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Manifest Guide

Guide Maps

graph LR
  bundle["Built bundle"] --> manifest["manifest.json"]
  manifest --> files["File inventory"]
  files --> review["Bundle integrity review"]
flowchart LR
  question["What exactly was written?"] --> manifest["Open manifest.json"]
  manifest --> paths["Check file paths, sizes, and hashes"]
  paths --> compare["Compare manifests across bundle runs if needed"]

Use this guide when a bundle exists and you need a stable inventory of what was written. The goal is to make manifest.json part of the review story instead of a hidden helper.

What the manifest contains

  • bundle directory path
  • file count
  • one record per file with relative path, byte size, and SHA-256 hash

When it is useful

  • when you want to confirm which guides and outputs were copied into a bundle
  • when you want to compare two bundle runs without diffing every file manually
  • when you want a durable record of what the review route actually produced

Best companion guides

  • read BUNDLE_GUIDE.md for the higher-level bundle relationship
  • read PROOF_GUIDE.md when the manifest is supporting an evidence review
  • read scripts/write_bundle_manifest.py when you want the local implementation