An AI-generated file is finished when the intended recipient can open the right version and use it for the agreed purpose. Saving a document establishes only that a file exists. It does not establish that the export contains every page, that formulas still calculate or that the recipient has access.
Use the sixteen checks below to define acceptance before requesting a deck, report or workbook. Acceptance means the evidence you require before calling the work complete. Pick the applicable rows; a plain text note should not inherit every requirement of an interactive financial workbook.
- 01Test the delivered copy.Previewing a source document does not verify the exported artifact.
- 02Separate appearance from function.A readable workbook can contain broken formulas; a polished deck can be uneditable.
- 03Name unresolved exceptions.A partial handoff needs a clear limitation and next owner.
01 — Define what the recipient must receiveDefine what the recipient must receive
The four layers move from getting the file to using it. Several checks may apply to one defect. Record pass, fail, not applicable or unverified for each selected row; do not convert unverified into pass because the preview looks plausible.
| Acceptance check | Inspect in the final file | What the evidence must establish |
|---|---|---|
| Access: File exists | Locate the exact saved artifact | A message claiming creation is insufficient without a retrievable file. |
| Access: Recipient can open it | Check using the intended access context | Author access does not establish recipient access. |
| Access: Link remains usable | Confirm the delivery window and ownership | An expiring scratch link may be unsuitable for a durable handoff. |
| Access: Correct version | Match the delivered artifact to the approved revision | Do not attach an older export with the same filename. |
| Structure: Format is genuine | Open it with an appropriate reader | A filename extension alone does not establish the content format. |
| Structure: Package is complete | Check required sheets, slides, pages or members | A valid container can still omit part of the requested work. |
| Structure: Editable where required | Try the expected edit operation | A flattened image does not satisfy a request for an editable document. |
| Structure: Dependencies travel | Inspect fonts, media and external references | Bundle permitted dependencies or disclose what the recipient must provide. |
| Meaning: Values preserved | Compare decision-bearing values to the source | Check units, totals and sign changes separately from appearance. |
| Meaning: Formulas behave | Recalculate relevant inputs in a safe copy | A displayed number does not establish a working formula. |
| Meaning: Labels stay attached | Read headers, notes and chart legends | A correct value under the wrong label is a substantive defect. |
| Meaning: Citations survive | Open consequential references from the final file | Source links in the drafting chat do not support a detached deliverable. |
| Use: Layout remains readable | Inspect the exported form in its intended viewer | Clipping and overlap can hide a material qualification. |
| Use: Navigation works | Try contents links, bookmarks and requested controls | A decorative button is not an implemented interaction. |
| Use: Accessibility is reviewed | Check the structure appropriate to the format | Visual resemblance does not establish an equivalent reading order. |
| Use: Exceptions are disclosed | Read the delivery note against outstanding defects | A partial result must state its limits and the next owner. |
02 — A filename and a preview prove very littleA filename and a preview prove very little
RFC 6266 treats a download filename as advisory. That is a narrow protocol point, not a file-quality standard. Our practical inference is to open and inspect the actual artifact rather than accepting an extension as evidence of its contents.
W3C’s table guidance explains the role of header and data-cell associations. This supports a separate structural review: a table’s visible grid does not establish that its relationships survive in an accessible form.
03 — Follow one workbook through deliveryFollow one workbook through delivery
Microsoft’s SpreadsheetML formula guide (read September 9, 2026) distinguishes formula text from the cached result of its last calculation. A preview can therefore show a value without demonstrating that the intended calculation still works. For an editable workbook, inspect the formula and change an input in a safe copy using the recipient’s spreadsheet application; check the recalculated result.
If the calculation fails, repair the formula or its dependencies and repeat the check on the replacement export. Identify that accepted revision so an older attachment is not mistaken for the tested copy.
Do the same for citations. A report’s claims cannot rely on links that remain only in the agent’s chat. The citation-check reference helps decide which source relationships must travel with the file.
04 — Write the acceptance note before generationWrite the acceptance note before generation
A useful brief names the file type, recipient, target viewer, required editability and the decision the file supports. Add the checks that can fail silently: an appendix that must remain attached, a footnote beside a price or a chart whose labels need to remain readable when exported.
Keep acceptance proportional. A draft for discussion may need only complete content, clear caveats and a working link. A reusable template needs a check that the next person can actually edit it. A publication-ready document needs review of the final export, not just the source.
Choose the observation tool that can establish the property in question. File inspection can show contents; an application viewer can reveal clipping. The browser-versus-API reference distinguishes these observation and execution roles.
05 — Deliver a file with a short evidence noteDeliver a file with a short evidence note
Attach a short result record: the accepted artifact and revision, checks performed, and unresolved properties. If the target viewer was unavailable, name the remaining check and its next owner.
If generation is interrupted, preserve the last complete copy separately from partial exports. Do not silently replace a usable file with a newer but incomplete one. The guide to half-finished agent outputs covers another boundary where a plausible result can conceal missing content.
Original editorial classification informed by inspected primary sources.
- What was collected
- 16 file checks across 4 acceptance layers. One row per check or response case; multiple rows can apply to the same artifact or task.
- As-of date
- Sources inspected and classification assembled September 7, 2026. The assigned publication date is September 5; this is not a claim of collection on that date.
- Sources and evidence
- RFC 6266 supports inspecting the actual file rather than trusting its name; W3C supports table relationships; Microsoft explains formula text and cached results. Acceptance checks are editorial recommendations.
- Exclusions and gaps
- No vendor census, model ranking, live experiment or prevalence estimate. UNVERIFIED means the required evidence was not inspected. Not applicable means the property is outside the agreed task.
- Limitations and updates
- Use format-specific checks where the task requires them; this reference is not certification. Revisit it when formats or source guidance change.
06 — DecisionWhat to do next
Accept the artifact the recipient will use.
Define the few checks that matter before generation, run them on the delivered copy and keep the evidence note beside it. Completion then refers to a usable result that someone can inspect.
For implementation support, explore our AI transformation services.