Create a verification skill
Every serious project needs a scripted way to drive the real app and
prove behavior. This skill generates that as a project-local skill
tailored to the repo.
Companion to verification-before-completion, which is the completion
gate. This skill authors the project harness that gate can run.
Authorized Scope
Apply this engine only within the user's requested task and existing explicit
authorization. Loading or delegating to it grants no additional authority.
Preserve report-only restrictions and the caller's target, host, provider, and
cost limits. Existing approval satisfies a gate only for the same actions and
scope; obtain approval before expanding them. Forward these limits to delegates.
Contract
Inputs:
- A repo that can build and start locally
Outputs:
- A project-local
verify-<app> skill with a feature map, proven once
end to end
Creates/Modifies:
.agents/skills/verify-<app>/ when that layout exists, otherwise
skills/verify-<app>/
External Side Effects:
- Starts and tears down local app instances during the proof pass
Confirmation Required:
- Before writing the skill into the project tree
Delegates To:
- Named:
maintain-verification-skill for later upkeep
verification-before-completion for the completion gate itself
Steps
- Interview the repo, not the user. Answer surface, run, drive,
observe, and isolate from the codebase. Ask only what you cannot
observe. If the checkout does not start, fix or report that first.
- Generate the skill with frontmatter (
name: verify-<app>) and
sections: Launch, Doctor, Drive, Evidence, Cleanup, Helpers. No
placeholders left. Prefer existing harnesses
(Playwright, expect, PTY, HTTP) over generic recipes.
- Seed the feature map. Write
features/README.md plus one file
per top user-facing feature (aim for 3-5). Follow
references/feature-map-example.md.
- Prove it. Run launch, doctor, drive ONE mapped feature, capture
evidence, clean up. After cleanup, confirm the evidence still
exists. A skill that was never executed is a draft.
- Offer the maintenance loop. Point at
maintain-verification-skill.
Create Verification Skill procedure
Read create-verification-skill procedure when running this workflow.
Apply the authorized scope and mode of this entry point to every step.
Resolve other skills through this distribution’s active catalog; resolve
resources relative to the installed skill directory.
1---
2name: create-verification-skill
3description: Generate a project-local verification skill that drives the app the way a user does. Use for create-verification-skill, make a verify skill for this repo, or when a project has no scripted way to prove UI, CLI, or service behavior.
4license: MIT
5metadata:
6 portable_source: "https://github.com/ericlitman/open-pstack"
7 portable_commit: "56bfd14418fa733e34d98f714f357d28788470e3"
8 version: "1.2.0"
9 tags: "verification, harness, feature-map, project-local"
10 author: Ship Shit Dev
11 source: https://github.com/cursor/plugins/blob/main/pstack/skills/create-verification-skill/SKILL.md
12 upstream_repo: cursor/plugins
13 upstream_ref: main
14 upstream_commit: bdf7aa355337
15 last_synced: "2026-09-05"
16 license: MIT
17when_to_use: "create verification skill, make a verify skill, scripted app proof"
18---
19
20# Create a verification skill
21
22Every serious project needs a scripted way to drive the real app and
23prove behavior. This skill generates that as a project-local skill
24tailored to the repo.
25
26Companion to `verification-before-completion`, which is the completion
27gate. This skill authors the project harness that gate can run.
28
29## Authorized Scope
30
31Apply this engine only within the user's requested task and existing explicit
32authorization. Loading or delegating to it grants no additional authority.
33Preserve report-only restrictions and the caller's target, host, provider, and
34cost limits. Existing approval satisfies a gate only for the same actions and
35scope; obtain approval before expanding them. Forward these limits to delegates.
36
37## Contract
38
39Inputs:
40
41- A repo that can build and start locally
42
43Outputs:
44
45- A project-local `verify-<app>` skill with a feature map, proven once
46 end to end
47
48Creates/Modifies:
49
50- `.agents/skills/verify-<app>/` when that layout exists, otherwise
51 `skills/verify-<app>/`
52
53External Side Effects:
54
55- Starts and tears down local app instances during the proof pass
56
57Confirmation Required:
58
59- Before writing the skill into the project tree
60
61Delegates To:
62
63- Named: `maintain-verification-skill` for later upkeep
64- `verification-before-completion` for the completion gate itself
65
66## Steps
67
681. **Interview the repo, not the user.** Answer surface, run, drive,
69 observe, and isolate from the codebase. Ask only what you cannot
70 observe. If the checkout does not start, fix or report that first.
712. **Generate the skill** with frontmatter (`name: verify-<app>`) and
72 sections: Launch, Doctor, Drive, Evidence, Cleanup, Helpers. No
73 placeholders left. Prefer existing harnesses
74 (Playwright, expect, PTY, HTTP) over generic recipes.
753. **Seed the feature map.** Write `features/README.md` plus one file
76 per top user-facing feature (aim for 3-5). Follow
77 [references/feature-map-example.md](references/feature-map-example.md).
784. **Prove it.** Run launch, doctor, drive ONE mapped feature, capture
79 evidence, clean up. After cleanup, confirm the evidence still
80 exists. A skill that was never executed is a draft.
815. **Offer the maintenance loop.** Point at
82 `maintain-verification-skill`.
83
84## Create Verification Skill procedure
85
86Read [create-verification-skill procedure](references/create-verification-skill-procedure.md) when running this workflow.
87Apply the authorized scope and mode of this entry point to every step.
88Resolve other skills through this distribution’s active catalog; resolve
89resources relative to the installed skill directory.
shipshitdev