diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests-read.yaml b/.github/workflows/tests-read.yaml
index 2db06a4..3d23062 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests-read.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests-read.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name: tests-read
 
 on:
-  pull_request:
+  workflow_call:
 
 # read only needs to read; the seed step uses write, which needs write.
 permissions:
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ jobs:
           marker: test-read
           data: '{"version":"4.5.6","reviewed":true}'
 
+      # The seed's pulls.update is not immediately consistent: a pulls.get
+      # right after it can hit a replica that hasn't caught up. Give it a
+      # moment to propagate before reading back.
+      - run: sleep 10
+
       # Read via an explicit pr-number so the action takes the REST fetch path.
       # The default path reads the event payload's PR body, which is captured
       # when the run starts and so can't see the seed written above this run.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests-write.yaml b/.github/workflows/tests-write.yaml
index f67a239..800531c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests-write.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests-write.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name: tests-write
 
 on:
-  pull_request:
+  workflow_call:
 
 # write updates the PR body via the REST API
 permissions:
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ jobs:
           marker: test-write
           data: '{"version":"1.2.3","reviewed":false}'
 
+      # pulls.update is not immediately consistent, and the merge step below
+      # reads the body back to find the seeded marker. Let the seed propagate
+      # first, otherwise merge can miss it and append a duplicate block.
+      - run: sleep 10
+
       # Merge: shallow-merge new keys into the existing blob (merge=true).
       - id: merge
         uses: ./write
@@ -29,6 +34,9 @@ jobs:
           data: '{"reviewed":true,"author":"test"}'
           merge: "true"
 
+      # Same propagation delay before reading the merged result back.
+      - run: sleep 10
+
       # Read it back to assert the round-trip survived the composite-input plumbing.
       # Explicit pr-number forces the REST fetch path; the default path reads the
       # event payload body captured at run start, before the writes above.
@@ -54,3 +62,33 @@ jobs:
           [ "$(echo "$RESULT" | jq -r '.author')"   = "test" ] || { echo "::error::author not added"; exit 1; }
 
           echo "write self-test passed"
+
+      # The write action exposes what it persisted as `result`/`changed` outputs.
+      - name: Assert write outputs
+        env:
+          SEED_RESULT: ${{ steps.seed.outputs.result }}
+          SEED_CHANGED: ${{ steps.seed.outputs.changed }}
+          MERGE_RESULT: ${{ steps.merge.outputs.result }}
+          MERGE_CHANGED: ${{ steps.merge.outputs.changed }}
+          RESULT: ${{ steps.read.outputs.result }}
+        run: |
+          echo "seed.result=$SEED_RESULT seed.changed=$SEED_CHANGED"
+          echo "merge.result=$MERGE_RESULT merge.changed=$MERGE_CHANGED"
+
+          # Both writes mutate the body, so changed must be true.
+          [ "$SEED_CHANGED" = "true" ]  || { echo "::error::seed.changed not true"; exit 1; }
+          [ "$MERGE_CHANGED" = "true" ] || { echo "::error::merge.changed not true"; exit 1; }
+
+          # Replace output reflects exactly what was passed in.
+          [ "$(echo "$SEED_RESULT" | jq -r '.version')"  = "1.2.3" ] || { echo "::error::seed.result version wrong"; exit 1; }
+          [ "$(echo "$SEED_RESULT" | jq -r '.reviewed')" = "false" ] || { echo "::error::seed.result reviewed wrong"; exit 1; }
+
+          # Merge output reflects the post-merge value (old ∪ new).
+          [ "$(echo "$MERGE_RESULT" | jq -r '.version')"  = "1.2.3" ] || { echo "::error::merge.result version not preserved"; exit 1; }
+          [ "$(echo "$MERGE_RESULT" | jq -r '.reviewed')" = "true" ]  || { echo "::error::merge.result reviewed not merged"; exit 1; }
+          [ "$(echo "$MERGE_RESULT" | jq -r '.author')"   = "test" ]  || { echo "::error::merge.result author not added"; exit 1; }
+
+          # The merge output must match what a subsequent read sees.
+          [ "$(echo "$MERGE_RESULT" | jq -S .)" = "$(echo "$RESULT" | jq -S .)" ] || { echo "::error::merge.result does not match read result"; exit 1; }
+
+          echo "write outputs self-test passed"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..058f7b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+name: tests
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+
+# Both reusable workflows seed the PR body via the REST API.
+permissions:
+  pull-requests: write
+  contents: read
+
+# Run the two suites as a chain rather than in parallel: each one does a
+# whole-body read-modify-write on the same PR description, so running them
+# concurrently makes their writes clobber each other. `needs` serializes them.
+jobs:
+  read:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/tests-read.yaml
+
+  write:
+    needs: read
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/tests-write.yaml
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6dbfeeb..2e4eea6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -68,6 +68,15 @@ permissions:
 
 When `merge` is `true`, both the existing and incoming values must be plain JSON objects.
 
+### Outputs
+
+| Name      | Description                                                                       |
+| --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `result`  | JSON-stringified metadata that was written, after the merge if `merge` is enabled |
+| `changed` | `"true"` if the PR body was updated, `"false"` if it was already up to date        |
+
+`result` is the effective stored value, which is the most reliable way to learn the result of a `merge: "true"` write without reading the body back.
+
 ### Example
 
 ```yaml
@@ -81,10 +90,12 @@ jobs:
   write-metadata:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: taskworld/pr-meta-action/write@v1
+      - id: meta
+        uses: taskworld/pr-meta-action/write@v1
         with:
           data: '{"reviewed":true,"version":"1.2.3"}'
           merge: "true"
+      - run: echo 'wrote ${{ steps.meta.outputs.result }} (changed=${{ steps.meta.outputs.changed }})'
 ```
 
 ## Notes
diff --git a/write/action.yml b/write/action.yml
index a923a29..8eee880 100644
--- a/write/action.yml
+++ b/write/action.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ inputs:
     default: "false"
     required: false
 
+outputs:
+  result:
+    description: JSON-stringified metadata that was written (after merge, if enabled)
+    value: ${{ steps.write.outputs.result }}
+  changed:
+    description: true when the PR body was updated, false when it was already up to date
+    value: ${{ steps.write.outputs.changed }}
+
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
@@ -95,7 +103,9 @@ runs:
               block :
               `${body}\n\n${block}\n`
 
-          if (newBody !== body) {
+          const changed = newBody !== body
+
+          if (changed) {
             await github.rest.pulls.update({
               owner: context.repo.owner,
               repo: context.repo.repo,
@@ -103,3 +113,6 @@ runs:
               body: newBody,
             })
           }
+
+          core.setOutput('result', JSON.stringify(newVal))
+          core.setOutput('changed', String(changed))