---
schema: 1
type: term
title: smoke test
description: >-
  A **smoke test** is a quick, minimal check that confirms a piece of software
  basically works — it runs and does the obvious thing — before any deeper
  testing or review.
canonical: 'https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/smoke-test-836a73bb5d64'
markdown: 'https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/smoke-test-836a73bb5d64.md'
llms: null
parent: 'https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/llms.txt'
channel: everyinc
updated: '2026-10-23T22:12:35.346Z'
language: null
children: []
---


# smoke test

Canonical: https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/smoke-test-836a73bb5d64

Parent: [Channel index](https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/llms.txt)

## Definition

A **smoke test** is a quick, minimal check that confirms a piece of software basically works — it runs and does the obvious thing — before any deeper testing or review.

## A first-line check on agent output In this channel's material, a **smoke test** is the quick, basic check you run on a coding agent's work before investing deeper scrutiny: does it compile, run, and do the obvious thing — or is it visibly broken? It sits at the front of the verification work that practitioners emphasize, where the human's job shifts from typing code to **planning, orchestrating, and verifying**. [^320b90ca-d366-5cb1-9dbb-89b66cd5893b@256] [^11bdf6ed-1223-5cba-afde-fa9b4ce88712@284] It fits into the broader practice described across the channel: traditional tests and evals still hold everything together in an agent-driven workflow, and the smoke test is the fastest of those checks — a pass/fail signal that tells you whether the agent's output is worth reviewing in depth. [^11bdf6ed-1223-5cba-afde-fa9b4ce88712@284]  - A **smoke test** is a minimal, fast check that confirms agent-written code basically works. - It is the first step in **verifying** agent output before deeper review. - It complements — it does not replace — the fuller suite of tests and evals practitioners rely on.