# Failure Triage Checklist

## First classify the problem
- Real product bug.
- Broken or outdated test.
- Environment or fixture problem.
- Flaky timing or async issue.
- Wrong assumptions after a refactor.

## Backend-specific checks
- Contract mismatch.
- Validation error changes.
- Permissions or auth regression.
- Test data or fixture drift.

## Frontend-specific checks
- UI behavior changed intentionally or unintentionally.
- Query selectors too brittle.
- Async rendering not awaited correctly.
- Mock data drift.

## Repair rule
- Fix the real source of truth issue first.
- Only change tests when the implementation is correct and the test is outdated or wrong.