Content Testing — Deep Assertions

Core Principle

A test that only checks a status code proves the server didn't crash. It does not prove the page is correct.

Every test for user-facing output must assert what the user actually sees or receives — not just that "something was returned successfully."

When This Skill Applies

• Writing or reviewing tests for web pages (HTML responses)
• Writing or reviewing tests for API endpoints (JSON/XML responses)
• Writing or reviewing tests for CLI commands (stdout/stderr output)
• Writing or reviewing tests for email templates, PDF generation, RSS feeds
• Any test that checks a response status code without also checking the response body

The Rule