**MVP-mode UAT framing.** When `MVP_MODE=true`, follow the rules in `@~/.claude/gsd-core/references/verify-mvp-mode.md`. Briefly:

1. Generate the UAT script in three ordered sections: (a) user-flow walk-through derived from the phase's user-story goal, (b) technical checks (deferred — only run after user flow passes), (c) coverage check (goal-backward, narrowed to the user story's outcome clause).
2. **User-flow steps run first.** Each step is one user action: open, fill, click, type, observe. No HTTP verbs, no JSON shapes, no error codes in user-flow steps.
3. **Technical checks are deferred.** They run AFTER the user flow passes — same checks as non-MVP mode (endpoint schemas, error states, edge cases), just reordered.
4. **If user-flow step N fails, do not advance.** The verdict is FAIL; technical checks do not run. The user can re-run after fixing the underlying flow.

**User-story format guard.** When `MVP_MODE=true`, also verify the phase's goal is in User Story format via the centralized validator:

```bash
_GSD_SHIM_NAME="gsd-tools.cjs"; _GSD_RUNTIME_ROOT="${RUNTIME_DIR:-$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd)}"; GSD_TOOLS="${_GSD_RUNTIME_ROOT}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}"; _gsd_at() { for _p; do if [ -f "$_p" ]; then GSD_TOOLS="$_p"; return 0; fi; done; return 1; }; if _gsd_at "${_GSD_RUNTIME_ROOT}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${_GSD_RUNTIME_ROOT}/.claude/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${_GSD_RUNTIME_ROOT}/.codex/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}"; then gsd_run() { node "$GSD_TOOLS" "$@"; }; elif unset -f gsd_run; _G="$(command -v gsd_run)"; then GSD_TOOLS="$_G"; gsd_run() { "$GSD_TOOLS" "$@"; }; elif _gsd_at "${CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.claude}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${HERMES_HOME:-$HOME/.hermes}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${CURSOR_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.cursor}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${CODEX_HOME:-$HOME/.codex}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${GEMINI_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.gemini}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${COPILOT_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.copilot}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${WINDSURF_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.codeium/windsurf}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${AUGMENT_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.augment}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${TRAE_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.trae}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${QWEN_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.qwen}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${CODEBUDDY_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.codebuddy}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${CLINE_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.cline}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${GROK_AGENTS_HOME:-$HOME/.agents}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${ANTIGRAVITY_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.gemini/antigravity}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${OPENCODE_CONFIG_DIR:-${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/opencode}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}" "${KILO_CONFIG_DIR:-${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/kilo}/gsd-core/bin/${_GSD_SHIM_NAME}"; then gsd_run() { node "$GSD_TOOLS" "$@"; }; else echo "ERROR: gsd-tools.cjs not found at $GSD_TOOLS and gsd_run is not on PATH. Run: npx -y @therocketcode/gsd-core@latest --claude --local" >&2; exit 1; fi; GSD_IDENTITY_STATUS=unverified; case "$(gsd_run runtime-identity --raw 2>/dev/null || true)" in '{"packageName":"@therocketcode/gsd-core"'*'}') GSD_IDENTITY_STATUS=ok;; esac; export GSD_IDENTITY_STATUS; [ "$GSD_IDENTITY_STATUS" = ok ] || echo "WARNING: \"$GSD_TOOLS\" did not prove it is @therocketcode/gsd-core - it is either a different package or an @therocketcode/gsd-core older than the runtime-identity verb. See docs/how-to/diagnose-a-foreign-gsd-tools.md" >&2; if [ -n "${CLAUDE_ENV_FILE:-}" ] && [ -n "${GSD_TOOLS:-}" ]; then printf "export PATH='%s':\"\$PATH\"\n" "${GSD_TOOLS%/*}" >> "$CLAUDE_ENV_FILE" 2>/dev/null || true; fi
PHASE_GOAL=$(gsd_run query roadmap.get-phase "${phase_number}" ${GSD_WS} --pick goal)
USER_STORY_VALID=$(gsd_run query user-story.validate --story "$PHASE_GOAL" --pick valid)
if [ "$USER_STORY_VALID" != "true" ]; then
  echo "Phase ${phase_number} has '**Mode:** mvp' in ROADMAP.md but the **Goal:** is not in user-story format."
  echo "Run /gsd mvp-phase ${phase_number} to set a user-story goal before verifying."
  exit 1
fi
```

The verb owns the canonical regex `/^As a .+, I want to .+, so that .+\.$/` and returns slot extractions plus per-error guidance when invalid. Halt UAT generation on failure — never attempt to derive user-flow steps from a non-User-Story goal (low-quality UAT).