Verify

Verify Feature

Comprehensive verification using parallel specialized agents with nuanced grading (0-10 scale) and improvement suggestions.

Quick Start

/ork:verify authentication flow
/ork:verify --model=opus user profile feature
/ork:verify --scope=backend database migrations

Argument Resolution

SCOPE = "$ARGUMENTS"       # Full argument string, e.g., "authentication flow"
SCOPE_TOKEN = "$ARGUMENTS[0]"  # First token for flag detection (e.g., "--scope=backend")
# $ARGUMENTS[0], $ARGUMENTS[1] etc. for indexed access (CC 2.1.59)

# Model override detection (CC 2.1.72)
MODEL_OVERRIDE = None
for token in "$ARGUMENTS".split():
    if token.startswith("--model="):
        MODEL_OVERRIDE = token.split("=", 1)[1]  # "opus", "sonnet", "haiku", "fable"
        SCOPE = SCOPE.replace(token, "").strip()

# Streak gate detection (#2540) — consecutive-pass mode
STREAK_TARGET = None
for token in "$ARGUMENTS".split():
    if token.startswith("--streak="):
        STREAK_TARGET = int(token.split("=", 1)[1])  # N consecutive READY verdicts required (N >= 2)
        SCOPE = SCOPE.replace(token, "").strip()
# When set, apply the Streak Gate (see below). Full protocol: references/streak-gate.md

Pass MODEL_OVERRIDE to all Agent() calls via model=MODEL_OVERRIDE when set. Accepts symbolic names (opus, sonnet, haiku, fable on harnesses whose Agent tool lists it; note fable is premium API spend after 2026-07-12) or full IDs (claude-opus-5) per CC 2.1.74.

Opus 5: Agents use native adaptive thinking (no MCP sequential-thinking needed); defaults to high effort (CC 2.1.154+). Extended 128K output supports comprehensive verification reports.

STEP 0: Effort-Aware Verification Scaling (CC 2.1.76)

Scale verification depth based on /effort level:

Override: Explicit user selection (e.g., "Full verification") overrides /effort downscaling.

STEP 0a: Verify User Intent with AskUserQuestion

BEFORE creating tasks, clarify verification scope:

AskUserQuestion(
  questions=[{
    "question": "What scope for this verification?",
    "header": "Scope",
    "options": [
      # multiSelect questions do not render previews (single-select only) — kept text-only
      {"label": "Full verification (Recommended)", "description": "All tests + security + code quality + visual + grades"},
      {"label": "Tests only", "description": "Run unit + integration + e2e tests"},
      {"label": "Security & code quality", "description": "Security audit (OWASP/CVE/secrets) + lint/types/complexity"},
      {"label": "Quick check", "description": "Just run tests, skip detailed analysis"}
    ],
    "multiSelect": true
  }]
)

Based on answer, adjust workflow:

• Full verification: All 9 phases (8 + 2.5), 7 parallel agents including visual capture
• Tests only: Skip phases 2 (security), 5 (UI/UX analysis)
• Security & code quality: Run security-auditor + code-quality-reviewer agents
• Quick check: Run tests only, skip grading and suggestions

STEP 0b: Select Orchestration Mode

Load details: Read("references/orchestration-mode.md") for env var check logic, Agent Teams vs Task Tool comparison, and mode selection rules.

Choose Agent Teams (mesh -- verifiers share findings) or Task tool (star -- all report to lead) based on the orchestration mode reference.

MCP Probe + Resume

# memory is alwaysLoad in .mcp.json (CC 2.1.121+, #1541) — probe below kept as fallback for older CC:
ToolSearch(query="select:mcp__memory__search_nodes")
Write(".claude/chain/capabilities.json", { memory, timestamp })

Read(".claude/chain/state.json")  # resume if exists

Handoff File

After verification completes, write results:

Write(".claude/chain/verify-results.json", JSON.stringify({
  "phase": "verify", "skill": "verify",
  "timestamp": now(), "status": "completed",
  "outputs": {
    "tests_passed": N, "tests_failed": N,
    "coverage": "87%", "security_scan": "clean"
  }
}))

Regression Monitor (CC 2.1.71)

Optionally schedule post-verification monitoring:

# Guard: Skip cron in headless/CI (CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_CRON)
# if env CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_CRON is set, run a single check instead
CronCreate(
  schedule="0 8 * * *",
  prompt="Daily regression check: npm test.
    If 7 consecutive passes → CronDelete.
    If failures → alert with details."
)

Task Management (CC 2.1.16)

