verify-result

/verify-result — prove it works, show evidence

Prove the work actually works. Not by re-reading what you wrote. Not by running unit tests. By examining the output from the consumer's perspective and showing concrete evidence.

"I produced it correctly" is not verification. "The tests pass" is not verification. Verification is: here's what happens when I actually use this thing, look at this thing, run this thing.

How to verify, by output type

Output	How to verify
Backend API	curl endpoints, check responses
Frontend	open browser, click through the flow, read browser/server logs, screenshot each step
CLI tool	run with real inputs, show output
Library / utility	write a small usage script, execute it
Config / infra	verify the effect (does the config actually get read?)
Data migration	check data state before and after
Bug fix	reproduce the original bug scenario, show it's fixed
Refactor	run the same operations, show identical behavior
Rendered document (Typst, LaTeX, markdown)	render, open the file, read every page
Slide deck	render, open, examine each slide
Generated report	open, read, spot-check claims and data
Writing / copy	read back, verify references, check claims

If the work spans multiple types, verify each.

Procedure

1. Stand up the environment if needed. Reuse a running instance if one exists; otherwise start what you need in the background and wait for readiness.

2. Verify each case — happy path, error cases, edge cases, and (for bug fixes) the original failure scenario. For each:

   • State what you're checking ("Verifying that POST /api/users returns 201").
   • Show the command, action, or rendered output.
   • Show the result — paste output, attach screenshot, open the artifact.
   • Assess: does this match expectations? If not, why?

3. Clean up. Write verification artifacts (screenshots, logs, test files) to /tmp/ by default. If any landed in the repo, remove them before reporting.

4. Report. Inline as you go; at the end, summarize what was verified, what passed, what failed, and what couldn't be verified — with the reason.

Inviolable rules

• No claiming without showing. Every verification produces visible evidence — command output, response body, screenshot, log line, rendered file. "I verified it works" with nothing to show = you didn't verify.
• Verify from the consumer's perspective. Not the producer's. "Does the function return X?" is producer-perspective. "Does the user see X?" / "Does the document say X?" is consumer-perspective.
• If you can't verify, say so. Some things genuinely can't be verified in the current environment (no SMTP server, no production data). Name the gap explicitly. Silent skipping is not OK.
• If verification fails, fix and re-verify. Failure is a bug to fix, not a status to report. Escalate only when the fix requires a design decision.