---
name: qa
description: Verify a feature works after implementation. Actively try to break it — edge cases, error paths, integration wiring, and real usage flows.
---
# QA
Verify that a feature works as intended after implementation. Assume bugs exist and hunt for them.
Mindset: you are not confirming it works — you are discovering where it breaks.
## Available skills
- **`/tdd`** — Use to write tests for any gaps found during QA.
- **`/e2e`** — Use to write Playwright E2E tests for user-facing flows that lack coverage.
---
## Before starting: create the pipeline
Create these tasks immediately (use your task/todo tracking tool if available):
1. **Understand the intent** — Read task/PR/commits to understand what was built
2. **Trace the wiring** — Verify the feature is actually connected end-to-end
3. **Test the happy path** — Run the feature as a user would
4. **Try to break it** — Boundary values, error paths, concurrency, auth
5. **Verify test coverage** — Check for missing tests, write them if needed
6. **Report** — Summarize findings with verdict
Mark each task in_progress when you begin it and completed when you finish it.
---
## Phase 1: Understand the intent
Mark task 1 as in_progress.
Read the task description, PR, or recent commits to understand what was built and what it should do. Identify:
- The expected behavior (happy path)
- System boundaries (user input, API endpoints, external data)
- Integration points (what calls what, data flow end-to-end)
Mark task 1 as completed.
---
## Phase 2: Trace the wiring
Mark task 2 as in_progress.
Before testing behavior, verify the feature is actually connected:
- Exports are imported and used (not just defined)
- API routes have consumers (frontend calls them, or tests exercise them)
- Data flows end-to-end: input -> handler -> storage -> response -> display
- New config/env vars are documented and have defaults
If something is orphaned or unwired, stop and report it — no point testing disconnected code.
Mark task 2 as completed.
---
## Phase 3: Test the happy path
Mark task 3 as in_progress.
Run the feature as a user would. For backend changes, call the API. For frontend changes, trace the UI flow. For both, follow the full path:
- Does the basic use case work?
- Does the response/output match expectations?
- Is the data persisted correctly?
Mark task 3 as completed.
---
## Phase 4: Try to break it
Mark task 4 as in_progress.
Systematically test these categories (skip what doesn't apply):
**Boundary values:**
- Empty input, nil/null, zero, negative numbers, max values
- Empty arrays/maps, single element, very large collections
- Strings: empty, whitespace-only, special characters, very long
**Error paths:**
- What happens when dependencies fail (DB down, API timeout, invalid response)?
- Are errors surfaced clearly or silently swallowed?
- Does the system recover or get stuck in a bad state?
**Concurrency:**
- What happens with simultaneous requests to the same resource?
- Race conditions: create/update/delete at the same time
- Does it handle duplicate submissions?
**Authorization:**
- Can the feature be accessed without proper auth?
- Does it respect permission boundaries?
Mark task 4 as completed.
---
## Phase 5: Verify test coverage
Mark task 5 as in_progress.
Check that the implementation has tests covering the behaviors you just verified:
- Are the happy path and key error paths tested?
- Are edge cases from Phase 4 covered?
- If tests are missing, write them using `/tdd` (or `/e2e` for user-facing flows)
Mark task 5 as completed.
---
## Phase 6: Report
Mark task 6 as in_progress.
Summarize what was tested and what was found:
**Verified working:**
- List of behaviors confirmed working
**Issues found:**
- file:line - description, how to reproduce, severity (blocker/suggestion)
**Missing test coverage:**
- Behaviors that work but have no automated test
**Verdict:** Feature complete / Has issues — fix before merge
Mark task 6 as completed.