# 1. Create main verification task
TaskCreate(
  subject="Verify [feature-name] implementation",
  description="Comprehensive verification with nuanced grading",
  activeForm="Verifying [feature-name] implementation"
)

# 2. Create subtasks for 8-phase process
TaskCreate(subject="Run code quality checks", activeForm="Running quality checks")    # id=2
TaskCreate(subject="Execute security audit", activeForm="Running security audit")     # id=3
TaskCreate(subject="Verify test coverage", activeForm="Verifying test coverage")      # id=4
TaskCreate(subject="Validate API", activeForm="Validating API")                       # id=5
TaskCreate(subject="Check UI/UX", activeForm="Checking UI/UX")                       # id=6
TaskCreate(subject="Calculate grades", activeForm="Calculating grades")               # id=7
TaskCreate(subject="Generate suggestions", activeForm="Generating suggestions")       # id=8
TaskCreate(subject="Compile report", activeForm="Compiling report")                   # id=9

# 3. Set dependencies — phases 2-6 run in parallel, 7-9 are sequential
TaskUpdate(taskId="7", addBlockedBy=["2", "3", "4", "5", "6"])  # Grading needs all checks
TaskUpdate(taskId="8", addBlockedBy=["7"])  # Suggestions need grades
TaskUpdate(taskId="9", addBlockedBy=["8"])  # Report needs suggestions

# 4. Update status as you progress
TaskUpdate(taskId="2", status="in_progress")  # When starting
TaskUpdate(taskId="2", status="completed")    # When done — repeat for each subtask

8-Phase Workflow

Load details: Read("references/verification-phases.md") for complete phase details, agent spawn definitions, Agent Teams alternative, and team teardown.

Phase 2 Agents (Quick Reference)

Launch ALL agents in ONE message with run_in_background=True and max_turns=25.

Progressive Output (CC 2.1.76+)

Output each agent's score as soon as it completes — don't wait for all 6-7 agents.

Focus mode (CC 2.1.101): In focus mode, include the full composite score, all dimension scores, and the verdict in your final message — the user didn't see the incremental outputs.

Security:     8.2/10 — No critical vulnerabilities found
Code Quality: 7.5/10 — 3 complexity hotspots identified
[...remaining agents still running...]

This gives users real-time visibility into multi-agent verification. If any dimension scores below the security_minimum threshold (default 5.0), flag it as a blocker immediately — the user can terminate early without waiting for remaining agents.

Monitor + Partial Results (CC 2.1.98)

Use Monitor for streaming test output. A run_in_background request may not be honoured, so never wait unconditionally on the result.

LOG = f"verification-output/{ts}/npmtest.log"   # named file: evidence lands here whether or not backgrounding is honoured
task = Bash(command=f"npm test > {LOG} 2>&1; echo EXIT=$? >> {LOG}", run_in_background=true)
if not task.id:                 # request ignored → the command ran inline and LOG is already complete
    pass                        # do NOT wait; there is no task to wait for
else:
    Monitor(pid=task.id)        # bounded: see the contract reference below; progress via `tail -n 5 {LOG}`
# The verdict gate is EXECUTABLE, not prose (#3263). Only outcome=EVIDENCE may be graded:
Bash(command=f"bash ${{CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}}/skills/verify/scripts/assert-evidence.sh {LOG} --task-id '{task.id or 'none'}'")
# exit 0 EVIDENCE   → grade from LOG's runner summary line
# exit 4 STILL-RUNNING → keep the bounded wait, re-run the gate
# exit 3 COULD-NOT-OBSERVE (0 bytes, no live process) or exit 1 NO-BANNER →
#   the Tests dimension has NO score; report `Tests: COULD-NOT-OBSERVE (assert-evidence exit N, bytes, pid_alive)`
#   and the verdict is BLOCKED. Never emit a grade from an empty run.

Measured (#3263): three backgrounded suites wrote 0 bytes, npm's own banner never appeared, and the skill waited ~40 min on a completion signal that could not fire. An empty run must be loud, not pending. Contract and the refuted hypotheses: Read("references/background-task-contract.md").

Full pattern reference (when to use vs. TaskOutput, until-condition gates, anti-patterns): Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/chain-patterns/references/monitor-patterns.md").

