Generate checklist - Create "Unit Tests for Requirements":
- Create
FEATURE_DIR/checklists/ directory if it doesn't exist
- Generate unique checklist filename:
- Use short, descriptive name based on domain (e.g.,
ux.md, api.md, security.md)
- Format:
[domain].md
- If file exists, append to existing file
- Number items sequentially starting from CHK001
- Each
/speckit.checklist run creates a NEW file (never overwrites existing checklists)
CORE PRINCIPLE - Test the Requirements, Not the Implementation:
Every checklist item MUST evaluate the REQUIREMENTS THEMSELVES for:
- Completeness: Are all necessary requirements present?
- Clarity: Are requirements unambiguous and specific?
- Consistency: Do requirements align with each other?
- Measurability: Can requirements be objectively verified?
- Coverage: Are all scenarios/edge cases addressed?
Category Structure - Group items by requirement quality dimensions:
- Requirement Completeness (Are all necessary requirements documented?)
- Requirement Clarity (Are requirements specific and unambiguous?)
- Requirement Consistency (Do requirements align without conflicts?)
- Acceptance Criteria Quality (Are success criteria measurable?)
- Scenario Coverage (Are all flows/cases addressed?)
- Edge Case Coverage (Are boundary conditions defined?)
- Non-Functional Requirements (Performance, Security, Accessibility, etc. - are they specified?)
- Dependencies & Assumptions (Are they documented and validated?)
- Ambiguities & Conflicts (What needs clarification?)
HOW TO WRITE CHECKLIST ITEMS - "Unit Tests for English":
❌ WRONG (Testing implementation):
- "Verify landing page displays 3 episode cards"
- "Test hover states work on desktop"
- "Confirm logo click navigates home"
✅ CORRECT (Testing requirements quality):
- "Are the exact number and layout of featured episodes specified?" [Completeness]
- "Is 'prominent display' quantified with specific sizing/positioning?" [Clarity]
- "Are hover state requirements consistent across all interactive elements?" [Consistency]
- "Are keyboard navigation requirements defined for all interactive UI?" [Coverage]
- "Is the fallback behavior specified when logo image fails to load?" [Edge Cases]
- "Are loading states defined for asynchronous episode data?" [Completeness]
- "Does the spec define visual hierarchy for competing UI elements?" [Clarity]
ITEM STRUCTURE:
Each item should follow this pattern:
- Question format asking about requirement quality
- Focus on what's WRITTEN (or not written) in the spec/plan
- Include quality dimension in brackets [Completeness/Clarity/Consistency/etc.]
- Reference spec section
[Spec §X.Y] when checking existing requirements
- Use
[Gap] marker when checking for missing requirements
EXAMPLES BY QUALITY DIMENSION:
Completeness:
- "Are error handling requirements defined for all API failure modes? [Gap]"
- "Are accessibility requirements specified for all interactive elements? [Completeness]"
- "Are mobile breakpoint requirements defined for responsive layouts? [Gap]"
Clarity:
- "Is 'fast loading' quantified with specific timing thresholds? [Clarity, Spec §NFR-2]"
- "Are 'related episodes' selection criteria explicitly defined? [Clarity, Spec §FR-5]"
- "Is 'prominent' defined with measurable visual properties? [Ambiguity, Spec §FR-4]"
Consistency:
- "Do navigation requirements align across all pages? [Consistency, Spec §FR-10]"
- "Are card component requirements consistent between landing and detail pages? [Consistency]"
Coverage:
- "Are requirements defined for zero-state scenarios (no episodes)? [Coverage, Edge Case]"
- "Are concurrent user interaction scenarios addressed? [Coverage, Gap]"
- "Are requirements specified for partial data loading failures? [Coverage, Exception Flow]"
Measurability:
- "Are visual hierarchy requirements measurable/testable? [Acceptance Criteria, Spec §FR-1]"
- "Can 'balanced visual weight' be objectively verified? [Measurability, Spec §FR-2]"
Scenario Classification & Coverage (Requirements Quality Focus):
- Check if requirements exist for: Primary, Alternate, Exception/Error, Recovery, Non-Functional scenarios
- For each scenario class, ask: "Are [scenario type] requirements complete, clear, and consistent?"
- If scenario class missing: "Are [scenario type] requirements intentionally excluded or missing? [Gap]"
- Include resilience/rollback when state mutation occurs: "Are rollback requirements defined for migration failures? [Gap]"
Traceability Requirements:
- MINIMUM: ≥80% of items MUST include at least one traceability reference
- Each item should reference: spec section
[Spec §X.Y], or use markers: [Gap], [Ambiguity], [Conflict], [Assumption]
- If no ID system exists: "Is a requirement & acceptance criteria ID scheme established? [Traceability]"
Surface & Resolve Issues (Requirements Quality Problems):
Ask questions about the requirements themselves:
- Ambiguities: "Is the term 'fast' quantified with specific metrics? [Ambiguity, Spec §NFR-1]"
- Conflicts: "Do navigation requirements conflict between §FR-10 and §FR-10a? [Conflict]"
- Assumptions: "Is the assumption of 'always available podcast API' validated? [Assumption]"
- Dependencies: "Are external podcast API requirements documented? [Dependency, Gap]"
- Missing definitions: "Is 'visual hierarchy' defined with measurable criteria? [Gap]"
Content Consolidation:
- Soft cap: If raw candidate items > 40, prioritize by risk/impact
- Merge near-duplicates checking the same requirement aspect
- If >5 low-impact edge cases, create one item: "Are edge cases X, Y, Z addressed in requirements? [Coverage]"
🚫 ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED - These make it an implementation test, not a requirements test:
- ❌ Any item starting with "Verify", "Test", "Confirm", "Check" + implementation behavior
- ❌ References to code execution, user actions, system behavior
- ❌ "Displays correctly", "works properly", "functions as expected"
- ❌ "Click", "navigate", "render", "load", "execute"
- ❌ Test cases, test plans, QA procedures
- ❌ Implementation details (frameworks, APIs, algorithms)
✅ REQUIRED PATTERNS - These test requirements quality:
- ✅ "Are [requirement type] defined/specified/documented for [scenario]?"
- ✅ "Is [vague term] quantified/clarified with specific criteria?"
- ✅ "Are requirements consistent between [section A] and [section B]?"
- ✅ "Can [requirement] be objectively measured/verified?"
- ✅ "Are [edge cases/scenarios] addressed in requirements?"
- ✅ "Does the spec define [missing aspect]?"