verify

name	verify
license	MIT
description	Self-test the Citadel hook pipeline from within a live session. Exercises real tool calls (Write, Edit, Bash, Read) and checks that hooks fired, telemetry accumulated, and no errors occurred. Reports HOOK HEALTH: PASS or HOOK HEALTH: FAIL with a per-hook breakdown.
user-invocable	true
auto-trigger	false
trigger_keywords	["verify","verify hooks","hook health","self-test","check hooks","harness health"]
last-updated	"2026-03-27T00:00:00.000Z"

/verify — Hook Pipeline Self-Test

Use this when:

• Hooks were recently updated and you want a live sanity check
• Something feels wrong (tools seem too slow, quality-gate not firing)
• After installing Citadel in a new project

Protocol

Step 1: Baseline

Read the current telemetry state:

.planning/telemetry/hook-timing.jsonl  → count lines (baseline_timing)
.planning/telemetry/audit.jsonl        → count lines (baseline_audit)
.planning/telemetry/hook-errors.log    → size in bytes (baseline_errors)

If telemetry directory doesn't exist, note it (init-project may not have run).

Step 2: Exercise hooks

Run these tool calls in sequence. Each exercises a different hook:

1. Write a temp file at .planning/verify-temp.ts:

   // citadel verify probe
   export const verifyProbe = true;
   

   → Exercises: PreToolUse (protect-files, governance), PostToolUse (post-edit)

2. Edit the same file — change true to false: → Exercises: PreToolUse (protect-files, governance), PostToolUse (post-edit)

3. Bash a harmless read command: echo "verify-probe" → Exercises: PreToolUse (governance)

4. Read the temp file back → Exercises: PreToolUse (protect-files — should allow, it's not .env)

5. Delete the temp file: rm .planning/verify-temp.ts or equivalent → Cleanup

Step 3: Check side effects

After all tool calls complete, read telemetry again:

Check	Expected	Result
hook-timing.jsonl grew	+2 or more lines (Write + Edit post-hooks)	PASS/FAIL
audit.jsonl grew	+3 or more lines (Write + Edit + Bash pre-hooks)	PASS/FAIL
hook-errors.log unchanged	same size as baseline	PASS/FAIL

Step 4: Report

Output a results block:

=== HOOK HEALTH CHECK ===

hook-timing.jsonl:  +N lines  [PASS / FAIL]
audit.jsonl:        +N lines  [PASS / FAIL]
hook-errors.log:    no errors [PASS / FAIL — N new errors]

HOOK HEALTH: PASS

Or if any check fails:

HOOK HEALTH: FAIL

Failing checks:
- hook-timing.jsonl did not grow: PostToolUse hooks may not be firing
  → Verify hooks are installed: node scripts/verify-hooks.js
  → Check settings.json: cat .claude/settings.json | grep PostToolUse

- audit.jsonl did not grow: governance hook may not be firing
  → Check: node hooks_src/governance.js <<< '{}'

Edge Cases

No .planning/telemetry/ directory: Init-project may not have run. Output: "HOOK HEALTH: FAIL — .planning/telemetry/ not found. Run: node hooks_src/init-project.js"

Hooks installed but telemetry still zero: The project may have a harness.json that disables telemetry. Check features.telemetry in .claude/harness.json.

First-time run (no baseline): If the files don't exist before the test, they should be created during the test. Treat "file created" as equivalent to "grew".

What This Does NOT Test

• Hook correctness on edge cases (use verify-hooks.js for that)
• Full PreToolUse → tool → PostToolUse sequence isolation (use integration-test.js)
• Skill output quality (use skill-bench.js --execute)

Quality Gates

• All 3 telemetry checks must pass: timing grew, audit grew, no new errors
• Temp file must be cleaned up regardless of pass/fail outcome
• Report must include exact counts (+N lines), not just PASS/FAIL
• If .planning/telemetry/ does not exist, FAIL immediately — do not fabricate counts

Contextual Gates

Disclosure: Creates and deletes .planning/verify-temp.ts during the test. No other files modified. Reversibility: green — temp file deleted on completion; no persistent changes. Trust gates: Any — no restrictions.

Exit Protocol

---HANDOFF---
- Hook pipeline: PASS / FAIL
- hook-timing.jsonl: +N lines
- audit.jsonl: +N lines
- hook-errors.log: N new errors (0 expected)
- Reversibility: green — no persistent changes; verify-temp.ts cleaned up
- Next: if FAIL, run node scripts/verify-hooks.js for deeper diagnostics
---