Verification Before Completion

1---2name: verification-before-completion3description: 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 always4---5 6# Verification Before Completion7 8## Overview9 10Claiming work is complete without verification is dishonesty, not efficiency.11 12**Core principle:** Evidence before claims, always.13 14**Violating the letter of this rule is violating the spirit of this rule.**15 16## The Iron Law17 18```19NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE20```21 22If you haven't run the verification command in this message, you cannot claim it passes.23 24## The Gate Function25 26```27BEFORE claiming any status or expressing satisfaction:28 291. IDENTIFY: What command proves this claim?302. RUN: Execute the FULL command (fresh, complete)313. READ: Full output, check exit code, count failures324. VERIFY: Does output confirm the claim?33   - If NO: State actual status with evidence34   - If YES: State claim WITH evidence355. ONLY THEN: Make the claim36 37Skip any step = lying, not verifying38```39 40## Common Failures41 42| Claim | Requires | Not Sufficient |43|-------|----------|----------------|44| Tests pass | Test command output: 0 failures | Previous run, "should pass" |45| Linter clean | Linter output: 0 errors | Partial check, extrapolation |46| Build succeeds | Build command: exit 0 | Linter passing, logs look good |47| Bug fixed | Test original symptom: passes | Code changed, assumed fixed |48| Regression test works | Red-green cycle verified | Test passes once |49| Agent completed | VCS diff shows changes | Agent reports "success" |50| Requirements met | Line-by-line checklist | Tests passing |51 52## Red Flags - STOP53 54- Using "should", "probably", "seems to"55- Expressing satisfaction before verification ("Great!", "Perfect!", "Done!", etc.)56- About to commit/push/PR without verification57- Trusting agent success reports58- Relying on partial verification59- Thinking "just this once"60- Tired and wanting work over61- **ANY wording implying success without having run verification**62 63## Rationalization Prevention64 65| Excuse | Reality |66|--------|---------|67| "Should work now" | RUN the verification |68| "I'm confident" | Confidence ≠ evidence |69| "Just this once" | No exceptions |70| "Linter passed" | Linter ≠ compiler |71| "Agent said success" | Verify independently |72| "I'm tired" | Exhaustion ≠ excuse |73| "Partial check is enough" | Partial proves nothing |74| "Different words so rule doesn't apply" | Spirit over letter |75 76## Key Patterns77 78**Tests:**79```80✅ [Run test command] [See: 34/34 pass] "All tests pass"81❌ "Should pass now" / "Looks correct"82```83 84**Regression tests (TDD Red-Green):**85```86✅ Write → Run (pass) → Revert fix → Run (MUST FAIL) → Restore → Run (pass)87❌ "I've written a regression test" (without red-green verification)88```89 90**Build:**91```92✅ [Run build] [See: exit 0] "Build passes"93❌ "Linter passed" (linter doesn't check compilation)94```95 96**Requirements:**97```98✅ Re-read plan → Create checklist → Verify each → Report gaps or completion99❌ "Tests pass, phase complete"100```101 102**Agent delegation:**103```104✅ Agent reports success → Check VCS diff → Verify changes → Report actual state105❌ Trust agent report106```107 108## Why This Matters109 110From 24 failure memories:111- your human partner said "I don't believe you" - trust broken112- Undefined functions shipped - would crash113- Missing requirements shipped - incomplete features114- Time wasted on false completion → redirect → rework115- Violates: "Honesty is a core value. If you lie, you'll be replaced."116 117## When To Apply118 119**ALWAYS before:**120- ANY variation of success/completion claims121- ANY expression of satisfaction122- ANY positive statement about work state123- Committing, PR creation, task completion124- Moving to next task125- Delegating to agents126 127**Rule applies to:**128- Exact phrases129- Paraphrases and synonyms130- Implications of success131- ANY communication suggesting completion/correctness132 133## The Bottom Line134 135**No shortcuts for verification.**136 137Run the command. Read the output. THEN claim the result.138 139This is non-negotiable.