Verification Before Completion

Overview

Before claiming work is done, verify that it's actually done. Run the commands, read the output, check the edges.

Core principle: Evidence before claims.

The Checklist

Before saying "done," walk through these questions:

1. Did you finish the actual task?

• Re-read the original requirements or spec
• Check each acceptance criterion or requested change — did you address all of them, or just most?
• Did you handle edge cases, or only the happy path?

2. Does it work?

• Run the relevant verification commands (tests, build, linter, type checker)
• Read the full output — don't skim. Check exit codes, failure counts, warnings.
• If there's no automated verification, describe how you tested it manually

The claim must match the evidence. If tests show 33/34 passing, don't say "all tests pass."

3. Did you break anything else?

• Run the full test suite, not just the tests for your changes
• Check that existing functionality still works
• Look for warnings or deprecation notices that weren't there before

4. Is there non-code work to do?

Not every task needs all of these, but consider each one:

• Documentation — does the change need docs updates? README, API docs, inline comments for non-obvious logic?
• Configuration — any config files, environment variables, or settings that need updating?
• Tests — should new tests be written to cover the changes? Are existing tests still appropriate?
• Migration — does this require data migration, schema changes, or deployment steps?

If the task is purely exploratory (reading code, researching), skip this section.

5. State what you verified

When reporting completion, include what you ran and what the output was. Not "tests pass" — instead, "ran npm test, 47/47 passing, 0 warnings."

What This Doesn't Apply To

• Exploring the codebase
• Answering questions
• Research tasks
• Providing recommendations

This is for tasks that produce changes — code, config, docs.

Next: Use the finishing-a-development-branch skill to decide how to integrate the work.