jcdavis131 Verify Subagent Output
Subagent output is the most trusted-yet-unverified thing in an agent loop. You dispatched it; it returned prose; you're tempted to trust it. Don't — spot-check first.
Why this matters
- SMEs drift from the contract — they skip a section, add an unrequested one, or pad.
- Subagents can claim evidence they didn't actually gather ("verified against the spec" without opening the spec).
- A synthesis built on unverified subagent output inherits every gap.
- A "done" report built on it misleads the user.
The spot-check
You don't re-do the subagent's work. You check conformance + substance:
- Conformance to the contract. Each returned file has the agreed sections, in the agreed shape, at the agreed length. Missing section = drift.
- Conformance to the named standard. If output is supposed to be "OKF-conformant" or "ADRs" or "spec-0008-shaped", check the shape against that standard by name.
- Substance, not just shape. At least one non-trivial claim per section that a careful reader would accept as evidence the SME actually did the work — not filler. "Security was reviewed" is filler; "authn boundary at
app/auth.py:42is missing a workspace check" is substance. - A sample, not all. For 5 SMEs, spot-check 1–2 in depth and skim the rest. Full re-verification defeats the fan-out.
The report
State the result as a one-line verdict that names the standard:
Bundle is fully OKF-conformant with five substantive reviews.
Or, if drift found:
OKF bundle: 4/5 conformant; security review missing the Risk section — sent back for completion.
When to send back vs. fix yourself
- Send back (re-dispatch the subagent with the specific gap) when the gap is large or in the SME's domain.
- Fix yourself when the gap is a missing boilerplate section you can write in one line.
When NOT to verify
- The subagent's output is purely advisory and won't feed a synthesis or a "done" claim.
- The cost of the spot-check exceeds the cost of being wrong (rare — usually the spot-check is cheap).
Pair with
sme-fanout— verification is the step between "all SMEs returned" and "synthesize".validate-gate— same ethos: cheap gate before declaring done.follow-procedure— the named standard you check against is the procedure.