Opening checkout is not the same as accepting a live payment flow. This tutorial uses Skillπ Release Readiness to inspect an intentionally incomplete evidence record and explain what remains to be checked. We ran the local helper with this illustrative input; no payment provider, customer account or real transaction was used.
The task and the input
Imagine a release with a simulated provider response but no observed download entitlement. The question is narrow: does that evidence support a live release decision? Save the following illustrative record as evidence.json. The timestamp records this demonstration; replace it with the actual time of your own observations when using the format. An old timestamp can add a separate stale-evidence blocker.
{
"schema_version": 1,
"release": "Illustrative checkout acceptance record",
"revision": "example-only-v1",
"environment": "live",
"checked_at": "2026-11-02T23:21:21+00:00",
"max_age_hours": 24,
"checks": [
{
"id": "buyer-payment",
"required": true,
"requires_live": true,
"status": "pass",
"method": "synthetic",
"evidence": "fixture:simulated-provider-response"
},
{
"id": "download-ownership",
"required": true,
"requires_live": true,
"status": "unknown",
"method": "manual",
"evidence": ""
}
],
"owner_actions": [
"A real buyer must complete their own authorized checkout"
]
}The synthetic receipt is explicitly a fixture. It is not a real capture receipt. The unknown download check and remaining owner action are deliberate gaps, rather than fields to fill with invented passes.
Run the checker locally
Read the current package instructions first. The helper needs Python 3.9 or later. From its package directory, with the illustrative evidence file saved, run:
python scripts/check_evidence.py evidence.json --lang enIn this demonstration the helper exited with code 2 and returned hold. We exercised the checker implementation in our development workspace, not a live buyer flow. The relevant output was:
decision: hold
buyer-payment: simulated or sandbox result cannot establish live acceptance
download-ownership: required check has not passed
Owner actions remain incompleteExplain the three blockers
The first check says that live evidence is required, but labels its method synthetic. A successful fake provider response can help test application logic; it cannot establish a live payment. The second required check is unknown: there is no observation showing that the correct buyer received the right entitlement. The owner action remains open, so the record cannot support a completed handoff.
Do not fix these blockers by changing the method to live or replacing unknown with pass. Obtain the actual authorized observation and retain its evidence reference. The helper checks consistency; it cannot distinguish an honest receipt reference from a fabricated one.
Choose an honest next step
- For a local-only release scope, define the local checks you really require and label the environment accurately. Do not downgrade a live requirement merely to obtain a ready result.
- For sandbox acceptance, use the provider’s test environment and describe what it covers. Keep that result separate from live acceptance.
- For live acceptance, the authorized buyer completes their own transaction. Check server-confirmed payment, ownership and delivery according to the actual release scope.
Never put payment credentials, customer details or session tokens into a public evidence record. Use redacted references that the responsible reviewer can verify through authorized access.
Write the handoff
A useful handoff says: Hold. The provider response was simulated; buyer entitlement and delivery still need an authorized live check. It identifies the tested revision, environment and next owner action. It does not claim that the entire product is safe or broken.
Use the Release Readiness introduction for the package’s boundaries and the Product launch collection for the surrounding workflow. Price, package version and availability remain governed by the current skill listing.