Partial results (CC 2.1.98): If a verification agent fails mid-analysis, synthesize partial scores rather than re-spawning:

for agent_result in verification_results:
    if "[PARTIAL RESULT]" in agent_result.output: A `maxTurns` stop is also partial since CC 2.1.246 (summary: "stopped at its N-turn limit (partial result; continue it with SendMessage to the task-id)"); continue that agent with `SendMessage` instead of re-spawning it.
        # Extract whatever scores the agent produced before crashing
        partial_score = parse_score(agent_result.output)  # May be incomplete
        scores[agent_result.dimension] = {
            "score": partial_score, "partial": True,
            "note": "Agent crashed — score based on partial analysis"
        }
        # A 4-dimension score is better than no score. Do NOT re-spawn.

Cross-session replies land in the parent (CC 2.1.248): when a subagent sends SendMessage to another session, the reply is delivered to the parent session's conversation, never to the subagent; a subagent sends and moves on, the parent reads the answer. Cross-session SendMessage / ListAgents also work on Bedrock, Vertex and Foundry and with telemetry disabled (CC 2.1.248).

Phase 2.5: Visual Capture (NEW — runs in parallel with Phase 2)

Load details: Read("references/visual-capture.md") for auto-detection, route discovery, screenshot capture, and AI vision evaluation.

Summary: Auto-detects project framework, starts dev server, discovers routes, uses agent-browser to screenshot each route, evaluates with Claude vision, generates self-contained gallery.html with base64-embedded images.

Output: verification-output/{timestamp}/gallery.html — open in browser to see all screenshots with AI evaluations, scores, and annotation diffs.

Graceful degradation: If no frontend detected or server won't start, skips visual capture with a warning — never blocks verification.

Grading & Scoring

Load Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/quality-gates/references/unified-scoring-framework.md") for dimensions, weights, grade thresholds, and improvement prioritization. Load Read("references/quality-model.md") for verify-specific extensions (Visual dimension). Load Read("references/grading-rubric.md") for per-agent scoring criteria.

Dimension-Level Blockers (ork-rubric/1.0)

Composite is necessary but not sufficient — a strong composite can average away a critical dimension. In Phase 4 (Nuanced Grading), read per-dimension thresholds from rubric.json (schema: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/rubric.schema.json): security min_blocker 4.0, compliance min_pass 6.0.

• A dimension whose evidence outcome is COULD-NOT-OBSERVE or NO-BANNER (per scripts/assert-evidence.sh) has NO score. Report it verbatim, e.g. Tests: COULD-NOT-OBSERVE (assert-evidence exit 3, 0 bytes, no live pid), and the verdict is BLOCKED. Never average a missing dimension into the composite.
• ANY dimension below its min_blocker → verdict is BLOCKED regardless of composite. Report it explicitly: Security 3.2/10 (CRITICAL BLOCKER — below min_blocker 4.0).
• A dimension below its min_pass (but at/above min_blocker) caps the verdict at IMPROVEMENTS RECOMMENDED — it cannot grade READY FOR MERGE.
• Blocked verdicts list every tripped dimension first, each with the fix needed to clear it.
• A project .claude/policies/verification-policy.json (see Policy-as-Code) may tighten these thresholds, never loosen them below the rubric defaults.

Threshold bands and reporting format: references/grading-rubric.md ("Dimension-Level Blockers" section).

Streak Gate (consecutive-pass mode)

A single green is not proof — flaky and order-dependent suites pass once and fail the next run. With --streak=N, verify declares READY FOR MERGE only after N consecutive passing runs, resetting the count to 0 on any non-ready verdict. The count persists across independent runs in .claude/chain/verify-streak.json, keyed by scope.

• --streak=N (N ≥ 2; 3 is the sensible default). Absent ⇒ today's single pass/fail behavior, unchanged. Target may also come from .claude/policies/verification-policy.json ("streak_target"); the flag wins.
• The gate sits above the verdict — it never loosens a blocker, it only withholds "done" until the streak is met. Each run re-executes the actual tests (no cached passes — that independence is the whole point).
• Reset rule: any non-READY FOR MERGE verdict (tripped blocker, failing test, or IMPROVEMENTS RECOMMENDED) zeroes the count. No partial credit.
• The verdict surfaces the count: STREAK 2/3 — one more green to merge, or streak reset to 0/3 (security 3.2 < 4.0).
• This is the native mechanism the prd-to-goal quality-streak recipe (#2539) leans on. Pair it with a /goal loop, but rm the ledger first — /goal reads until before the turn's verify, so a stale met:true exits with zero runs (see streak-gate.md "Stale-ledger guard").

Full protocol — ledger schema, run loop, /goal wiring, and /ork:cover reuse: Read("references/streak-gate.md").

