Chain of Verification (CoVe) for Prompt Design

This skill documents what CoVe is, when to use it, and how to apply it correctly in prompt design.

CoVe is a prompt design pattern that improves factual reliability by separating generation from verification. The model first produces an answer, then independently verifies that answer through structured checks, and finally produces a corrected or confirmed result.

This is not chain of thought exposure. The verification steps are explicit instructions, not hidden reasoning.

What CoVe Is

Chain of Verification (CoVe) is a structured prompting approach with three phases:

1. Initial answer generation
2. Independent verification questions
3. Final validated answer

The key idea is that the model should not assume its first answer is correct. It must actively test it.