uat

Pack Availability Guard

Before telling the user to run a skill from another project-local pack, check .agents/project.json.enabled_packs. If the target pack is not enabled, recommend /pack install <pack> instead of the target skill. Global skills are always valid. Skills from this same pack are valid because the current skill is already running from that pack.

UAT

Invoke as /uat.

Create a user acceptance testing plan from the perspective of a potential or target user. Read the product surface, specs, journeys, stories, roadmap, and relevant research, then produces realistic end-to-end user journeys that validate whether the product satisfies user goals.

UAT is not dogfooding. Dogfood asks how the app owner can adopt the product into their own workflow to understand and evaluate it. UAT asks whether a target user can complete meaningful real-world journeys and would accept the product as fit for use.

This is a human-run acceptance plan, not automated testing. Do not start servers, drive browsers, call APIs, create accounts, or perform the scenarios yourself.

When invoked with --variant-evaluation (or when the user asks to test/review UI variants), create a hands-on evaluation plan for built UX/UI variants before /consolidate-variations (product-design pack). This mode helps the user try each variant in a comparable way and capture enough evidence to form a defensible consolidation opinion.

Process

0. Product-Path Scope Resolution

Resolve research scope by product path before using code or app structure as a hint:

1. If $ARGUMENTS names a non-archived research/{slug}/ directory or a product-path ID whose scope_path points there, use that path. Treat {slug} as the product/app name, not the ICP, audience, or segment label.
2. If $ARGUMENTS names only research/_archive/{slug}/ or a manifest entry with status: archived or legacy status: abandoned, stop and warn that the path is archived; do not write or update scoped outputs there.
3. Read research/.progress.yaml when present. Normalize legacy active_path to active_paths on read and write back active_paths on manifest updates. Treat legacy abandoned as archived; exclude archived, abandoned, deferred, revisit_candidate, promoted, and any scope_path under research/_archive/ from active target selection.
4. If active product paths exist in the manifest, use those paths. If multiple active paths exist, ask which one to target unless this skill explicitly supports cross-path output.
5. If no active manifest target exists, list non-archived product directories under research/, excluding research/_archive/ and dot directories. Auto-select only when exactly one exists; ask when multiple exist.
6. If no product directories exist, use flat research/ single-product mode.
7. Detect monorepo/app/package structure only as a secondary hint. Suggest creating a missing research/{slug}/ product path when code clearly exposes an app, but do not require code or monorepo detection before using research/{slug}/.

When product path {slug} is active, read and write research under research/{slug}/, specs under specs/{slug}/, and treat top-level research/*.md files as flat-mode documents or cross-path summaries.

1. Resolve project context

   • Read .agents/project.json if it exists.
   • Use project_type and enabled_packs when present.
   • If project metadata is missing, infer the project type from repo signals:
     • business-app: SaaS, marketplace, productivity, workflow, enterprise, or user-facing app
     • devtool: SDK, CLI, API, library, infrastructure, docs, examples, or package-first developer workflow
     • game: game engine files, playable prototypes, store assets, or game-specific README/spec language
     • generic: no strong domain signal
   • Read README.md, AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, relevant docs/, specs/, spec.md, and tasks/ files when present.

2. Load user evidence

   • Business app: read research/icp.md, research/journey-map.md, research/customer-feedback.md, research/metrics.md, and research/mvp-gap.md when present.
   • Devtool: read research/devtool-user-map.md, research/devtool-dx-journey.md, research/devtool-integration-map.md, docs, examples, and package manifests when present.
   • Game: read research/game-audience.md, research/game-fantasy.md, research/game-core-loop.md, research/game-prototype-test.md, and research/game-playtest-metrics.md when present.
   • Generic: use specs, README, routes, tests, examples, issue descriptions, and task acceptance criteria.
   • In product-path workspaces with research/{slug}/ or specs/{slug}/, produce product-path-scoped UAT journeys for the requested app. If no app is specified and multiple apps are plausible, ask the user to choose.