Evidence & Test Execution

Load details: Read("rules/evidence-collection.md") for git commands, test execution patterns, metrics tracking, and post-verification feedback.

Policy-as-Code

Load details: Read("references/policy-as-code.md") for configuration.

Define verification rules in .claude/policies/verification-policy.json:

{
  "thresholds": {
    "composite_minimum": 6.0,
    "security_minimum": 7.0,
    "coverage_minimum": 70
  },
  "blocking_rules": [
    {"dimension": "security", "below": 5.0, "action": "block"}
  ]
}

Verification Manifest (VERIFIED vs CLAIMED)

Agent scores, tool summaries, and every "X is clean / passing / fixed" sentence are claims until the lead re-runs the proof. Before the verdict, build a Verification Manifest marking every load-bearing claim ✅ VERIFIED (lead ran it fresh — cites command · exit · key line), 🟡 CLAIMED (an agent/tool/doc asserted it, not re-run), ⬜ UNCHECKED, ⚪ WAIVED (accepted non-blocking, with a reason), or 🔴 COULD-NOT-OBSERVE (evidence was attempted and nothing was observed; the assert-evidence.sh line is the citation, and a load-bearing row in this state makes the verdict BLOCKED, not merely capped). An agent's "PASS" copied into the report is still CLAIMED — VERIFIED means the lead ran it; a sub-agent's number (price, model-id, count) is CLAIMED until checked against source.

Verdict rule: any load-bearing claim still 🟡 CLAIMED or ⬜ UNCHECKED caps the verdict at IMPROVEMENTS RECOMMENDED (never READY FOR MERGE) until it is ✅ VERIFIED or ⚪ WAIVED — this stacks with the dimension-level blockers (both must clear), and under --streak=N it resets the streak.

Protocol — claim sources, build step, template, and anti-patterns (laundering, optimism-marking, omission): Read("references/verification-manifest.md").

Reachability: is the green load-bearing? (REACHED vs UNREACHED)

Provenance answers who ran it. It does not answer whether the pass means anything. A row reading ✅ VERIFIED · pytest · exit 0 · 214 passed is honest and can still be worthless, because a suite passing does not prove the suite reached the change. A validator shipped 2026-07-19 was fully defined, fully tested, and never called at its call site: every test passed against the old path.

For every test the diff adds or modifies, the manifest carries a second mark:

Verdict rule: a test added or modified by this diff that is 🟡 UNREACHED caps the verdict at IMPROVEMENTS RECOMMENDED until the proof is shown or the row is ⚪ WAIVED. Stacks with the provenance cap and the dimension blockers — all must clear. Under --streak=N it resets the streak.

Two ordering rules make the proof safe, and both come from real damage: commit before mutating (git checkout -- restores to HEAD, so mutating uncommitted work destroys the change on restore), and mutate the call site, not the new unit (mutating the unit proves the unit's tests work, and leaves a dead call site undetected).

This skill does not perform the mutation — it writes no test files and edits no source. The proof is produced upstream by /ork:implement or /ork:cover and graded here; absent a proof, the row is 🟡 UNREACHED and the verdict is capped.

Protocol — scope, the 5-step proof, what makes a mutation load-bearing, template, and anti-patterns (coverage-as-proof, batch proof, cosmetic mutation): Read("references/reachability-proof.md").

Report Format

Load details: Read("references/report-template.md") for full format. Summary:

# Feature Verification Report

**Composite Score: [N.N]/10** (Grade: [LETTER])

## Verdict
**[READY FOR MERGE | IMPROVEMENTS RECOMMENDED | BLOCKED]**

[--streak=N mode only: **STREAK [current]/[target]** — READY FOR MERGE requires the full target; any non-ready run resets to 0.]

## Verification Manifest
[✅ VERIFIED · 🟡 CLAIMED · ⬜ UNCHECKED · ⚪ WAIVED · 🔴 COULD-NOT-OBSERVE — any load-bearing 🟡/⬜ caps the verdict below READY FOR MERGE; any load-bearing 🔴 makes it BLOCKED]
[Reached: 🟢 REACHED · 🟡 UNREACHED · n/a — any 🟡 on a test this diff added/modified also caps the verdict]
| # | Load-bearing claim | Asserted by | Provenance | Reached | Evidence (cmd · exit · key line) |

Push notifications (CC 2.1.110+): Verify runs for >5 min are common on complex changes. When the final verdict is ready, call PushNotification to alert the user — they likely walked away from the terminal. Requires Remote Control with "Push when Claude decides" config; fails silently for users without it.

