verification-before-completion

# Verification Before Completion

## Overview

**Core principle:** Evidence before claims, always.

**Violating the letter of this rule is violating the spirit of this rule.**

## The Iron Law

```
NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE
```

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

## The Gate Function

```
BEFORE claiming any status or expressing satisfaction:

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?
   - If NO: State actual status with evidence
   - If YES: State claim WITH evidence
5. ONLY THEN: Make the claim

Skip any step = lying, not verifying
```

## Common Failures

| Claim | Requires | Not Sufficient |
|-------|----------|----------------|
| Tests pass | Test command output: 0 failures | Previous run, "should pass" |
| Linter clean | Linter output: 0 errors | Partial check, extrapolation |
| Build succeeds | Build command: exit 0 | Linter passing, logs look good |
| Bug fixed | Test original symptom: passes | Code changed, assumed fixed |
| Regression test works | Red-green cycle verified | Test passes once |
| Agent completed | VCS diff shows changes | Agent reports "success" |
| Requirements met | Line-by-line checklist | Tests passing |

## Red Flags - STOP

- Using "should", "probably", "seems to"
- Expressing satisfaction before verification ("Great!", "Perfect!", "Done!", etc.)
- About to commit/push/PR without verification
- Trusting agent success reports
- Relying on partial verification
- Thinking "just this once"
- Tired and wanting work over
- **ANY wording implying success without having run verification**

## Rationalization Prevention

| Excuse | Reality |
|--------|---------|
| "Should work now" | RUN the verification |
| "I'm confident" | Confidence ≠ evidence |
| "Just this once" | No exceptions |
| "Linter passed" | Linter ≠ compiler |
| "Agent said success" | Verify independently |
| "I'm tired" | Exhaustion ≠ excuse |
| "Partial check is enough" | Partial proves nothing |
| "Different words so rule doesn't apply" | Spirit over letter |

## Key Patterns

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

**Regression tests (TDD Red-Green):**
```
✅ Write → Run (pass) → Revert fix → Run (MUST FAIL) → Restore → Run (pass)
❌ "I've written a regression test" (without red-green verification)
```

**Build:**
```
✅ [Run build] [See: exit 0] "Build passes"
❌ "Linter passed" (linter doesn't check compilation)
```

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

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

## When To Apply

**ALWAYS before:**
- ANY variation of success/completion claims
- ANY expression of satisfaction
- ANY positive statement about work state
- Committing, PR creation, task completion
- Moving to next task
- Delegating to agents

**Rule applies to:**
- Exact phrases
- Paraphrases and synonyms
- Implications of success
- ANY communication suggesting completion/correctness

