Human Checkpoints in Plans

Plans execute autonomously. Checkpoints formalize the interaction points where human verification or decisions are needed.

Core principle: Claude automates everything with CLI/API. Checkpoints are for verification and decisions, not manual work.

Checkpoint Types

1. checkpoint:human-verify (Most Common)

When: Claude completed automated work, human confirms it works correctly.

Use for:

• Visual UI checks (layout, styling, responsiveness)
• Interactive flows (click through wizard, test user flows)
• Functional verification (feature works as expected)
• Audio/video playback quality
• Animation smoothness
• Accessibility testing

Structure:

<task type="checkpoint:human-verify" gate="blocking">
  <what-built>[What Claude automated and deployed/built]</what-built>
  <how-to-verify>
    [Exact steps to test - URLs, commands, expected behavior]
  </how-to-verify>
  <resume-signal>[How to continue - "approved", "yes", or describe issues]</resume-signal>
</task>

Key elements:

• <what-built>: What Claude automated (deployed, built, configured)
• <how-to-verify>: Exact steps to confirm it works (numbered, specific)
• <resume-signal>: Clear indication of how to continue

Example: Vercel Deployment

<task type="auto">
  <name>Deploy to Vercel</name>
  <files>.vercel/, vercel.json</files>
  <action>Run `vercel --yes` to create project and deploy. Capture deployment URL from output.</action>
  <verify>vercel ls shows deployment, curl {url} returns 200</verify>
  <done>App deployed, URL captured</done>
</task>

<task type="checkpoint:human-verify" gate="blocking">
  <what-built>Deployed to Vercel at https://myapp-abc123.vercel.app</what-built>
  <how-to-verify>
    Visit https://myapp-abc123.vercel.app and confirm:
    - Homepage loads without errors
    - Login form is visible
    - No console errors in browser DevTools
  </how-to-verify>
  <resume-signal>Type "approved" to continue, or describe issues to fix</resume-signal>
</task>

Example: UI Component

<task type="auto">
  <name>Build responsive dashboard layout</name>
  <files>src/components/Dashboard.tsx, src/app/dashboard/page.tsx</files>
  <action>Create dashboard with sidebar, header, and content area. Use Tailwind responsive classes for mobile.</action>
  <verify>npm run build succeeds, no TypeScript errors</verify>
  <done>Dashboard component builds without errors</done>
</task>

<task type="checkpoint:human-verify" gate="blocking">
  <what-built>Responsive dashboard layout at /dashboard</what-built>
  <how-to-verify>
    1. Run: npm run dev
    2. Visit: http://localhost:3000/dashboard
    3. Desktop (>1024px): Verify sidebar left, content right, header top
    4. Tablet (768px): Verify sidebar collapses to hamburger
    5. Mobile (375px): Verify single column, bottom nav
    6. Check: No layout shift, no horizontal scroll
  </how-to-verify>
  <resume-signal>Type "approved" or describe layout issues</resume-signal>
</task>

Example: Xcode Build

<task type="auto">
  <name>Build macOS app with Xcode</name>
  <files>App.xcodeproj, Sources/</files>
  <action>Run `xcodebuild -project App.xcodeproj -scheme App build`. Check for compilation errors in output.</action>
  <verify>Build output contains "BUILD SUCCEEDED", no errors</verify>
  <done>App builds successfully</done>
</task>

<task type="checkpoint:human-verify" gate="blocking">
  <what-built>Built macOS app at DerivedData/Build/Products/Debug/App.app</what-built>
  <how-to-verify>
    Open App.app and test:
    - App launches without crashes
    - Menu bar icon appears
    - Preferences window opens correctly
    - No visual glitches or layout issues
  </how-to-verify>
  <resume-signal>Type "approved" or describe issues</resume-signal>
</task>

2. checkpoint:decision

When: Human must make choice that affects implementation direction.

Use for:

• Technology selection (which auth provider, which database)
• Architecture decisions (monorepo vs separate repos)
• Design choices (color scheme, layout approach)
• Feature prioritization (which variant to build)
• Data model decisions (schema structure)

Structure:

<task type="checkpoint:decision" gate="blocking">
  <decision>[What's being decided]</decision>
  <context>[Why this decision matters]</context>
  <options>
    <option id="option-a">
      <name>[Option name]</name>
      <pros>[Benefits]</pros>
      <cons>[Tradeoffs]</cons>
    </option>
    <option id="option-b">
      <name>[Option name]</name>
      <pros>[Benefits]</pros>
      <cons>[Tradeoffs]</cons>
    </option>
  </options>
  <resume-signal>[How to indicate choice]</resume-signal>
</task>

