> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.merionlabs.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Capture real work

> Collect realistic work evidence without confusing raw traces with validated evaluation tasks.

# Capture real work

Good evaluation tasks begin with work that actually occurs. Merion captures a `WorkEpisode`: a versioned record connecting a request, starting state, execution context, trajectory evidence, and human-reviewed outcome.

## Before work begins

Run:

```bash theme={null}
merion work start
```

Merion records the task before the answer is known and creates a content-addressed local snapshot for every configured source.

For Git sources, the snapshot records repository head, status, and diff statistics. For ordinary directories, it records a bounded manifest of paths, sizes, modification times, and local content digests.

The snapshot deliberately excludes `.merion`, `.git`, dependency trees, and common build outputs. It does not follow symlinks or copy source-file contents into the manifest.

## During the work

Continue through Codex, OpenCode, a manual process, or another harness. Preserve evidence that helps explain the outcome:

* tool calls and external actions;
* corrections and retries;
* human interventions;
* relevant artifacts and changed state;
* runtime, cost, and latency when available.

The existence of a long trace does not make the episode valuable. The outcome must still be reviewable, representative, and tied to an economically meaningful task.

## Close with human outcome evidence

Run:

```bash theme={null}
merion work close
```

The reviewer records:

* whether the result was accepted, corrected, rejected, or abandoned;
* observable success criteria;
* unacceptable outcomes;
* the corrections that were required;
* whether the episode represents normal work;
* recurrence and economic value.

Merion does not infer these decisions from a plausible-looking final answer. A domain expert remains accountable for defining what good and bad mean.

## Do not promote a single anecdote

After review, run `merion next`. Merion asks for related examples before suggesting evaluation formation. The current workflow requires at least three reviewed episodes before opening the task-formation path.

Continue with [forming an evaluation](/guides/form-an-evaluation).