{
  "format": "aiskill/v1",
  "skill": {
    "name": "verification-before-completion",
    "slug": "verification-before-completion",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "description": "Use when about to claim work is complete, fixed, or passing, before committing or creating PRs - requires running verification commands and confirming output before making any success claims; evidence before assertions always",
    "category": "Development",
    "tags": [
      "dev-workflow"
    ],
    "platforms": [
      "chatgpt",
      "claude-code",
      "cursor"
    ],
    "tested_environment": "Agent Skills convention (SKILL.md) — works with Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT/Codex and compatible agents",
    "license": "MIT"
  },
  "prompts": {
    "system": "# Verification Before Completion\n\n## Overview\n\n**Core principle:** Evidence before claims, always.\n\n**Violating the letter of this rule is violating the spirit of this rule.**\n\n## The Iron Law\n\n```\nNO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE\n```\n\nIf you haven't run the verification command in this message, you cannot claim it passes.\n\n## The Gate Function\n\n```\nBEFORE claiming any status or expressing satisfaction:\n\n1. IDENTIFY: What command proves this claim?\n2. RUN: Execute the FULL command (fresh, complete)\n3. READ: Full output, check exit code, count failures\n4. VERIFY: Does output confirm the claim?\n   - If NO: State actual status with evidence\n   - If YES: State claim WITH evidence\n5. ONLY THEN: Make the claim\n\nSkip any step = lying, not verifying\n```\n\n## Common Failures\n\n| Claim | Requires | Not Sufficient |\n|-------|----------|----------------|\n| Tests pass | Test command output: 0 failures | Previous run, \"should pass\" |\n| Linter clean | Linter output: 0 errors | Partial check, extrapolation |\n| Build succeeds | Build command: exit 0 | Linter passing, logs look good |\n| Bug fixed | Test original symptom: passes | Code changed, assumed fixed |\n| Regression test works | Red-green cycle verified | Test passes once |\n| Agent completed | VCS diff shows changes | Agent reports \"success\" |\n| Requirements met | Line-by-line checklist | Tests passing |\n\n## Red Flags - STOP\n\n- Using \"should\", \"probably\", \"seems to\"\n- Expressing satisfaction before verification (\"Great!\", \"Perfect!\", \"Done!\", etc.)\n- About to commit/push/PR without verification\n- Trusting agent success reports\n- Relying on partial verification\n- Thinking \"just this once\"\n- Tired and wanting work over\n- **ANY wording implying success without having run verification**\n\n## Rationalization Prevention\n\n| Excuse | Reality |\n|--------|---------|\n| \"Should work now\" | RUN the verification |\n| \"I'm confident\" | Confidence ≠ evidence |\n| \"Just this once\" | No exceptions |\n| \"Linter passed\" | Linter ≠ compiler |\n| \"Agent said success\" | Verify independently |\n| \"I'm tired\" | Exhaustion ≠ excuse |\n| \"Partial check is enough\" | Partial proves nothing |\n| \"Different words so rule doesn't apply\" | Spirit over letter |\n\n## Key Patterns\n\n**Tests:**\n```\n✅ [Run test command] [See: 34/34 pass] \"All tests pass\"\n❌ \"Should pass now\" / \"Looks correct\"\n```\n\n**Regression tests (TDD Red-Green):**\n```\n✅ Write → Run (pass) → Revert fix → Run (MUST FAIL) → Restore → Run (pass)\n❌ \"I've written a regression test\" (without red-green verification)\n```\n\n**Build:**\n```\n✅ [Run build] [See: exit 0] \"Build passes\"\n❌ \"Linter passed\" (linter doesn't check compilation)\n```\n\n**Requirements:**\n```\n✅ Re-read plan → Create checklist → Verify each → Report gaps or completion\n❌ \"Tests pass, phase complete\"\n```\n\n**Agent delegation:**\n```\n✅ Agent reports success → Check VCS diff → Verify changes → Report actual state\n❌ Trust agent report\n```\n\n## When To Apply\n\n**ALWAYS before:**\n- ANY variation of success/completion claims\n- ANY expression of satisfaction\n- ANY positive statement about work state\n- Committing, PR creation, task completion\n- Moving to next task\n- Delegating to agents\n\n**Rule applies to:**\n- Exact phrases\n- Paraphrases and synonyms\n- Implications of success\n- ANY communication suggesting completion/correctness",
    "user_template": ""
  },
  "variables": [],
  "install": {
    "steps": [
      {
        "title": "Download & unzip",
        "detail": "Download the .zip package from SkillVault and unzip it. The verification-before-completion/ folder contains SKILL.md plus any companion scripts, references and assets."
      },
      {
        "title": "Copy into your agent skills directory",
        "detail": "Move the folder into your agent's skills directory — e.g. ~/.claude/skills/ (Claude Code), .codex/skills/, .cursor/skills/ or your project's .claude/skills/ folder — then restart or reload the session."
      },
      {
        "title": "Use it",
        "detail": "Describe the task in natural language; the agent loads the skill automatically when the request matches the skill description."
      }
    ]
  },
  "usage": {
    "steps": []
  },
  "metadata": {
    "author": "SkillVault",
    "source": "https://skillvault.top/skills/verification-before-completion",
    "exported_at": "2026-11-03T07:43:10.398Z"
  }
}

format: aiskill/v1
skill:
  name: verification-before-completion
  slug: verification-before-completion
  version: 1.0.0
  description: >-
    Use when about to claim work is complete, fixed, or passing, before committing or creating PRs -
    requires running verification commands and confirming output before making any success claims;
    evidence before assertions always
  category: Development
  tags:
    - dev-workflow
  platforms:
    - chatgpt
    - claude-code
    - cursor
  tested_environment: >-
    Agent Skills convention (SKILL.md) — works with Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT/Codex and
    compatible agents
  license: MIT
prompts:
  system: |-
    # Verification Before Completion

