A click is not a completed task
Learn the observe, act, verify loop with an illustrative failed-save example. Check the outcome and inspect the cause before a bounded retry.
40-second silent visual explanation. The interfaces and values are illustrative. Download video · Captions (VTT) · Transcript (text)
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Opening: Lattices / Field Guide. RELIABLE UI AUTOMATION. A click is not a completed task. Observe the app. Act once. Check what changed.
- 0–10 seconds
Observe. Goal: save Weekend plans. Find the right window and the Save control.
- 10–20 seconds
Act. Press Save once. An accepted action does not prove the file was saved.
- 20–30 seconds
Verify. The app reports “Could not save”. The error means the goal is still unmet.
- 30–40 seconds
Recover with a limit. Inspect the cause before retrying. If one safe correction fails, stop and ask for help.
On-screen diagram labels: Illustrated app; Weekend plans; Save; Could not save; Goal: save Weekend plans; Right window. Right control.; 01 / OBSERVE; 02 / ACT; 03 / VERIFY; Action accepted; Now inspect the result.; Expected: Saved; Observed: Could not save; Goal still unmet; Inspect cause; One safe retry; Verify again; Still unresolved? Stop and ask.
Footer: Illustrative example · not a live desktop. lattices.dev/learn.
The idea
Decide what success looks like before acting. An accepted press is only a step toward that result. Read the app’s response, investigate an error, and retry only when the correction and the repeated action are safe. Stop when the result remains unclear.
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Documentation reviewed 2026-10-02. Examples are illustrative; this is not a hands-on product benchmark.