---
name: verification-before-completion
description: Verification checklist for claims of correctness — invoke when asked to verify or audit work
---

# Verification Before Completion

## Overview

Claiming work is complete without verification is dishonesty, not efficiency.

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

## The Iron Law

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

If you haven't run the verification command, 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 = 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               |
| 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/PR without verification
- Relying on partial verification
- **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     |
| "I'm tired"       | Exhaustion ≠ excuse   |

## Key Patterns

**Tests:**

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

**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"
```

## When To Apply

**ALWAYS before:**

- ANY success/completion claims
- ANY expression of satisfaction
- ANY positive statement about work state
- Committing, PR creation, task completion
- Moving to next task

## The Bottom Line

**No shortcuts for verification.**

Run the command. Read the output. THEN claim the result.

This is non-negotiable.