Key elements:

• <decision>: What's being decided
• <context>: Why this matters
• <options>: Each option with balanced pros/cons (not prescriptive)
• <resume-signal>: How to indicate choice

Example: Auth Provider Selection

<task type="checkpoint:decision" gate="blocking">
  <decision>Select authentication provider</decision>
  <context>
    Need user authentication for the app. Three solid options with different tradeoffs.
  </context>
  <options>
    <option id="supabase">
      <name>Supabase Auth</name>
      <pros>Built-in with Supabase DB we're using, generous free tier, row-level security integration</pros>
      <cons>Less customizable UI, tied to Supabase ecosystem</cons>
    </option>
    <option id="clerk">
      <name>Clerk</name>
      <pros>Beautiful pre-built UI, best developer experience, excellent docs</pros>
      <cons>Paid after 10k MAU, vendor lock-in</cons>
    </option>
    <option id="nextauth">
      <name>NextAuth.js</name>
      <pros>Free, self-hosted, maximum control, widely adopted</pros>
      <cons>More setup work, you manage security updates, UI is DIY</cons>
    </option>
  </options>
  <resume-signal>Select: supabase, clerk, or nextauth</resume-signal>
</task>

3. checkpoint:human-action (Rare)

When: Action has NO CLI/API and requires human-only interaction, OR Claude hit an authentication gate during automation.

Use ONLY for:

• Authentication gates - Claude tried to use CLI/API but needs credentials to continue (this is NOT a failure)
• Email verification links (account creation requires clicking email)
• SMS 2FA codes (phone verification)
• Manual account approvals (platform requires human review before API access)
• Credit card 3D Secure flows (web-based payment authorization)
• OAuth app approvals (some platforms require web-based approval)

Do NOT use for pre-planned manual work:

• Manually deploying to Vercel (use vercel CLI - auth gate if needed)
• Manually creating Stripe webhooks (use Stripe API - auth gate if needed)
• Manually creating databases (use provider CLI - auth gate if needed)
• Running builds/tests manually (use Bash tool)
• Creating files manually (use Write tool)

Structure:

<task type="checkpoint:human-action" gate="blocking">
  <action>[What human must do - Claude already did everything automatable]</action>
  <instructions>
    [What Claude already automated]
    [The ONE thing requiring human action]
  </instructions>
  <verification>[What Claude can check afterward]</verification>
  <resume-signal>[How to continue]</resume-signal>
</task>

Key principle: Claude automates EVERYTHING possible first, only asks human for the truly unavoidable manual step.

Example: Email Verification

<task type="auto">
  <name>Create SendGrid account via API</name>
  <action>Use SendGrid API to create subuser account with provided email. Request verification email.</action>
  <verify>API returns 201, account created</verify>
  <done>Account created, verification email sent</done>
</task>

<task type="checkpoint:human-action" gate="blocking">
  <action>Complete email verification for SendGrid account</action>
  <instructions>
    I created the account and requested verification email.
    Check your inbox for SendGrid verification link and click it.
  </instructions>
  <verification>SendGrid API key works: curl test succeeds</verification>
  <resume-signal>Type "done" when email verified</resume-signal>
</task>

Example: Credit Card 3D Secure

<task type="auto">
  <name>Create Stripe payment intent</name>
  <action>Use Stripe API to create payment intent for $99. Generate checkout URL.</action>
  <verify>Stripe API returns payment intent ID and URL</verify>
  <done>Payment intent created</done>
</task>

<task type="checkpoint:human-action" gate="blocking">
  <action>Complete 3D Secure authentication</action>
  <instructions>
    I created the payment intent: https://checkout.stripe.com/pay/cs_test_abc123
    Visit that URL and complete the 3D Secure verification flow with your test card.
  </instructions>
  <verification>Stripe webhook receives payment_intent.succeeded event</verification>
  <resume-signal>Type "done" when payment completes</resume-signal>
</task>

Example: Authentication Gate (Dynamic Checkpoint)

<task type="auto">
  <name>Deploy to Vercel</name>
  <files>.vercel/, vercel.json</files>
  <action>Run `vercel --yes` to deploy</action>
  <verify>vercel ls shows deployment, curl returns 200</verify>
</task>

<task type="checkpoint:human-action" gate="blocking">
  <action>Authenticate Vercel CLI so I can continue deployment</action>
  <instructions>
    I tried to deploy but got authentication error.
    Run: vercel login
    This will open your browser - complete the authentication flow.
  </instructions>
  <verification>vercel whoami returns your account email</verification>
  <resume-signal>Type "done" when authenticated</resume-signal>
</task>

<task type="auto">
  <name>Retry Vercel deployment</name>
  <action>Run `vercel --yes` (now authenticated)</action>
  <verify>vercel ls shows deployment, curl returns 200</verify>
</task>

Key distinction: Authentication gates are created dynamically when Claude encounters auth errors during automation. They're NOT pre-planned - Claude tries to automate first, only asks for credentials when blocked.