2b. Variant evaluation mode

• Trigger this branch when invoked with --variant-evaluation, when specs/ui-layout-variations-*.md exists for the requested topic, or when the user asks how to test/review built variants.
• Read specs/ui-layout-variations-[topic].md, specs/ux-variations-[topic].md, specs/ui-requirements-[topic].md, built variant routes/components, and any existing research/uat-variant-evaluation-[topic].md.
• Identify each variant, its intended thesis, implementation location, and the target user task it should support.
• Create comparable journeys that make the user perform the same core task in every variant, then capture variant-specific strengths, friction, confidence, and rejection signals.
• Include a side-by-side comparison matrix and a "Ready for /consolidate-variations (product-design pack)?" checklist.
• Human execution still belongs in tasks/manual-todo.md; this skill writes the plan and manual tasks, but does not run the variants.
• After writing files, recommend /consolidate-variations (product-design pack) only as the next step after the manual evaluation tasks are completed or when the user explicitly says they have already evaluated the variants.
• Stop after this branch. Do not generate generic target-user acceptance journeys unless the user also requested them.

3. Define acceptance perspective

   • Identify 1-3 target user personas or roles from the evidence.
   • For each selected persona, define the job-to-be-done, context, goal, constraints, and acceptance threshold.
   • Prefer external target users, buyers, evaluators, administrators, developers, or players over the product owner unless the owner is also the target user.
   • If the target user is unclear, stop and recommend /customer-discovery (business-discovery pack), /journey-map (customer-lifecycle pack), or the relevant pack research skill. For /customer-discovery, /journey-map, and other pack-based skills, apply the Pack Availability Guard — if the target skill's pack is not in .agents/project.json enabled_packs, recommend /pack install <pack> before the skill.

4. Create UAT journeys

   • Generate 3-7 journeys unless the user requested a narrower focus.
   • Cover at least one critical happy path, one realistic obstacle or recovery path, and one return-use or handoff path when supported by the product evidence.
   • Each journey must include:
     • target user
     • user goal
     • real-world trigger
     • setup and preconditions
     • end-to-end task sequence
     • expected user-visible success state
     • acceptance criteria
     • non-acceptance signals
     • evidence to capture
     • tester notes prompt
     • follow-up routing
   • Use concrete product language from specs and journeys. Avoid vague instructions such as "verify the feature works."

5. Classify follow-up work

   • Human-run UAT journeys go in tasks/manual-todo.md under ## UAT Journeys.
   • Use _(after: research/uat-plan.md)_ unless the journey blocks or follows a known roadmap step. If tied to a known step, use _(blocks: Step N.X)_ or _(after: Step N.X)_.
   • Do not put human-run UAT journeys in tasks/todo.md.
   • Implementation or documentation fixes discovered after a completed UAT run belong in tasks/todo.md, but do not invent fixes before the user journey has been attempted.
   • One-time evidence collection belongs in tasks/record-todo.md.
   • Recurring release acceptance checks belong in tasks/recurring-todo.md only when there is a clear release cadence.
   • If a journey needs step-by-step tester guidance, recommend /uat-guide (guided-walkthrough pack).
   • If a journey step needs click-by-click help for a human-only external blocker (OAuth, DNS, service signup), recommend /guide (guided-walkthrough pack).

6. Present findings before writing when risk is high

   • If source material is thin, contradictory, or missing target-user evidence, summarize the gap and ask whether to proceed with assumptions.
   • If source material is sufficient, write the plan and task sections directly.

Deliverables

• research/uat-plan.md - persona assumptions, journey matrix, source evidence, acceptance checklist, result log template, and follow-up guidance.
• In variant evaluation mode: research/uat-variant-evaluation-[topic].md - variant inventory, task script, comparison matrix, result logs, and consolidation readiness checklist.
• tasks/manual-todo.md - append or replace only the ## UAT Journeys section.
• tasks/recurring-todo.md - optional, only when recurring UAT is useful and not already tracked.

If tasks/manual-todo.md does not exist, create it with a # Manual Tasks - [Project Name] title, a short note that these items require human-only action, and the UAT section. Preserve all non-UAT sections when updating an existing file.

