diff --git a/docs/SYNCING.md b/docs/SYNCING.md
index e5593a8..f3dbe26 100644
--- a/docs/SYNCING.md
+++ b/docs/SYNCING.md
@@ -269,3 +269,9 @@ even when its data looks fine.
 If the replica shows entries the producer does not have, the sync is additive rather than
 mirroring and stale files are accumulating. If it shows *fewer*, the sync has not
 completed or an exclusion is too broad.
+
+To automate this across replicas, [`examples/mac/verify-replicas.sh`](examples/mac/verify-replicas.sh)
+checks a local store and a remote one (over SSH) in one pass and exits non-zero if either
+did not receive today's push. `status.json` is rewritten on every producer push, so its
+mtime date is the "did this replica update today" signal. Wire it to launchd/cron a little
+after the producer's run.
diff --git a/docs/examples/mac/verify-replicas.sh b/docs/examples/mac/verify-replicas.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d9fdea6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/examples/mac/verify-replicas.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# verify-replicas.sh — confirm the latest producer run reached BOTH store replicas
+# TODAY: one local store and one remote store read over SSH.
+#
+# How it works: the producer rewrites `status.json` on every push, and the sync
+# carries it, so if a replica's status.json mtime date == the day this runs, that
+# replica received today's push. Run it AFTER the producer's scheduled run, e.g.
+# from launchd/cron. Exits 0 on PASS (both current), 1 on FAIL (names the laggard).
+#
+# Configure by editing the block below or exporting the vars before calling.
+# Markers are plain text (not <angle brackets>) so an unedited copy still parses.
+set -uo pipefail
+
+# ── config ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+LOCAL_STORE="${LOCAL_STORE:-REPLACE_WITH_LOCAL_STORE}"             # e.g. $HOME/code/cotdata_store
+LOCAL_CHECK="${LOCAL_CHECK:-REPLACE_WITH_LOCAL_COTDATA_UPDATE}"    # cotdata-update path, e.g. .../.venv/bin/cotdata-update
+REMOTE="${REMOTE:-REPLACE_WITH_REMOTE}"                            # ssh target, e.g. deploy@dash.example.com
+REMOTE_STORE="${REMOTE_STORE:-REPLACE_WITH_REMOTE_STORE}"          # e.g. /srv/cotdata_store
+REMOTE_CHECK="${REMOTE_CHECK:-REPLACE_WITH_REMOTE_COTDATA_UPDATE}" # cotdata-update path ON the remote
+SSH_KEY="${SSH_KEY:-}"                                             # optional: private key; empty = default key/agent
+# ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+TODAY=$(date +%F)
+SSH_OPTS=(-o BatchMode=yes -o ConnectTimeout=8)
+[ -n "$SSH_KEY" ] && SSH_OPTS+=(-i "$SSH_KEY")
+
+pass=0; fail=0
+check_date() {  # $1 = status.json mtime date (YYYY-MM-DD), $2 = label
+  if [ "$1" = "$TODAY" ]; then
+    echo "  PASS: $2 status.json written today ($1)"; pass=$((pass + 1))
+  else
+    echo "  FAIL: $2 status.json last written '${1:-unknown}', not today ($TODAY)"; fail=$((fail + 1))
+  fi
+}
+
+echo "=== cotdata replica verification — $TODAY ==="
+echo
+echo "[local] $LOCAL_STORE"
+# date -r <file> prints the file's mtime on both macOS (BSD) and Linux (GNU).
+check_date "$(date -r "$LOCAL_STORE/status.json" +%F 2>/dev/null)" "local"
+COTDATA_STORE="$LOCAL_STORE" "$LOCAL_CHECK" --check 2>&1 | sed 's/^/    /'
+echo
+echo "[remote] $REMOTE:$REMOTE_STORE"
+check_date "$(ssh "${SSH_OPTS[@]}" "$REMOTE" "date -r '$REMOTE_STORE/status.json' +%F" 2>/dev/null)" "remote"
+ssh "${SSH_OPTS[@]}" "$REMOTE" "COTDATA_STORE=$REMOTE_STORE $REMOTE_CHECK --check" 2>&1 | sed 's/^/    /'
+echo
+
+if [ "$fail" -eq 0 ] && [ "$pass" -eq 2 ]; then
+  echo "RESULT: PASS — both replicas received today's producer push."
+  exit 0
+else
+  echo "RESULT: FAIL — $fail replica(s) did not update today. Check the producer task and its chained sync."
+  exit 1
+fi