One e2e that walks the money path

---
name: e2e-money-path
description: "Applies “One e2e that walks the money path” as a repeatable product-quality gate. Use during quality work when signup → core action → visible result, headless, on every merge."
---

# One e2e that walks the money path

Apply this skill during **Quality** work. It supports Any stack.

Signup → core action → visible result, headless, on every merge.

## Instructions

Maintain exactly one end-to-end smoke that walks the money path — sign up, perform the core action, see the result — headlessly, on every merge. Add a regression test named after every bug that ever reached production ('regression: double-charge on retry, 2026-03'). Keep the whole suite fast enough that nobody is tempted to skip it, and treat flaky tests as production bugs: fix or delete within the week. During e2e runs, a console error or unexpected network failure fails the build — warnings are failures in waiting. Use production-shaped fixtures (real-length names, unicode, empty optionals); 'test test test' data hides layout and validation bugs. Don't multiply e2e scenarios — depth belongs in unit tests; e2e proves the wiring.

## Detect the problem

- 'We test manually before releases'
- Flaky tests skipped 'for now'
- Fixtures full of 'test test test'

## Hold the gate

Do not declare this phase complete until every item passes:

- [ ] One end-to-end smoke covers the money path and runs on every merge
- [ ] Every past production bug has a regression test named after the incident
- [ ] The suite finishes in minutes; flaky tests are fixed or deleted the same week
- [ ] Console and network are clean during e2e — warnings are failures in waiting
- [ ] Fixtures look real: names, lengths, unicode — not 'test test test'

## Verify the result

Run the smoke headlessly from a clean database: signup → result, green, console clean.