---
title: How Arcus Works: Plan, Code, Test and Release, Verified | Arcus
description: Follow one ticket through Arcus: intent pulled from the spec, drift caught in the coding session, untested paths found on the live app, and a clear release call.
url: https://tryarcus.ai/how-it-works/
---

How it works

# What should be built.What’s being coded.What got shipped.

Arcus checks the last two against the first, independently of the agents writing the code. Follow one ticket through every stage.

[Sign up for free](/signup)$ npm install -g arcus_⧉_**✓**

Jira ticket

Admins can invite teammates to a workspace

[Plan](#plan)[Code](#code)[Test](#test)[Release](#release)

1.  PlanIntent pulled from the ticket, designs and PRD
2.  CodeDrift caught in the session
3.  Tests written and reviewed
4.  TestUntested path found on the live app
5.  Good runs saved as repeatable scripts
6.  ReleaseA clear call on what’s left before ship

**Plan**Turn tickets and specs into intent

## The spec becomes the baseline for everything else.

**Intent for team invites**from Jira, Figma, PRD

1Only workspace admins can send invitesticket

2Invitee joins with the role the admin picked, Member by defaultPRD

3Invite link works onceticket

4Pending invites show in the members listFigma

5Invites expire after 7 days and can be resentPRD

Product Manager

Reviews the behaviours in Jira and signs them off as the baseline.

**Reads where intent lives**

Tickets, criteria, designs and PRDs.

**Sets the baseline**

Code, tests and release are measured against it.

**Linked back to source**

Each behaviour points to where it came from.

**Code**Catch drift while the code is still being written

## The agent built the invite flow. Arcus checked it right in the developer session.

$ arcus check

→ checking the diff against intent for team invites

→ drift: role picker defaults to Admin, intent says Member

→ blast radius: roles, seat billing, audit log

→ tests written for the new behaviour · review with arcus review

exit 1

Developer

Fixes the drift before moving on, and keeps the tests worth keeping.

**Checks while you work**

In the session, from the CLI or your agent.

**Blast radius per change**

Every area a diff touches, before you merge.

**Tests written and run**

Unit and functional tests, run on the developer’s machine.

**Test**Find the coverage nobody wrote

## Arcus finds the paths nobody thought to test.

**Invite flow coverage**staging, real browsers and devices

✓Invite a new user as Membercovered

✓Open an invite after 7 dayswritten in Code

✓Resend a pending invitenew script

✓Non-admin opens the invite screennew script

✓Revoke a pending invitenew script

✗Invite an email that already has an account: invitee lands in a second, empty workspacebug filed

Quality Assurance Engineer

Confirms the bug. It lands in Jira with screenshots, video and steps to reproduce.

**Explores the live app**

Finds the paths no test covers.

**Real browsers and devices**

Every run on real browsers and devices, in the cloud.

**Runs that repeat**

Good runs become deterministic scripts.

**Release**Know if a build is ready to ship

## Ready to ship, or exactly why not

Not yet

Two things stand between this build and ship

+Every behaviour met after the role fixPlan, Code

+Tests passing across real browsers and devicesCode, Test

+Audit log verified for every invite actionblast radius

−Open bug: existing accounts land in an empty workspaceTest

−Seat billing touched by the change, not yet verifiedblast radius

Engineering Manager

Holds the release for the bug, or ships knowing the risk.

**Score built upstream**

From everything verified in plan, code and test.

**Every reason listed**

Exactly what stands between the build and ship.

**Where your team looks**

In Jira, Linear, GitHub and Slack.

**Underneath**A knowledge graph that compounds every run

## The next ticket starts from everything this one taught it

Intent, code, tests and gaps, all in one map of your app.

**Workspace settings**100%

2 pages

**Members list**100%

Entry point

**Invite teammate**100%

Modal

**Invite acceptance**88%

1 page 1 open

**Accept invite**88%

Page 1 open

**Billing**0%

1 page Not verified

**Seats**0%

Page Not verified

Touched by this ticketVerifiedOpen or not verified

## Runs where your team already works

### Where it runs

CLIAgent-nativeDevice and browser labTest management

### Apps you can test

Web appsMobile appsSalesforce

### Integrations

Claude CodeCodexCopilotGitHubJenkinsJiraFigma

## Run it on your next ticket

[Sign up for free](/signup)$ npm install -g arcus_⧉_**✓**