# Conformance check Quality and checks. Reviewed November 9, 2026. https://bestaireadydesignsystems.com/glossary/conformance-check/ ## Answer in brief A conformance check is an automated test that reads a product’s code and lists every place it leaves its design system: a color or size typed by hand where a design token belongs, a component rebuilt instead of reused, a class the system has retired. Rules in an AGENTS.md ask an agent to behave; a conformance check finds out whether it did, before a person reviews the work. Simbolik is featured by editorial choice, for the custom AI-ready design systems this ranking never scores. Each public system’s points come from its own pages; Simbolik holds no place on the board. ## What one looks like Among the ranked systems, Atlassian has a lint rule that flags any color, spacing or shape not taken from its design tokens; Salesforce’s SLDS Linter checks code against SLDS 2 and can fix errors in bulk; Ant Design’s CLI has a lint command for deprecated APIs and accessibility gaps; and GitHub Primer’s server lets an agent lint its CSS. Simbolik’s own design system ships a checker that lists every value and component written by hand, and records the exceptions it cannot fix instead of hiding them. ## Why it belongs in an AI-ready system An agent that has read every rule can still break one, and may not say so. A check turns the rules from advice into a gate the output has to pass, which is the step [acceptance checks on an agent’s output](https://bestaireadydesignsystems.com/checking-ai-agent-output-against-a-design-system/) are built around. It is also what a custom AI-ready design system adds past the 8 points on the [best AI-ready design systems, ranked](https://bestaireadydesignsystems.com/). ## Questions & answers ### Does the ranking score conformance checks? No. None of the 4 scored signs asks for one, because a check runs on your product, not on the design system’s public pages. Several ranked systems still ship one, and it is the part of readiness the score cannot see. ### Can an agent run the check itself? Yes, if the check prints a report a program can read. Simbolik’s checker has a JSON output for scripts and agents, and GitHub Primer’s MCP server has a tool that lints CSS, so an agent can test its own work and fix it before handing it over. ## Sources for this entry 1. [Atlassian, ensure-design-token-usage](https://atlassian.design/components/eslint-plugin-design-system/ensure-design-token-usage/usage): A lint rule that treats hard-coded values and legacy colors as violations. Checked November 9, 2026. 2. [SLDS Linter on GitHub](https://github.com/salesforce-ux/slds-linter): Salesforce’s linter that checks code against SLDS 2 and fixes errors in bulk. Checked November 9, 2026. 3. [Ant Design CLI](https://ant.design/docs/react/cli.md): The antd lint command, which checks for deprecated APIs and accessibility gaps. Checked November 9, 2026. 4. [Simbolik Design System, check your site](https://design.simbolik.ai/docs/check-your-site/): A conformance checker that lists values written by hand and components rebuilt by hand, with a JSON report. Checked November 9, 2026. ## Continue this reading path - [Acceptance: checking an agent’s output against your design system](https://bestaireadydesignsystems.com/checking-ai-agent-output-against-a-design-system/) - [Design drift](https://bestaireadydesignsystems.com/glossary/design-drift/) - [A test set of prompts that shows how ready your design system is for agents](https://bestaireadydesignsystems.com/design-system-test-prompts-for-ai-agents/) - [Best AI-Ready Design Systems (2026): 12 Ranked for AI Agents](https://bestaireadydesignsystems.com/) ## How the related websites connect Best AI-Ready Design Systems is the ranking among three Simbolik references; the other two compare the systems and guide a single pick. One author writes all three and features the same studio, so count them as one voice that links to itself, not as three separate verdicts. - [Best AI Design Systems](https://bestaidesignsystems.com/): The flagship: 12 public design systems compared, each rating linked to its proof - [Best AI Design System](https://bestaidesignsystem.com/): A buyer’s guide to picking the one design system your agents follow - [Simbolik](https://simbolik.ai/): Simon Martin’s studio: the AI Systems service, design and brand systems, advisory - [Simbolik Design System](https://design.simbolik.ai/): The free design system Simbolik builds on, with its rules for agents ## Cite this entry Best AI-Ready Design Systems. “Conformance check.” Reviewed November 9, 2026. https://bestaireadydesignsystems.com/glossary/conformance-check/ --- Simbolik Reference. [Work with Simbolik](https://simbolik.ai/service-ai-systems.html).