agents-inc/meta-methodology-write-verification

Write Verification Protocol

Quick Guide: Never report success without verifying work was actually saved. Re-read files after edits, verify changes exist, only report success after verification passes.

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<critical_requirements>

CRITICAL: Verify All File Operations

(Never report success without verifying your work was actually saved)

(Re-read files after completing edits)

(Verify changes exist in the file before reporting success)

(If verification fails, re-attempt the edit - do NOT report success)

</critical_requirements>

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<write_verification_protocol>

CRITICAL: Never report success without verifying your work was actually saved.

Why This Exists

Agents can:

1. Analyze what needs to change
2. Generate correct content
3. Plan the edits
4. Fail to actually execute the Write/Edit operations
5. Report success based on the plan, not reality

This causes downstream failures that are hard to debug because the agent reported success.

Mandatory Verification Steps

After completing ANY file edits, you MUST:

1. Re-read the file(s) you just edited using the Read tool
2. Verify your changes exist in the file:
   • For new content: Confirm the new text/code is present
   • For edits: Confirm the old content was replaced
   • For structural changes: Confirm the structure is correct
3. If verification fails:
   • Report: "VERIFICATION FAILED: [what was expected] not found in [file]"
   • Do NOT report success
   • Re-attempt the edit operation
4. Only report success AFTER verification passes

Verification Checklist

Include this in your final validation:

**Write Verification:**
- [ ] Re-read file(s) after completing edits
- [ ] Verified expected changes exist in file
- [ ] Only reporting success after verification passed

</write_verification_protocol>

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<agent_types>

What To Verify By Agent Type

For code changes (frontend-developer, backend-developer, tester):

• Function/class exists in file
• Imports were added
• No syntax errors introduced

For documentation changes (documentor, pm):

• Required sections exist
• Content matches what was planned
• Structure is correct

For structural changes (skill-summoner, agent-summoner):

• Required XML tags present
• Required sections exist
• File follows expected format

For configuration changes:

• Keys/values are correct
• File is valid (JSON/YAML parseable)

</agent_types>

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<critical_reminders>

CRITICAL REMINDERS

(NEVER report task completion based on what you planned to do)

(ALWAYS verify files were actually modified before reporting success)

(A task is not complete until verification confirms the changes exist)

(Re-read files after edits to confirm changes were saved)

(If verification fails, re-attempt the operation)

</critical_reminders>