diff --git a/docs/plans/promptfoo-grading-reference-output-alignment.md b/docs/plans/promptfoo-grading-reference-output-alignment.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3882629d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/plans/promptfoo-grading-reference-output-alignment.md
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# Promptfoo Grading Reference Output Alignment Plan
+
+Status: draft review summary. Beads are the source of truth for scope, owner locks, acceptance, and closure. This document is a human-reviewable sequencing aid for `av-kfik.28` and must not replace the child Bead descriptions or acceptance criteria.
+
+## Summary
+
+AgentV should align authored reference answers and grading artifacts with Promptfoo-compatible authoring while keeping AgentV run bundles as the artifact source of truth.
+
+Finalized contract:
+
+- Authored reference answers live in `vars.expected_output`.
+- `vars.expected_output` is passive reference data and does not imply grading.
+- Explicit `assert` entries own pass/fail.
+- The Promptfoo-compatible low-friction pattern is a suite-level `default_test` / `defaultTest` `assert` entry with `type: llm-rubric` and `value` containing `{{ expected_output }}`.
+- `llm-rubric` should parse Promptfoo-style judge output `{reason, pass, score}`.
+- Public grading artifacts use aggregate `{pass, score, reason, graders[]}`.
+- Each grader uses `{name, type, pass, score, reason, checks?}`.
+- Checks use `{id?, text, pass, score?, reason, evidence?}`.
+- Do not emit top-level `checks`, public `assertion_results`, a public `passed` alias, or a dynamic one-grader shortcut.
+
+Wire formats remain `snake_case`; internal TypeScript remains `camelCase` with boundary translation.
+
+Promptfoo evidence checked locally at clone commit `6bfc5a0c7f16f9c4717ac731d276b578e63d0769`: `TestCaseSchema` includes `vars`, `providerOutput`, `assert`, `options`, `threshold`, and `metadata`, with no first-class `expectedOutput`; the default grading prompt asks judges for `{reason, pass, score}`; `defaultTest` merges `vars` and `assert` into tests.
+
+## Bead Map
+
+| Bead | Scope | Dependencies | Acceptance gates | Planned PR sequencing |
+| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
+| `av-kfik.28` | Parent epic for Promptfoo-compatible reference answers and public grading result contract. | Parent under `av-kfik`; coordinates `av-kfik.28.1` through `av-kfik.28.7`. | This plan PR records branch/PR/commit only; do not close the epic or child Beads from this PR. | Draft plan PR first. Implementation PRs follow child Bead order and keep Beads canonical. |
+| `av-kfik.28.1` | Specify the final public grading result contract. | None inside this sub-epic. | Contract says aggregate `pass`, `score`, `reason`, always-present `graders[]`, nested `checks[]`, and no public legacy aliases. | First implementation/spec PR; blocks all artifact, SDK, parser, and dashboard work. |
+| `av-kfik.28.2` | Migrate authored `expected_output` to `vars.expected_output` and reject normal authored top-level/test `expected_output`. | `av-kfik.28.1`; must avoid colliding with `av-kfik.27` input hard-deprecation and `av-kfik.15` broad codemod. | Parser/codemod/errors prove `vars.expected_output` is passive and explicit `assert` owns grading; examples use `default_test`/`defaultTest` `llm-rubric` with `{{ expected_output }}` where semantic grading is intended. | Stack after `av-kfik.15`, or proceed only on isolated expected-output parser/codemod paths that do not rewrite input fixtures/docs/examples already owned by `av-kfik.15`/`av-kfik.16`. |
+| `av-kfik.28.3` | Parse Promptfoo-compatible `llm-rubric` judge output and normalize it into the new contract. | `av-kfik.28.1`. | Tests cover `{reason, pass, score}`, coercion/failure cases, optional `checks[]`, rubric arrays, and no public legacy fields. | Can proceed after `av-kfik.28.1` in non-overlapping grader/parser areas, using prompt/vars fixtures that do not touch input hard-deprecation migration. |
+| `av-kfik.28.4` | Update SDK and script grader result APIs for `pass`/`reason`/`checks`. | `av-kfik.28.1`. | SDK schemas/helpers, script grader docs/examples, and tests use aggregate plus checks; internal APIs keep camelCase and translate at boundaries. | Can proceed after `av-kfik.28.1`; coordinate with `av-kfik.28.6` before artifact fixtures are regenerated. |
