandatory verification before ANY completion claim","when_to_use":"When about to claim work is complete, fixed, passing, or ready. ESPECIALLY before commits, PRs, or task completion.","quick_start":"1. Identify verification command 2. Run FULL command 3. Read complete output 4. Verify results 5. THEN claim with evidence"},"references":["gate-function.md","verification-patterns.md","red-flags-and-failures.md","integration-and-workflows.md"]}
context_limit	800
tags	["verification","quality-assurance","honesty","evidence"]
requires_tools	[]

Verification Before Completion

Overview

Claiming work is complete without verification is dishonesty, not efficiency.

Core principle: Evidence before claims, always.

Violating the letter of this rule is violating the spirit of this rule.

This skill enforces mandatory verification before ANY completion claim, preventing false positives, broken builds, and trust violations.

When to Use This Skill

Activate ALWAYS before claiming:

• Success, completion, or satisfaction ("Done!", "Fixed!", "Great!")
• Tests pass, linter clean, build succeeds
• Committing, pushing, creating PRs
• Marking tasks complete or delegating to agents

Use this ESPECIALLY when:

• Under time pressure or tired
• "Quick fix" seems obvious or confidence is high
• Agent reports success or tests "should" pass

The Iron Law

NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE

Without running the verification command in this message, claiming success is not allowed.

Core Principles

1. Evidence Required: Every claim needs supporting evidence
2. Fresh Verification: Must verify now, not rely on previous runs
3. Complete Verification: Full command, not partial checks
4. Honest Reporting: Report actual state, not hoped-for state

Quick Start

The five-step gate function:

1. IDENTIFY: What command proves this claim?
2. RUN: Execute the FULL command (fresh, complete)
3. READ: Full output, check exit code, count failures
4. VERIFY: Does output confirm the claim?
   • If NO: State actual status with evidence
   • If YES: State claim WITH evidence
5. ONLY THEN: Make the claim

Skip any step = lying, not verifying.

Key Patterns

Correct Pattern:

✅ [Run pytest] [Output: 34/34 passed] "All tests pass"

Incorrect Patterns:

❌ "Should pass now"
❌ "Looks correct"
❌ "Tests were passing"
❌ "I'm confident it works"

Red Flags - STOP Immediately

STOP when: