# What the Pre-Send Check in `SKILL.md` Lines 130-141 Validates

> Learn what the pre-send check in SKILL.md validates. Ensure assistant responses meet strict ADHD-friendly formatting for clarity and usability.

- Repository: [Ayoub Ghriss/i-have-adhd](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd)
- Tags: deep-dive
- Published: 2026-08-05

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**The pre-send check is a quality gate that validates assistant responses satisfy strict, ADHD-friendly formatting rules by removing announcements, questions, sidebars, hedging, and idioms, then verifying first and last lines answer "What to do next?" and "What just happened?"**

The `i-have-adhd` skill in the `ayghri/i-have-adhd` repository implements a specialized response style designed for users with attention differences. According to the source code in [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md), the pre-send check enforces this style through systematic content validation. This article explains exactly what this check validates and why each rule matters.

## Pre-Send Check Location and Purpose

The pre-send check appears in the **Pre-send check** section of [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md). It operates as the final filter before any assistant response reaches the user, ensuring every output adheres to the skill's core principles: **action-first, distraction-free, and concretely worded**.

This check transforms verbose, meta-heavy responses into concise, executable instructions. The validation targets five specific patterns for removal, then applies two final verification tests.

## Five Elements the Pre-Send Check Removes

### 1. Opening Announcements

The first sentence must **not** announce the assistant's intent.

- **Forbidden patterns:** "Let me...", "I'm going to...", "Here's what I'll do..."
- **Why it matters:** Meta-talk diverts attention from the actual task. Users need immediate access to actionable content without processing the assistant's internal state.

### 2. Closing Questions and Recaps

The last sentence must **not** ask follow-up questions or summarize completed work.

- **Forbidden patterns:** "Anything else?", "Does that help?", "So we've just..."
- **Why it matters:** Dangling prompts create decision fatigue and fragment the user's workflow. The response should end with clear forward momentum.

### 3. "By the Way" Sidebars

Any clause introduced with **"by the way"** or similar tangential markers must be stripped.

- **Forbidden patterns:** "By the way, you could also...", "Incidentally...", "As an aside..."
- **Why it matters:** Tangential information consumes limited working memory and disrupts task continuity.

### 4. Hedging Adverbs Without Substance

Words conveying false uncertainty must be removed unless genuine ambiguity exists.

- **Forbidden patterns:** *perhaps*, *might*, *could possibly* (when used as filler)
- **Why it matters:** Pretend uncertainty undermines confidence. The check preserves legitimate qualifiers but eliminates habitual hedging that obscures clear instructions.

### 5. Idioms and Figurative Phrases

All metaphorical language must convert to literal actions.

- **Forbidden patterns:** "circle back", "get the ball rolling", "on the same page", "low-hanging fruit"
- **Why it matters:** Abstract phrases require additional cognitive processing. Concrete language delivers unambiguous meaning.

## Two Final Verification Tests

After removing the five element types, the check validates that a reader skimming only the **first and last lines** can answer:

1. **"What to do next?"** — The opening line must contain the immediate concrete action.
2. **"What just happened?"** — The closing line must confirm the completed step and point forward.

Failure on either test blocks the response until reformatted.

## Before and After: A Practical Example

The following demonstrates the transformation applied by the pre-send check as implemented in the `i-have-adhd` skill:

**Before check (invalid):**

```text
Let me explain the next steps. First, open `src/auth.ts`. Then, add the token logic. By the way, you might want to run the tests later. Anything else?

```

**After check (validated):**

```text
Open `src/auth.ts` and add the token logic.
Step 1 of 2 done: file opened. Next: run `npm test` to verify.

```

**Changes applied:**
- Removed opening announcement: "Let me explain the next steps."
- Deleted "by the way" sidebar about tests
- Stripped hedging adverb "might"
- Eliminated closing question "Anything else?"
- Added explicit step numbering and forward pointer in final line

## Where This Validation Lives in the Source

| File | Relevance |
|------|-----------|
| [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) | Defines the complete pre-send check specification including all five removal rules and two verification tests |

The pre-send check exists solely within this skill manifest. No additional code files implement this logic—the validation rules are declarative guidelines that constrain response generation.

## Summary

- The pre-send check in [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) validates assistant responses through **five removal rules** and **two verification tests**
- It strips **opening announcements, closing questions, tangential sidebars, empty hedging, and idioms**
- It confirms **first-line actionability** and **last-line closure** for skim readers
- This validation ensures ADHD-optimized responses: **concrete, compact, and immediately actionable**

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What happens if a response fails the pre-send check?

The response does not reach the user. The system regenerates or reformats content until it satisfies all validation rules. The check serves as a hard gate, not a suggestion.

### Why target specifically "by the way" rather than all digressions?

"By the way" functions as a predictable linguistic marker for off-topic inserts. The skill targets this pattern because it reliably signals working-memory disruptions that derail task-focused attention, making it efficient to catch and remove automatically.

### Can the pre-send check be disabled or customized?

The [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) file defines fixed rules for this skill. As implemented in `ayghri/i-have-adhd`, the validation is integral to the skill's identity. Users seeking different response styles would activate alternative skills rather than modify this check.

### How does this differ from standard prompt engineering?

Standard prompts request formatting; the pre-send check **enforces** it through structural validation. Rather than hoping the model complies, the check programmatically verifies compliance using explicit, testable criteria applied to every output.