supersede-retrieval-coverage-honesty

name	supersede-retrieval-coverage-honesty
description	How to test head-only supersede retrieval without lying to yourself
domain	quality
confidence	high
source	earned while auditing conversation-memory supersede/retrieval coverage

Use when

• A change adds head-only retrieval with an include_superseded escape hatch
• One integration test makes the slice look covered, but exact-slug or graph branches might still be unproved

Required proofs

1. Exact-slug retrieval proof

   • Test the exact-slug helper or surface directly
   • Assert a superseded page is hidden by default and returned only when include_superseded = true

2. Expansion-time filtering proof

   • Seed progressive retrieval with a head page whose outbound link points at a superseded page
   • Assert default expansion skips the historical neighbour
   • Assert opt-in expansion restores it

3. Graph proof

   • Build a short A -> B -> C supersede chain
   • Assert graph traversal emits superseded_by edges as first-class edges, not typed-link stand-ins

Why

Text-query integration alone can miss the real seams:

• exact-slug paths can short-circuit differently
• progressive expansion can leak archived pages back in
• graph traversal has its own supersede edge logic

If those three proofs are missing, coverage claims for the slice are probably overstated.