verification-before-completion

name	verification-before-completion
description	Use before claiming work is complete, fixed, or passing. Requires running verification commands and confirming output before any success claims

Verification Before Completion

The Iron Law

NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE

The Gate Function

Before claiming any status:

1. IDENTIFY - What command proves this claim?
2. RUN - Execute the FULL command (fresh, complete)
3. READ - Full output, check exit code, count failures
4. VERIFY - Does output confirm the claim?
5. ONLY THEN - Make the claim

Common Failures

Claim	Requires	Not Sufficient
Tests pass	Test output: 0 failures	Previous run, "should pass"
Linter clean	Linter output: 0 errors	Partial check, extrapolation
Build succeeds	Build command: exit 0	Linter passing
Bug fixed	Test original symptom: passes	Code changed, assumed fixed
Requirements met	Line-by-line checklist	Tests passing

Red Flags - STOP

• Using "should", "probably", "seems to"
• Expressing satisfaction before verification
• About to commit/push without verification
• Trusting agent success reports without checking
• ANY wording implying success without having run verification

Patterns

Tests:
  [Run test command] [See: 34/34 pass] -> "All tests pass"
  "Should pass now" / "Looks correct"  -> WRONG

Build:
  [Run build] [See: exit 0] -> "Build passes"
  "Linter passed"               -> WRONG (linter != compiler)

Requirements:
  Re-read plan -> Create checklist -> Verify each -> Report gaps or completion
  "Tests pass, phase complete"   -> WRONG

Run the command. Read the output. THEN claim the result. Non-negotiable.