definition-of-done

name	definition-of-done
description	Pin down checkable success criteria (and ideally tests) BEFORE building, so "done" is objective, not vibes — acceptance criteria, test cases, edge cases, and a done checklist the agent must satisfy and report against. Part of the "keep the agent on track" suite. Use to keep an agent honest about whether a task is actually complete.

Definition of done (what "finished" means)

Why

Left undefined, "done" means "it ran once on my example." Pinning down success criteria up front turns done into something the agent — and you — can check objectively.

Define up front (DONE.md or atop the task)

# Acceptance criteria   (Given / When / Then)
- Given <input>, when <action>, then <observable result>.

# Test cases
- Happy path: …
- Edge cases: empty input, bad input, large input, duplicate, missing field…

# Done checklist
- [ ] All acceptance criteria pass
- [ ] Tests written and green
- [ ] Errors handled (no silent failures)
- [ ] Docs / README updated
- [ ] No secrets or debug cruft left in

Protocol

• Write the criteria before building.
• The agent works until the checklist is green and reports against the criteria — not "looks good to me."
• Pairs with system-requirements (acceptance) and handoff-log (the checkboxes).

Anti-patterns

• "Done" meaning "it executed without crashing."
• Moving the goalposts mid-task to declare victory.
• No edge cases — that's where the bugs live.