+| `av-kfik.28.6` | Rewrite run artifacts, JSONL/result exports, validators, and samples to stable `graders[]`/`checks[]`. | `av-kfik.28.1`, `av-kfik.28.3`, `av-kfik.28.4`. | Artifact contract tests cover single grader, multiple graders, no checks, scored checks, and failed grader parse errors; public artifacts reject legacy `assertion_results`/`passed`-only shape. | Artifact PR after parser and SDK PRs. Keep sample regeneration separate from input/example migration unless stacked after `av-kfik.15`. |
+| `av-kfik.28.5` | Update Dashboard artifact readers and grading UI. | `av-kfik.28.6`, `av-kfik.28.1`. | Dashboard reads aggregate and `graders[]`, renders nested `checks[]` only when present, has fixtures for single/multi/failed grader states, and publishes screenshot evidence to `agentv-private`. | Dashboard PR after `av-kfik.28.6`; do not ship UI fixture updates before artifact shape is stable. |
+| `av-kfik.28.7` | Update docs, examples, result artifact reference, script grader docs, and Promptfoo parity matrix. | `av-kfik.28.2`, `av-kfik.28.3`, `av-kfik.28.4`, `av-kfik.28.5`. | Public docs state the current contract directly; examples validate; parity matrix says AgentV is compatible with Promptfoo `llm-rubric` value templating and extends results with checks; live provider plus real LLM grader dogfood is recorded. | Final docs/examples PR after implementation and dashboard PRs, and after `av-kfik.15`/`av-kfik.16` clear broad input/codemod/docs migration. |
+
+## Sequencing Constraints
+
+`av-kfik.13` owns multi-turn execution/evaluation and blocks `av-kfik.15`. Any expected-output migration that rewrites broad example or fixture surfaces should wait until `av-kfik.13` decisions are reflected in the hard-deprecation codemod path.
+
+`av-kfik.27` has a draft input hard-deprecation PR and intentionally leaves many fixtures/examples failing until `av-kfik.15` migrates authored direct input to prompts plus vars. Grading-reference implementation must not compete with that PR by editing the same input migration surfaces unless it is deliberately stacked after `av-kfik.27` and coordinated through `av-kfik.15`.
+
+`av-kfik.15` is the broad hard-deprecation codemod. `av-kfik.28.2` should stack after it for repo-wide YAML, example, and fixture rewrites, or stay narrowly scoped to expected-output parser/codemod logic with isolated prompt/vars fixtures.
+
+`av-kfik.16` owns final docs, examples, and live dogfood for the broader Promptfoo restructure. `av-kfik.28.7` should land after the grading implementation PRs and coordinate with `av-kfik.16` so docs/examples describe the current contract directly and do not preserve migration rationale outside explicit migration docs or ADRs.
+
+README stays out of scope for this plan except to keep Promptfoo comparison in parity/reference docs rather than expanding README.
+
+## Validation And Dogfood Plan
+
+Implementation workers should choose the smallest checks that prove their Bead acceptance criteria, but the full sub-epic needs:
+
+- Unit, schema, parser, loader, and runtime tests for authored `vars.expected_output`, explicit `assert` ownership, rejection/migration of authored `expected_output`, and `default_test`/`defaultTest` inheritance.
+- Artifact contract tests for aggregate `{pass, score, reason, graders[]}`, nested `checks[]`, and rejection of public `assertion_results`, `passed`, top-level `checks`, or one-grader dynamic shapes.
+- SDK and script grader tests for aggregate-only results, checks with scores, checks without scores, and boundary translation between TypeScript internals and public wire format.
+- Docs and examples validation after docs/examples migrate to prompts plus vars and current grading artifact vocabulary.
+- Live provider plus real LLM grader dogfood for eval, grader, and artifact changes, using canonical `.agentv/results/<run_id>/` output and private evidence.
+- Dashboard build and browser screenshot evidence published to `agentv-private` for Dashboard grading display changes.
+
+Do not count mock targets, replay/frozen transcript runs, deterministic-only tests, or `agentv validate` as the live dogfood gate for grader/artifact changes.