See references/cli-automation.md "Authentication Gates" section for more examples and full protocol.

Execution Protocol

When Claude encounters type="checkpoint:*":

1. Stop immediately - do not proceed to next task
2. Display checkpoint clearly:

════════════════════════════════════════
CHECKPOINT: [Type]
════════════════════════════════════════

Task [X] of [Y]: [Name]

[Display checkpoint-specific content]

[Resume signal instruction]
════════════════════════════════════════

3. Wait for user response - do not hallucinate completion
4. Verify if possible - check files, run tests, whatever is specified
5. Resume execution - continue to next task only after confirmation

For checkpoint:human-verify:

════════════════════════════════════════
CHECKPOINT: Verification Required
════════════════════════════════════════

Task 5 of 8: Responsive dashboard layout

I built: Responsive dashboard at /dashboard

How to verify:
1. Run: npm run dev
2. Visit: http://localhost:3000/dashboard
3. Test: Resize browser window to mobile/tablet/desktop
4. Confirm: No layout shift, proper responsive behavior

Type "approved" to continue, or describe issues.
════════════════════════════════════════

For checkpoint:decision:

════════════════════════════════════════
CHECKPOINT: Decision Required
════════════════════════════════════════

Task 2 of 6: Select authentication provider

Decision: Which auth provider should we use?

Context: Need user authentication. Three options with different tradeoffs.

Options:
1. supabase - Built-in with our DB, free tier
2. clerk - Best DX, paid after 10k users
3. nextauth - Self-hosted, maximum control

Select: supabase, clerk, or nextauth
════════════════════════════════════════

Writing Good Checkpoints

DO:

• Automate everything with CLI/API before checkpoint
• Be specific: "Visit https://myapp.vercel.app" not "check deployment"
• Number verification steps: easier to follow
• State expected outcomes: "You should see X"
• Provide context: why this checkpoint exists
• Make verification executable: clear, testable steps

DON'T:

• Ask human to do work Claude can automate (deploy, create resources, run builds)
• Assume knowledge: "Configure the usual settings" ❌
• Skip steps: "Set up database" ❌ (too vague)
• Mix multiple verifications in one checkpoint (split them)
• Make verification impossible (Claude can't check visual appearance without user confirmation)

When to Use Checkpoints

Use checkpoint:human-verify for:

• Visual verification (UI, layouts, animations)
• Interactive testing (click flows, user journeys)
• Quality checks (audio/video playback, animation smoothness)
• Confirming deployed apps are accessible

Use checkpoint:decision for:

• Technology selection (auth providers, databases, frameworks)
• Architecture choices (monorepo, deployment strategy)
• Design decisions (color schemes, layout approaches)
• Feature prioritization

Use checkpoint:human-action for:

• Email verification links (no API)
• SMS 2FA codes (no API)
• Manual approvals with no automation
• 3D Secure payment flows

Don't use checkpoints for:

• Things Claude can verify programmatically (tests pass, build succeeds)
• File operations (Claude can read files to verify)
• Code correctness (use tests and static analysis)
• Anything automatable via CLI/API

Checkpoint Placement

Place checkpoints:

• After automation completes - not before Claude does the work
• After UI buildout - before declaring phase complete
• Before dependent work - decisions before implementation
• At integration points - after configuring external services

Bad placement:

• Before Claude automates (asking human to do automatable work) ❌
• Too frequent (every other task is a checkpoint) ❌
• Too late (checkpoint is last task, but earlier tasks needed its result) ❌

Complete Examples

Example 1: Deployment Flow (Correct)

<task type="auto">
  <name>Deploy to Vercel</name>
  <files>.vercel/, vercel.json, package.json</files>
  <action>
    1. Run `vercel --yes` to create project and deploy
    2. Capture deployment URL from output
    3. Set environment variables with `vercel env add`
    4. Trigger production deployment with `vercel --prod`
  </action>
  <verify>
    - vercel ls shows deployment
    - curl {url} returns 200
    - Environment variables set correctly
  </verify>
  <done>App deployed to production, URL captured</done>
</task>

<task type="checkpoint:human-verify" gate="blocking">
  <what-built>Deployed to https://myapp.vercel.app<