verification-before-completion

name	verification-before-completion
description	Use when about to claim work is complete, fixed, or passing, or before committing/creating PRs; requires fresh verification evidence before any success claim.
allowed-tools	["shell","read_file","update_plan"]
metadata	{"short-description":"Evidence gate before completion claims"}

Verification Before Completion

Read these references:

• ~/.config/agent/core/behavior.md - Evidence-based reasoning
• ~/.config/agent/core/methodology.md - Verify phase discipline
• ~/.config/agent/core/communication.md - Accurate status reporting

Overview

Claiming work is complete without verification is unacceptable. Evidence comes first.

Core principle: Evidence before claims, always.

Mode-Aware Verification

Verification requirements apply to ALL modes, but execution differs:

Normal mode:

• Confirm before running verification commands
• Show user the commands that will be run
• Execute after confirmation

Autopilot mode:

• Auto-run verification commands (Tier 3 operations)
• Report progress: "Running tests..."
• Show results automatically

Full-auto mode:

• Auto-run verification commands
• Log to audit trail
• Only pause if verification fails repeatedly

Verification failure handling:

• Normal: Report failure, ask for guidance
• Autopilot: Attempt one auto-fix, then ask for guidance
• Full-auto: Attempt up to 3 auto-fixes, then stop and report (see ~/.config/agent/domain/coding/guardrails.md recovery procedures)

The Iron Law

NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE

If you haven't run the verification command in this message, you cannot claim it passes.

The Gate Function

BEFORE claiming any status or expressing satisfaction:

1. Identify the command that proves the claim
2. Run the full command (fresh, complete)
3. Read the full output and exit code
4. Verify the output supports the claim
   • If NO: state actual status with evidence
   • If YES: state the claim with evidence
5. Only then make the claim

Skipping any step is a failure to verify.

Common Failures

Claim	Requires	Not Sufficient
Tests pass	Test output shows 0 failures	Previous run, "should pass"
Linter clean	Linter output shows 0 errors	Partial check
Build succeeds	Build command exit 0	Linter passing
Bug fixed	Test of original symptom passes	Code changed
Requirements met	Checklist verified	"Looks done"

Red Flags — STOP

• Using "should", "probably", "seems"
• Expressing satisfaction before verification
• About to commit/PR without verification
• Trusting agent success reports without evidence
• Relying on partial checks

Examples

Tests:

✅ Run tests → see 0 failures → "All tests pass"
❌ "Should pass now"

Build:

✅ Run build → exit 0 → "Build passes"
❌ "Linter passed"

Requirements:

✅ Re-read plan → verify checklist → "Requirements met"
❌ "Seems complete"

If verification fails or behavior is unclear, switch to systematic-debugging.

Common Verification Commands (Quick Reference)

Language/Tooling	Command
Go	go test ./...
Python	pytest
Node	npm test
Rust	cargo test

When to Apply

Always before:

• Any completion claim
• Any positive status statement
• Committing, PR creation, or moving to next task

Arguments

Target: ${ARGUMENTS}