.kanman/verify.json | kanman documentation

The verify manifest declares how a change is checked locally before it is handed to CI and to the outcome gate. It lives at .kanman/verify.json in the repository root, next to .kanman/acceptance.json.

The verify command is meant to run after the executor finishes an attempt, before the pull request is opened or updated. Its result is the verify_local gate in the evidence pack.

Coming in a later release

kanman reads .kanman/verify.json and runs the verify_local gate in a later release. Until then the file has no effect: the change is checked by the acceptance spec, your CI and the reviewer run. You can add the file now so it is in place.

Example

The manifest of the demo repository kanman-ai/pilot-sandbox:

{
  "version": 1,
  "cwd": ".",
  "setup": "npm ci",
  "command": "npm run lint && npm run typecheck && npm test",
  "env": {
    "CI": "true"
  },
  "ci_var_keys": []
}

Keys

Key	Type	Required	Default	Description
`version`	number	yes		Always `1`.
`cwd`	string	no	`.`	Working directory for `setup` and `command`, relative to the repository root. Useful in monorepos.
`setup`	string	no		Command run once before `command`, for example installing dependencies.
`command`	string	yes		The local verify command, for example `npm run lint && npm test`. A non-zero exit code fails the `verify_local` gate.
`env`	object of strings	no	`{}`	Plain environment variables for `setup` and `command`. Never put secrets here.
`ci_var_keys`	array of strings	no	`[]`	Names of CI variables the executor may receive. Names only: the values stay in your CI or vault and are injected at run time.
`timeout_seconds`	integer	no	`600`	Maximum run time of `setup` plus `command`. Maximum `1800`.

Unknown keys are ignored.

Secrets and CI variables

Coming in a later release

Passing CI variables to the executor arrives in a later release. Until then the executor receives no secrets from ci_var_keys or secret_names.

ci_var_keys lists the only variables kanman may pass to the executor. The list is intersected with the team policy’s secret_names (see Policy settings): a variable must be allowed in both places. Values are never stored in the manifest, in the run record, in the evidence pack or in the audit log; only the names appear.

{
  "version": 1,
  "command": "make lint test",
  "ci_var_keys": ["NPM_TOKEN", "SENTRY_DSN_TEST"],
  "timeout_seconds": 900
}

Warning

Prefer an empty ci_var_keys. A verify command that needs production credentials is a sign that tests reach outside the sandbox. See Sandbox and secrets.

Without a verify manifest

The manifest is optional. Without it, kanman relies on your CI status and the reviewer run. Once the verify_local gate is available, the manifest catches lint and type errors before a pull request exists, which saves CI minutes and rework attempts.