verification-before-done

name	verification-before-done
description	Evidence before claims.
origin	pi-crew
triggers	["done","verify this","is it working","check if it passes","ready to ship"]

verification-before-done

Core principle: evidence before claims. A worker report, green-looking log, or previous run is not fresh verification.

Distilled from detailed reads of agent-skill patterns for verification-before-completion, TDD, review reception, and QA workflows.

Gate Function

Before any completion claim:

1. Identify the command or inspection that proves the claim.
2. Run the full command fresh, or explicitly state why a command cannot be run.
3. Read the output, including exit code and failure counts.
4. Compare the output to the claim.
5. Report the claim only with the evidence.

Claim-to-Evidence Table

Claim	Requires	Not sufficient
Tests pass	Fresh test output with zero failures	Prior run, "should pass"
Typecheck passes	Typecheck command exit 0	Lint or targeted tests only
Bug fixed	Original symptom/regression test passes	Code changed
Requirements met	Checklist against request/plan	Generic test success
Agent completed	Worker output plus artifact/diff/state inspection	Worker says DONE
Safe to commit	Relevant checks pass and status reviewed	Partial local confidence

Verification Ladder

Choose the smallest reliable gate, then escalate when risk requires it:

1. Read-only inspection for plans/reviews.
2. Targeted unit test for touched behavior.
3. Typecheck for TypeScript/schema/API changes.
4. Integration test for runtime, subprocess, state, filesystem, UI, config, or session behavior.
5. Full suite before commit/release or broad changes.
6. Real Pi smoke only when safe and needed.

Done Report

Include:

• changed files or read-only status;
• commands run and pass/fail result;
• artifacts, run IDs, logs, or state paths inspected;
• behavior actually verified;
• skipped checks and why;
• risks and rollback notes.

Required Final Evidence

Before finalizing any work, report:

• changed files: list of files modified (or none for read-only work)
• tests/checks run: command and pass/fail result for each
• artifacts: run IDs, log paths, or state files inspected
• risks and rollback notes: any known risks, how to undo the changes

Red Flags

Stop before saying done if you are using words like "should", "probably", "looks", "seems", "I think", or if you are trusting an agent report without checking evidence.

Anti-Patterns

• Don't claim "tests pass" without running them in the current session
• Don't trust agent reports without checking evidence yourself
• Don't use fuzzy language like "seems", "probably", "looks like"
• Don't skip providing verification commands for claims
• Don't claim done if you're still using hypotheses instead of evidence