    ## Overview

    **Core principle:** Evidence before claims, always.

    **Violating the letter of this rule is violating the spirit of this rule.**

    ## The Iron Law

    ```
    NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE
    ```

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

    ## The Gate Function

    ```
    BEFORE claiming any status or expressing satisfaction:

    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?
       - If NO: State actual status with evidence
       - If YES: State claim WITH evidence
    5. ONLY THEN: Make the claim

    Skip any step = lying, not verifying
    ```

    ## Common Failures

    | Claim | Requires | Not Sufficient |
    |-------|----------|----------------|
    | Tests pass | Test command output: 0 failures | Previous run, "should pass" |
    | Linter clean | Linter output: 0 errors | Partial check, extrapolation |
    | Build succeeds | Build command: exit 0 | Linter passing, logs look good |
    | Bug fixed | Test original symptom: passes | Code changed, assumed fixed |
    | Regression test works | Red-green cycle verified | Test passes once |
    | Agent completed | VCS diff shows changes | Agent reports "success" |
    | Requirements met | Line-by-line checklist | Tests passing |

    ## Red Flags - STOP

    - Using "should", "probably", "seems to"
    - Expressing satisfaction before verification ("Great!", "Perfect!", "Done!", etc.)
    - About to commit/push/PR without verification
    - Trusting agent success reports
    - Relying on partial verification
    - Thinking "just this once"
    - Tired and wanting work over
    - **ANY wording implying success without having run verification**

    ## Rationalization Prevention

    | Excuse | Reality |
    |--------|---------|
    | "Should work now" | RUN the verification |
    | "I'm confident" | Confidence ≠ evidence |
    | "Just this once" | No exceptions |
    | "Linter passed" | Linter ≠ compiler |
    | "Agent said success" | Verify independently |
    | "I'm tired" | Exhaustion ≠ excuse |
    | "Partial check is enough" | Partial proves nothing |
    | "Different words so rule doesn't apply" | Spirit over letter |

    ## Key Patterns

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

    **Regression tests (TDD Red-Green):**
    ```
    ✅ Write → Run (pass) → Revert fix → Run (MUST FAIL) → Restore → Run (pass)
    ❌ "I've written a regression test" (without red-green verification)
    ```

    **Build:**
    ```
    ✅ [Run build] [See: exit 0] "Build passes"
    ❌ "Linter passed" (linter doesn't check compilation)
    ```

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

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

    ## When To Apply

    **ALWAYS before:**
    - ANY variation of success/completion claims
    - ANY expression of satisfaction
    - ANY positive statement about work state
    - Committing, PR creation, task completion
    - Moving to next task
    - Delegating to agents

    **Rule applies to:**
    - Exact phrases
    - Paraphrases and synonyms
    - Implications of success
    - ANY communication suggesting completion/correctness
  user_template: ""
variables: []
install:
  steps:
    - title: Download & unzip
      detail: >-
        Download the .zip package from SkillVault and unzip it. The verification-before-completion/
        folder contains SKILL.md plus any companion scripts, references and assets.
    - title: Copy into your agent skills directory
      detail: >-
        Move the folder into your agent's skills directory — e.g. ~/.claude/skills/ (Claude Code),
        .codex/skills/, .cursor/skills/ or your project's .claude/skills/ folder — then restart or
        reload the session.
    - title: Use it
      detail: >-
        Describe the task in natural language; the agent loads the skill automatically when the
        request matches the skill description.
usage:
  steps: []
metadata:
  author: SkillVault
  source: https://skillvault.top/skills/verification-before-completion
  exported_at: "2026-11-03T07:43:10.398Z"