# Browser Visual QA Fallback — Sonic-Forage Faceless Video Lane

**Status:** `browser_visual_qa_fallback_manual_review_only_closed_until_human_yes`  
**Namespace:** Sonic-Forage  
**Purpose:** Give an awake operator a manual fallback path when browser/video previews, captions, or thumbnail cards need a quick visual check before any YouTube/social/stream action.

This is a review-only checklist. It does not upload captions, post to YouTube/X, start a Space or stream, record audio/video, move private media, start GPU/model work, use paid APIs, create invoices/payment links, claim revenue, claim OpenAI/platform affiliation, or mutate cron.

## 45-second fallback path

1. Run `PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 python3 scripts/verify_site.py` and confirm it ends with `VERIFY OK afterparty explainer site`.
2. Open the proof hub locally or on Pages and jump to `#youtube-framework-pack`.
3. Confirm the thumbnail card is readable at phone width and desktop width.
4. Open `youtube/CAPTIONS_TRANSCRIPTS_PACK.md` and confirm VTT/SRT/transcript paths exist.
5. Open `youtube/THUMBNAIL_ALT_CAPTION_QA.md` and confirm alt text matches the visible thumbnail concept.
6. Open `youtube/CAPTION_READABILITY_SCREEN_PATH.md` and read the 45-second caption path aloud.
7. If a browser preview is blank, use the static docs/data JSON and Markdown proof paths as the fallback evidence source instead of uploading or posting.
8. Stop at one human decision: approve manual upload/post prep, request copy edits, or keep building proof.

## Fallback proof sources

- `docs/index.html`
- `docs/data/site-manifest.json`
- `docs/data/youtube-captions-pack.json`
- `docs/youtube/CAPTIONS_TRANSCRIPTS_PACK.md`
- `docs/data/thumbnail-alt-caption-qa.json`
- `docs/youtube/THUMBNAIL_ALT_CAPTION_QA.md`
- `docs/data/caption-readability-screen-path.json`
- `docs/youtube/CAPTION_READABILITY_SCREEN_PATH.md`
- `docs/assets/thumbnails/afterparty_forge_youtube_thumbnail_clean.png`

## Safe wording

- “This is a manual browser QA fallback for review only.”
- “Caption upload and YouTube upload remain closed until a human approves exact text/media.”
- “If the browser preview is blank, use the verified repo-local docs/data paths; do not post from automation.”
- “The proof hub is a source map, not a revenue or affiliation claim.”

## Do not say

- “The video was uploaded automatically.”
- “The captions are live on YouTube.”
- “The proof hub has posted the launch.”
- “OpenAI/platform affiliation is confirmed.”
- “Revenue is guaranteed.”
- “GPU/video generation or paid API jobs started.”
- “Cron scheduled the publication.”

## Human approval question

Do you approve using this Sonic-Forage browser visual QA fallback to manually review the thumbnail/caption/video proof paths before any separate upload, post, stream, recording, outreach, payment, revenue, affiliation, GPU/training, or cron action?

## Closed gates

- `youtube_upload=false`
- `caption_upload=false`
- `public_posting=false`
- `auto_post_enabled=false`
- `publishes_stream=false`
- `records_audio=false`
- `uploads_private_media=false`
- `starts_gpu=false`
- `starts_paid_api=false`
- `starts_training=false`
- `claim_revenue=false`
- `claim_openai_affiliation=false`
- `mutates_cron=false`

## Verification

```bash
PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 python3 scripts/verify_site.py
python3 -m json.tool docs/data/browser-visual-qa-fallback.json >/dev/null
git diff --check
```