Verification Before Completion

---
name: verification-before-completion
description: Verification discipline for completion claims. Use when about to assert success, claim a fix is complete, report tests passing, or before commits and PRs. Enforces evidence-first workflow.
---

# Verification Before Completion

> **NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE**

## Core Protocol

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

```
BEFORE any completion claim:
1. IDENTIFY: What verification 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?
   - NO → State actual status with evidence
   - YES → State claim WITH evidence
5. ONLY THEN: Make the claim
```

### Command Selection

When multiple verification options exist (mono-repo, multiple suites):
- Run the **most specific** command that covers the changed code
- When uncertain, run the **broadest** command (full test suite > single file)
- Lint ≠ build ≠ test — each verifies different claims

### Evidence Format

```
✅ Ran: npm test
   Exit: 0
   Result: 47 passed, 0 failed
   "All tests pass."

❌ "Tests should pass now" (no command output)
```

## Verification Requirements by Claim Type

| Claim | Required Evidence | Insufficient |
|-------|-------------------|--------------|
| Tests pass | Test output: 0 failures | Previous run, "should pass" |
| Linter clean | Linter output: 0 errors | Partial check, extrapolation |
| Build succeeds | Build exit code: 0 | Linter passing |
| Bug fixed | Original symptom test passes | Code changed |
| Regression test | Red-green cycle verified | Single green |
| Agent completed | VCS diff shows changes | Agent "success" report |
| Requirements met | Line-by-line checklist | Tests passing |

## Red Flags — STOP

- Words: "should", "probably", "seems to"
- Satisfaction before verification: "Great!", "Perfect!", "Done!"
- About to commit/push/PR without verification
- Trusting agent success reports
- Partial verification
- **ANY wording implying success without verification output**

## Rationalization Prevention

| Excuse | Response |
|--------|----------|
| "Should work now" | Run the verification |
| "I'm confident" | Confidence ≠ evidence |
| "Just this once" | No exceptions |
| "Linter passed" | Linter ≠ build |
| "Agent said success" | Verify independently |
| "Partial check enough" | Partial proves nothing |

## Key Patterns

**Tests:**
```
✅ [Run test] → [See: 34/34 pass] → "All tests pass"
❌ "Should pass now"
```

**Regression (TDD):**
```
✅ Write → Run (pass) → Revert fix → Run (MUST FAIL) → Restore → Run (pass)
❌ "Wrote regression test" (no red-green)
```

**Requirements:**
```
✅ Re-read plan → Checklist each item → Report gaps or completion
❌ "Tests pass, phase complete"
```

**Agent delegation:**
```
✅ Agent reports → Check VCS diff → Verify changes → Report actual state
❌ Trust agent report
```