Best for
- ANY variation of success/completion claims
- ANY expression of satisfaction
- ANY positive statement about work state
Source profileQuality 68/100Review permissions
obra/superpowers/skills/verification-before-completion/SKILL.md
verification-before-completion
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 repository stars
- 262,331
- Declared platforms
- 0
- Static risk flags
- 1
- Last source update
- 2026-07-24
- Source checked
- 2026-07-28
Decision brief
What it does—and where it fits
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
Not for
- Tasks that require unconfirmed production actions or broad system permissions.
- Environments where the pinned source and install steps cannot be inspected.
Compatibility matrix
Platform support, with evidence labels
| Platform | Status | Evidence | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codex | Not declared | No explicit evidence | Portability before use |
| Claude Code | Not declared | No explicit evidence | Portability before use |
| Cursor | Not declared | No explicit evidence | Portability before use |
| Gemini CLI | Not declared | No explicit evidence | Portability before use |
Installation
Inspect first. Install second.
The source command is displayed only when detected. A safe inspection prompt is always available so your agent can explain every action before execution.
Source-detected install commandSource
npx skills add https://github.com/obra/superpowers --skill "skills/verification-before-completion"Safe inspection promptEditorial
Inspect the Agent Skill "verification-before-completion" from https://github.com/obra/superpowers/blob/3dcbd5c4b48e02263fbf4a3c01e3fe4f81d584d9/skills/verification-before-completion/SKILL.md at commit 3dcbd5c4b48e02263fbf4a3c01e3fe4f81d584d9. List every install step, command, network request, credential, file read/write, external action, and rollback step. Explain whether it fits my task. Do not install or execute anything until I approve.
Workflow
What the source asks the agent to do
- 01
The Iron Law
If you haven't run the verification command in this message, you cannot claim it passes.
If you haven't run the verification command in this message, you cannot claim it passes. - 02
The Gate Function
Review the “The Gate Function” section in the pinned source before continuing.
Review and apply the “The Gate Function” source section. - 03
Common Failures
Review the “Common Failures” section in the pinned source before continuing.
Review and apply the “Common Failures” source section. - 04
Red Flags - STOP
Using "should", "probably", "seems to"
Using "should", "probably", "seems to"Expressing satisfaction before verification ("Great!", "Perfect!", "Done!", etc.)About to commit/push/PR without verification
Permission review
Static risk signals and limitations
Runs scripts
The documentation asks the agent to run terminal commands or scripts.
If you haven't run the verification command in this message, you cannot claim it passes.Runs scripts
The documentation asks the agent to run terminal commands or scripts.
RUN: Execute the FULL command (fresh, complete)Evidence record
Why each signal appears
EvidenceSourceComputedTestedEditorial
| Signal | Value | Evidence type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality score | 68/100 | Computed | Documentation, specificity, maintenance, and trust rules |
| Repository stars | 262,331 | Source | Repository attention, not individual Skill quality |
| Compatibility | 0 platforms | Source | Declared in the catalog source record |
| Usage guide | automated source guide | Editorial | Generated or reviewed according to the visible evidence level |
Pinned source
Provenance and original SKILL.md
- Repository
- obra/superpowers
- Skill path
- skills/verification-before-completion/SKILL.md
- Commit
- 3dcbd5c4b48e02263fbf4a3c01e3fe4f81d584d9
- License
- MIT
- Collected
- 2026-07-28
- Default branch
- main
View the original SKILL.md
Verification Before Completion
Overview
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 ≠ evidence |
| "Just this once" | No exceptions |
| "Linter passed" | Linter ≠ compiler |
| "Agent said success" | Verify independently |
| "I'm tired" | Exhaustion ≠ excuse |
| "Partial check is enough" | Partial proves nothing |
| "Different words so rule doesn't apply" | Spirit over letter |
Key Patterns
Tests:
✅ [Run test command] [See: 34/34 pass] "All tests pass"
❌ "Should pass now" / "Looks correct"
Regression tests (TDD Red-Green):
✅ Write → Run (pass) → Revert fix → Run (MUST FAIL) → Restore → Run (pass)
❌ "I've written a regression test" (without red-green verification)
Build:
✅ [Run build] [See: exit 0] "Build passes"
❌ "Linter passed" (linter doesn't check compilation)
Requirements:
✅ Re-read plan → Create checklist → Verify each → Report gaps or completion
❌ "Tests pass, phase complete"
Agent delegation:
✅ Agent reports success → Check VCS diff → Verify changes → Report actual state
❌ Trust agent report
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