richfrem/verification-before-completion
plugins/agent-execution-disciplines/skills/verification-before-completion/SKILL.md
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 always
$ install --global
skillsauthnpx skillsauth add richfrem/agent-plugins-skills verification-before-completionInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
Security Scan Results
3 of 9 scanners reported clean
Some scanners were skipped, did not run, or reported a non-clean status. Review each row below.
3
Scanners Passed
9
Scanners in report
Clean
TrivyContainer and dependency vulnerability scanner
95%
Clean
SemgrepStatic code analysis for vulnerabilities
95%
Clean
mcp-scan (Snyk)Model Context Protocol security validation
95%
Skipped
Snyk (dep)Open source security scanning
50%
Skipped
Socket.devSupply chain security analysis
50%
Skipped
VirusTotalMulti-engine malware detection
50%
Skipped
CrowdStrikeAdvanced threat intelligence
50%
Skipped
OSV-ScannerOpen Source Vulnerability database check
50%
Skipped
OWASP Dep-Check
50%
Last scanned: Apr 24, 2026, 8:43 PM1.9s1 file scanned
SKILL.md
- name:
- verification-before-completion
- description:
- 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 always
Source: Ported from obra/superpowers by Jesse Vincent. Adapted for the
agent-plugins-skillsecosystem. Original concepts and Iron Laws credit belongs to Jesse.
Verification Before Completion
Overview
Claiming work is complete without verification is dishonesty, not efficiency.
Core principle: Evidence before claims, always.
Violating the letter of this rule is violating the spirit of this rule.
The Iron Law
NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE
If you haven't run the verification command in this message, 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 = lying, 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, extrapolation | | Build succeeds | Build command: exit 0 | Linter passing, logs look good | | Bug fixed | Test original symptom: passes | Code changed, assumed fixed | | Regression test works | Red-green cycle verified | Test passes once | | Agent completed | VCS diff shows changes | Agent reports "success" | | Requirements met | Line-by-line checklist | Tests passing |
Red Flags - STOP
- Using "should", "probably", "seems to"
- Expressing satisfaction before verification ("Great!", "Perfect!", "Done!", etc.)
- About to commit/push/PR without verification
- Trusting agent success reports
- Relying on partial verification
- Thinking "just this once"
- Tired and wanting work over
- ANY wording implying success without having run verification
Rationalization Prevention
| Excuse | Reality | |--------|---------| | "Should work now" | RUN the verification | | "I'm confident" | Confidence is not evidence | | "Just this once" | No exceptions | | "Linter passed" | Linter is not the compiler | | "Agent said success" | Verify independently | | "I'm tired" | Exhaustion is not an excuse | | "Partial check is enough" | Partial proves nothing | | "Different words so rule doesn't apply" | Spirit over letter |
Key Patterns
Tests:
OK [Run test command] [See: 34/34 pass] "All tests pass"
NO "Should pass now" / "Looks correct"
Regression tests (TDD Red-Green):
OK Write -> Run (pass) -> Revert fix -> Run (MUST FAIL) -> Restore -> Run (pass)
NO "I've written a regression test" (without red-green verification)
Build:
OK [Run build] [See: exit 0] "Build passes"
NO "Linter passed" (linter does not check compilation)
Requirements:
OK Re-read plan -> Create checklist -> Verify each -> Report gaps or completion
NO "Tests pass, phase complete"
Agent delegation:
OK Agent reports success -> Check VCS diff -> Verify changes -> Report actual state
NO Trust agent report
Why This Matters
From observed failure patterns:
- Trust broken when claims precede evidence
- Undefined functions shipped - would crash at runtime
- Missing requirements shipped - incomplete features delivered
- Time wasted on false completion then redirect then rework
- Friction events of type
false_completion_claimaccumulate in the improvement ledger
When To Apply
ALWAYS before:
- ANY variation of success/completion claims
- ANY expression of satisfaction
- ANY positive statement about work state
- Committing, PR creation, task completion
- Moving to next task
- Delegating to agents
Rule applies to:
- Exact phrases
- Paraphrases and synonyms
- Implications of success
- ANY communication suggesting completion/correctness
The Bottom Line
No shortcuts for verification.
Run the command. Read the output. THEN claim the result.
This is non-negotiable.
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