validate-plan
Validate that implementation plans were correctly executed. **ALWAYS use when** the user says 'validate the plan', 'check if the plan was implemented correctly', 'verify the implementation', or after completing /implement-plan to confirm all phases were properly executed and success criteria met.
Best use case
validate-plan is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Validate that implementation plans were correctly executed. **ALWAYS use when** the user says 'validate the plan', 'check if the plan was implemented correctly', 'verify the implementation', or after completing /implement-plan to confirm all phases were properly executed and success criteria met.
Teams using validate-plan should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/validate-plan/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How validate-plan Compares
| Feature / Agent | validate-plan | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Validate that implementation plans were correctly executed. **ALWAYS use when** the user says 'validate the plan', 'check if the plan was implemented correctly', 'verify the implementation', or after completing /implement-plan to confirm all phases were properly executed and success criteria met.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Validate Plan
You are tasked with validating that an implementation plan was correctly executed, verifying all
success criteria and identifying any deviations or issues.
## Prerequisites
```bash
# Check project setup (thoughts, CLAUDE.md snippet, config)
if [[ -f "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/check-project-setup.sh" ]]; then
"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/check-project-setup.sh" || exit 1
fi
# Auto-discover most recent plan (workflow context + filesystem fallback)
RECENT_PLAN=""
if [[ -f "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/workflow-context.sh" ]]; then
RECENT_PLAN=$("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/workflow-context.sh" recent plans)
fi
if [[ -n "$RECENT_PLAN" ]]; then
echo "📋 Auto-discovered recent plan: $RECENT_PLAN"
else
echo "⚠️ No recent plan found in workflow context or filesystem"
fi
```
## Initial Setup
Auto-discovery has already run in Prerequisites above. Check its output and follow this priority:
1. **If user provided a plan path as parameter**: Use the provided path (user override).
2. **If no parameter AND Prerequisites discovered a plan (📋)**:
- Show user the discovered plan path
- Ask: "**Validate this plan?** [Y/n]"
- If yes: use it
- If no: proceed to option 3
3. **If no parameter AND no plan found (⚠️)**:
- Search recent commits for plan references
- List available plans from `thoughts/shared/plans/`
- Ask user which plan to validate
4. **Gather implementation evidence**:
```bash
# Check recent commits
git log --oneline -n 20
git diff HEAD~N..HEAD # Where N covers implementation commits
# Run comprehensive checks
cd $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel) && make check test
```
## Validation Process
### Step 1: Context Discovery
If starting fresh or need more context:
1. **Read the implementation plan** completely
2. **Identify what should have changed**:
- List all files that should be modified
- Note all success criteria (automated and manual)
- Identify key functionality to verify
3. **Spawn parallel research tasks** to discover implementation:
```
Task 1 - Verify database changes:
Research if migration [N] was added and schema changes match plan.
Check: migration files, schema version, table structure
Return: What was implemented vs what plan specified
Task 2 - Verify code changes:
Find all modified files related to [feature].
Compare actual changes to plan specifications.
Return: File-by-file comparison of planned vs actual
Task 3 - Verify test coverage and TDD adherence:
Check if tests were added/modified as specified.
Check git history to verify tests were committed before or alongside implementation (TDD).
Run test commands and capture results.
Return: Test status, TDD adherence, and any missing coverage
```
### Step 2: Systematic Validation
For each phase in the plan:
1. **Check completion status**:
- Look for checkmarks in the plan (- [x])
- Verify the actual code matches claimed completion
2. **Run automated verification**:
- Execute each command from "Automated Verification"
- Document pass/fail status
- If failures, investigate root cause
3. **Assess manual criteria**:
- List what needs manual testing
- Provide clear steps for user verification
4. **Think deeply about edge cases**:
- Were error conditions handled?
- Are there missing validations?
- Could the implementation break existing functionality?
### Step 3: Generate Validation Report
**Before generating report, check context usage**:
Create comprehensive validation summary:
```
# Validation Report: {Feature Name}
**Plan**: `thoughts/shared/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-PROJ-XXXX-feature.md`
**Validated**: {date}
**Validation Status**: {PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL}
## 📊 Context Status
Current usage: {X}% ({Y}K/{Z}K tokens)
{If >60%}:
⚠️ **Context Alert**: Validation consumed {X}% of context.
**Recommendation**: After reviewing this report, clear context before PR creation.
**Why?** PR description generation benefits from fresh context to:
- Synthesize changes clearly
- Write concise summaries
- Avoid accumulated error context
**Next steps**:
1. Review this validation report
2. Address any failures
3. Close this session (clear context)
4. Start fresh for: `/catalyst-dev:commit` and `/catalyst-dev:describe-pr`
{If <60%}:
✅ Context healthy. Ready for PR creation.
---
{Continue with rest of validation report...}
```
```markdown
## Validation Report: [Plan Name]
### Implementation Status
✓ Phase 1: [Name] - Fully implemented ✓ Phase 2: [Name] - Fully implemented ⚠️ Phase 3: [Name] -
Partially implemented (see issues)
### Automated Verification Results
✓ Build passes: `make build` ✓ Tests pass: `make test` ✗ Linting issues: `make lint` (3 warnings)
### Code Review Findings
#### Matches Plan:
- Database migration correctly adds [table]
- API endpoints implement specified methods
- Error handling follows plan
#### Deviations from Plan:
- Used different variable names in [file:line]
- Added extra validation in [file:line] (improvement)
#### Potential Issues:
- Missing index on foreign key could impact performance
- No rollback handling in migration
### Manual Testing Required:
1. UI functionality:
- [ ] Verify [feature] appears correctly
- [ ] Test error states with invalid input
2. Integration:
- [ ] Confirm works with existing [component]
- [ ] Check performance with large datasets
### Recommendations:
- Address linting warnings before merge
- Consider adding integration test for [scenario]
- Document new API endpoints
```
## Working with Existing Context
If you were part of the implementation:
- Review the conversation history
- Check your todo list for what was completed
- Focus validation on work done in this session
- Be honest about any shortcuts or incomplete items
## Important Guidelines
1. **Be thorough but practical** - Focus on what matters
2. **Run all automated checks** - Don't skip verification commands
3. **Document everything** - Both successes and issues
4. **Think critically** - Question if the implementation truly solves the problem
5. **Consider maintenance** - Will this be maintainable long-term?
## Validation Checklist
Always verify:
- [ ] All phases marked complete are actually done
- [ ] **TDD was followed** — tests exist for each phase and were written before/alongside implementation
- [ ] Automated tests pass
- [ ] Code follows existing patterns
- [ ] No regressions introduced
- [ ] Error handling is robust
- [ ] Documentation updated if needed
- [ ] Manual test steps are clear
## Relationship to Other Commands
Recommended workflow:
1. `/implement-plan` - Execute the implementation
2. `/commit` - Create atomic commits for changes
3. `/validate-plan` - Verify implementation correctness
4. `/describe-pr` - Generate PR description
The validation works best after commits are made, as it can analyze the git history to understand
what was implemented.
Remember: Good validation catches issues before they reach production. Be constructive but thorough
in identifying gaps or improvements.Related Skills
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