Bang-isme TL;DR
Evidence before claims. Run the command, read the output, THEN claim the result. No shortcuts. No "should work." No exceptions.
Verification Before Completion
Activation
- Activate before ANY claim of completion, success, or passing status.
- Activate on explicit
$codex-verification-discipline,$verify, or$evidence. - Activate before committing, PR creation, or task sign-off.
- Activate when about to move to the next task.
- This skill is always-loaded — it runs as a constant behavioral constraint.
Announce at start: "I'm verifying before claiming completion."
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.
Violating the letter of this rule is violating the spirit of this rule.
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 Violations
| 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
If you catch yourself thinking or writing:
- 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"
- 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 ≠ tests |
| "Agent said success" | Verify independently |
| "Partial check is enough" | Partial proves nothing |
| "Different words so rule doesn't apply" | Spirit over letter |
| "It's trivial" | Trivial things break. Run it. |
Evidence Patterns
Tests:
✅ [Run test command] → [See: 34/34 pass] → "All tests pass"
❌ "Should pass now" / "Looks correct"
Regression tests (TDD Red-Green):
✅ Write → Run (FAIL) → Implement → Run (PASS) → "Regression test verified"
❌ "I've written a regression test" (without red-green verification)
Build:
✅ [Run build] → [See: exit 0] → "Build passes"
❌ "Linter passed" (linter ≠ build)
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
Integration with Other Skills
| Skill | How Verification Integrates |
|---|---|
codex-test-driven-development |
Verify RED and GREEN steps with actual test output |
codex-execution-quality-gate |
Gate scripts provide the evidence; this skill ensures you actually READ the output |
codex-systematic-debugging |
Verify root cause fix with regression test evidence |
codex-subagent-execution |
Verify subagent output with VCS diff, not agent reports |
codex-branch-finisher |
Verify tests before presenting completion options |
Script Invocation Discipline
- When this workflow calls helper scripts from other skills, run
--helpfirst. - Treat helper scripts as black-box tools and execute by contract before reading source.
- Read script source only when customization or bug-fixing is required.
The Bottom Line
No shortcuts for verification.
Run the command. Read the output. THEN claim the result.
This is non-negotiable.