Use this journey format in research/uat-plan.md:

### Journey N: [Name]

- Target user: [persona or role]
- User goal: [what the user is trying to accomplish]
- Trigger: [real-world reason the user starts]
- Setup: [accounts, data, environment, permissions, or sample state needed]
- Task sequence:
  - [step the human tester performs as the target user]
- Expected success state: [observable user-visible result]
- Acceptance criteria:
  - [ ] [specific criterion]
- Non-acceptance signals: [confusion, delay, missing affordance, incorrect result, trust issue, or blocker]
- Evidence to capture: [screenshots, recordings, notes, timestamps, records, command output, or artifacts]
- Tester notes prompt: [question that captures whether the target user would accept this]
- Follow-up routing: [manual note, /customer-discovery (business-discovery pack), /journey-map (customer-lifecycle pack), /guide (guided-walkthrough pack), or task promotion guidance]

#### UAT result log

- Status: Not run | Pass | Fail | Blocked
- Evidence captured:
- Tester notes:
- Follow-up tasks promoted:

Use this variant evaluation format in research/uat-variant-evaluation-[topic].md:

## Variant Evaluation Plan

### Variant Inventory

| Variant | Implementation location | Thesis | Primary task |
|---|---|---|---|

### Shared Evaluation Script

- Target user:
- Scenario:
- Setup:
- Core task sequence:
- Success criteria:
- Non-acceptance signals:
- Evidence to capture:

### Per-Variant Result Log

#### [Variant name]

- Status: Not run | Pass | Fail | Blocked
- Evidence captured:
- What worked:
- What felt wrong:
- Time/friction notes:
- Keep for consolidation:
- Reject for consolidation:
- Confidence: Low | Medium | High

### Side-by-Side Comparison Matrix

| Dimension | Variant A | Variant B | Variant C | Current preference | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|

### Ready for `/consolidate-variations` (product-design pack)?

- [ ] Every built variant has been tried or explicitly skipped.
- [ ] Evidence exists for each kept/rejected design element.
- [ ] Open blockers are documented.
- [ ] The user has enough confidence to converge.

Use this item format in tasks/manual-todo.md:

## UAT Journeys

- [ ] Run UAT journey: [Journey name] as [target user] _(after: research/uat-plan.md)_ - capture evidence in `research/uat-plan.md`.

Task Classification

• Human UAT journey execution goes in tasks/manual-todo.md.
• Variant evaluation tasks go in tasks/manual-todo.md under ## UAT Journeys and should reference research/uat-variant-evaluation-[topic].md.
• Immediate implementation or documentation fixes confirmed by completed UAT go in tasks/todo.md.
• One-time condition-gated evidence collection goes in tasks/record-todo.md.
• Release-cadence UAT checks go in tasks/recurring-todo.md.
• Do not put non-blocking records or recurring obligations in tasks/todo.md unless they have been explicitly promoted into current execution work.

Constraints

• Do not run or operate the product in this skill.
• Do not start dev servers, launch browsers, use Playwright, call APIs, create accounts, or perform CLI workflows.
• Do not mark journeys complete; only a human tester can do that after performing them.
• Do not recommend /consolidate-variations (product-design pack) before variant evaluation evidence exists, unless the user explicitly confirms they have already reviewed the variants and are ready to converge.
• Do not duplicate existing unchecked UAT or manual tasks. Reference existing items when they already cover the same journey.
• Prefer evidence-backed target-user journeys over exhaustive feature coverage.
• Keep dogfood and UAT separate: use /dogfood for owner/operator adoption into the builder's workflow; use /uat for target-user acceptance journeys.
• If no credible user journey, story, spec, or product surface can be found, stop and recommend /customer-discovery (business-discovery pack), /journey-map (customer-lifecycle pack), or the relevant pack research skill. Apply the Pack Availability Guard for pack-based skills.
• When recommending a skill from another pack, verify the pack is installed via .agents/project.json enabled_packs. If not installed, prepend /pack install <pack-name> to the recommendation.

Alignment Page

When this skill produces durable deliverables (research, specs, plans, reports, prototypes, or any document output), build a full-depth HTML alignment page following ALIGNMENT-PAGE.md in this skill's directory. Output: alignment/uat-{topic}.html.

Default Shipping Contract

Follow the shared shipping contract convention in CLAUDE.md.