Frequently asked questions
Basics
What is Proofline?
Proofline is a deterministic task workflow: a lead plans and dispatches bounded roles, then independent gates check the change before reporting.
Source Workflow
When is Proofline more than you need?
A change qualifies as TRIVIAL only when it touches at most two paths, changes text or configuration only, and involves no behavior change, design choice, contract, persistence, security or concurrency. Work outside those limits receives a higher class.
Source Classification
How it works
What stages does a task pass through?
A task enters intake and classification, moves through discovery and planning, receives any required approval and a freeze, then goes to implementation, knowledge updates and the final report and cleanup.
Source 1. Intake to 8. Report, DONE, cleanup
How is a task classified?
The lead uses the highest class indicated by the work: TRIVIAL, STANDARD, COMPLEX or CRITICAL. When the indicators are unclear between two classes, the higher class applies.
Source Classification
What is a gate?
A gate is a required check of the task's current content. Depending on class and review tier, gates cover secrets, independent review, QA, security and verification.
Source Gate set
What does a frozen plan mean?
The workflow hashes the task, evidence, plan, QA plan and policy at freeze. A changed frozen artifact or work outside the plan's scope blocks the transition until the plan is amended and frozen again.
Source Freezes
Roles and skills
Why does Proofline use separate roles?
Roles divide planning, implementation and checking: the lead coordinates the run, the implementer changes code, and reviewers, QA and the verifier independently assess the result.
Source Roles
Who writes the code?
The implementer writes product code to the frozen plan. In an orchestrated run, the lead coordinates the task and does not write product code.
Source Roles
What is the difference between a skill and a role?
A role assigns responsibility in the run, such as lead or implementer. A skill supplies a method for that work; the proofline-lead skill describes the lead's lifecycle method.
Source Roles, Lead skill
Trust and evidence
What does "no evidence, no claim" mean?
A finding needs observed evidence: it must be reproduced by a run or traced through a concrete input and path. A suspicion alone is not a finding.
Source Evidence rules
How are changes checked?
Required gates check the current content for secrets and verification; the task class and review tier select independent review, QA and security checks.
Source Gate set
Who approves a commit or a push?
The user approves delivery steps for a specific summary. The lead cannot grant that approval on the user's behalf.
Source Approvals (D3)
What happens when a check fails?
The lead opens a bounded fix round for an unwaived blocking failure. The implementer fixes only the permitted scope, and the affected gates run again.
Source Fix loop (D15)
Site and usage
Which AI tools does Proofline run on, and what does "beta" mean?
Proofline works with Claude Code and Codex. Codex is supported in the implementer role. Seen in real use: Claude took over when the Codex limit was reached. This site marks Codex as beta through its feature flag.
Source Runtime policy, Beta policy
Where do the diagrams on this site come from?
An on-demand extraction reads the workflow, role and gate definitions and writes a committed JSON snapshot. The site builds its diagrams from that snapshot.
Source Decision
Does this site use cookies or tracking?
The site uses no analytics or tracking cookies. It stores only consent, theme and language preferences in your browser; each stays there and is never used for tracking.
Source Decision, Policy heading