certainty-and-compact-output.md

Certainty and Compact Output

Use this guide for deterministic and cost-efficient validation reports.

Certainty Rules

1. Every finding must be backed by direct evidence.
2. Unknown or unverified context must be labeled unknown.
3. Do not convert assumptions into summary facts.
4. When validating exploratory or provisional artifacts, keep [assumption-based], pending_clarifications, and ready_for_builder: false visible in the report instead of normalizing them away.

Compact Rules

1. Prioritize ERROR and WARNING findings.
2. Keep findings table one-line per row where possible.
3. Move long explanations to Suggested Fixes only when required.
4. For provisional artifacts, spend summary budget on unresolved runnable blockers before optional INFO items.