review-verification-protocol

# Review Verification Protocol

This protocol MUST be followed before reporting any code review finding. Skipping these steps leads to false positives that waste developer time and erode trust in reviews.

## Pre-Report Verification Checklist

Before flagging ANY issue, verify:

- [ ] **I read the actual code** - Not just the diff context, but the full function/class
- [ ] **I searched for usages** - Before claiming "unused", searched all references
- [ ] **I checked surrounding code** - The issue may be handled elsewhere (guards, earlier checks)
- [ ] **I verified syntax against current docs** - Framework syntax evolves (Tailwind v4, TS 5.x, React 19)
- [ ] **I distinguished "wrong" from "different style"** - Both approaches may be valid
- [ ] **I considered intentional design** - Checked comments, CLAUDE.md, architectural context

## Verification by Issue Type

### "Unused Variable/Function"

**Before flagging**, you MUST:
1. Search for ALL references in the codebase (grep/find)
2. Check if it's exported and used by external consumers
3. Check if it's used via reflection, decorators, or dynamic dispatch
4. Verify it's not a callback passed to a framework

**Common false positives:**
- State setters in React (may trigger re-renders even if value appears unused)
- Variables used in templates/JSX
- Exports used by consuming packages

### "Missing Validation/Error Handling"

**Before flagging**, you MUST:
1. Check if validation exists at a higher level (caller, middleware, route handler)
2. Check if the framework provides validation (Pydantic, Zod, TypeScript)
3. Verify the "missing" check isn't present in a different form

**Common false positives:**
- Framework already validates (FastAPI + Pydantic, React Hook Form)
- Parent component validates before passing props
- Error boundary catches at higher level

### "Type Assertion/Unsafe Cast"

**Before flagging**, you MUST:
1. Confirm it's actually an assertion, not an annotation
2. Check if the type is narrowed by runt