PushNotification(
  message=f"ork:verify complete — {verdict} · {score}/10 · {blockers_count} blockers",
  status="proactive"
)

References

Load on demand with Read("references/<file>"):

Rules

Load on demand with Read("rules/<file>"):

Verification Gate (Cross-Cutting)

Load Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/rules/verification-gate.md") — the minimum 5-step gate that applies to ALL completion claims across all skills. This is non-negotiable: NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE.

Producer findings must also satisfy the evidence-replay gate (machine-checkable {file, line, quote} or {command, expected_output}, replayed before entering any verdict or score): Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/rules/evidence-replay.md").

Anti-Sycophancy Protocol

Load Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/rules/anti-sycophancy.md") — all verification agents report findings directly without performative agreement. "Should be fine" is not evidence. "Tests pass (exit 0, 47/47)" is.

Agent Status Protocol

All verification agents MUST report using the standardized protocol: Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/status-protocol.md"). Never report DONE if concerns exist. Never silently produce work you're unsure about.

Agent Coordination

SendMessage (Cross-Agent Findings)

When a security agent finds a critical issue, share it with other verification agents:

SendMessage(to="test-generator", message="Security: SQL injection in user_service.py:88 — add parameterized query test")
SendMessage(to="code-quality-reviewer", message="Security finding at user_service.py:88 — flag in review")

Skill Chain

After verification, chain to commit if all gates pass:

TaskCreate(subject="Commit verified changes", activeForm="Committing")
TaskUpdate(taskId=commit_id, addBlockedBy=[verify_task_id])
# Then: /ork:commit

Session recovery (CC 2.1.108+): After idle periods or interruptions, use /recap to restore conversational context alongside checkpoint-resume state. Enabled by default since CC 2.1.110 (even with telemetry disabled).

Quality Bar

Done means all of these hold:

• verdict is exactly one of READY FOR MERGE / IMPROVEMENTS RECOMMENDED / BLOCKED, with the composite and every dimension score cited
• every load-bearing "passing/clean/fixed" claim sits in the Verification Manifest marked VERIFIED (lead re-ran, cites command · exit · key line), CLAIMED, UNCHECKED, or WAIVED
• test evidence is the actual runner summary line (command, exit code, pass count) — never paraphrase
• every test the diff added or modified carries a Reached mark: REACHED cites the failing run AND the passing run; a green-only row is UNREACHED, not evidence
• any dimension below its min_blocker is reported BLOCKED regardless of composite
• READY FOR MERGE only when no load-bearing claim is still CLAIMED/UNCHECKED, no diff-added test is still UNREACHED (and under --streak=N, the full streak is met)
• no dimension is reported VERIFIED on evidence whose assert-evidence.sh outcome was not EVIDENCE; a COULD-NOT-OBSERVE or NO-BANNER run is named verbatim in the report, never silently regraded

Before trusting a green check

A check that prints the same thing whether or not the fault is present has measured nothing, yet it still returns an answer and that answer reads as evidence. The paired-probe skill exists for this and is model-invocable (and scripts/assert-evidence.sh is the Tests-dimension instance: it refuses the verdict when the run produced no observable evidence): it applies to any check whose PASS decides the verdict, especially a sweep that reported zero findings or a gate that passed unexpectedly. It refuses the verdict rather than the check.

Related Skills

• ork:implement - Full implementation with verification
• ork:review-pr - PR-specific verification
• testing-unit / testing-integration / testing-e2e - Test execution patterns
• ork:quality-gates - Quality gate patterns
• browser-tools - Browser automation for visual capture

Version: 4.7.0 (August 2026) — Phase 3 evidence gate became executable (#3263): tests redirect to a named log, scripts/assert-evidence.sh names one of five outcomes, and COULD-NOT-OBSERVE joined the manifest as a blocking state. A verdict skill can no longer end without a verdict: an empty run is a named failure, not silence Version: 4.6.0 (July 2026) — Added the Reachability Proof (REACHED vs UNREACHED): the manifest's second axis. Provenance grades who ran a claim; reachability grades whether the green means anything. A test the diff added that has never been seen to fail caps the verdict below READY FOR MERGE Version: 4.5.0 (July 2026) — Added the Verification Manifest (VERIFIED vs CLAIMED) — a load-bearing-claim provenance ledger that caps the verdict below READY FOR MERGE until unverified claims are re-run or waived Version: 4.4.0 (June 2026) — Added --streak=N consecutive-pass gate (#2540)