A successful build should be more than a green command. It should prove that the application can turn its source inputs into the artifact users will receive.
Useful guarantees
A static blog build can verify that:
- every Markdown document has valid frontmatter;
- every published article has a route;
- templates compile;
- assets resolve;
- the output directory contains the expected pages.
content -> schema validation -> route generation -> HTML outputKeep checks close to the failure
| Failure | Best place to detect it |
|---|---|
| Missing title | Content schema |
| Broken template | Build |
| Missing route | Route generation |
| Invalid link | Link checker or review |
| Visual regression | Browser or screenshot test |
Green is necessary, not sufficient
The build cannot tell you whether a heading is clear or whether an empty state feels helpful. Pair automated guarantees with a quick browser check of the important paths.
A build is a confidence tool. Make its confidence specific.