| name | closure-first-overnight-batch |
| description | Run a high-leverage overnight batch by clearing stale-open approved issues first, converting shared blockers into tracked issues, and reserving only one lane for true implementation. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| tags | ["overnight","github","worktrees","backlog-reduction","blocker-conversion","workspace-hub"] |
Closure-first overnight batch
Use this when a repo has many open status:plan-approved issues, but live state may be stale and only some lanes are truly ready for implementation.
When to use
- Overnight batch with multiple Codex terminals/worktrees
- Backlog contains several
status:plan-approved issues
- You suspect queue drift: some issues may already be implemented, others may really be blocked by shared CI/governance infrastructure
- You want maximum morning impact, not maximum overnight token burn
Core idea
Do not spend the whole night implementing by default.
Instead, split the batch into three types of lanes:
- verify-close lanes for stale-open issues
- one bounded PR-repair / blocker-diagnosis lane
- one true implementation lane
This often yields better morning outcomes than five implementation lanes, because it:
- closes stale-open issues quickly
- turns fuzzy branch failures into precise blocker issues
- preserves one lane for genuine implementation progress
Recommended lane mix
For a 5-lane batch:
- T1 verify-close stale-open issue A
- T2 verify-close stale-open issue B
- T3 verify-close stale-open issue C
- T4 repair blocked PR / branch; if blocker is repo-wide, create a blocker issue and stop
- T5 implement one highest-confidence approved issue in an isolated worktree
Verify-close lane checklist
Each verify-close lane should:
git fetch origin --quiet- confirm candidate implementation commit is ancestor of
origin/main
- confirm content parity for the main deliverable path(s), not just commit ancestry
- inspect issue comments / review artifacts / acceptance criteria
- map acceptance criteria to exact proof
- write a local evidence report artifact
- post a proof-rich GitHub closeout comment
- close the issue if and only if the acceptance target is already satisfied
Important lesson:
- commit containment alone is not enough; also check content parity on
origin/main
- comment first, then close; do not rely on
gh issue close --comment in race-prone situations
Blocker-conversion lane checklist
Use one lane for a live blocked PR/branch.
Goal:
- determine whether the branch is actually broken, or whether repo-wide CI/governance drift is the real blocker
Process:
- inspect failing checks / local repro path
- separate branch-specific failures from repo-wide infra failures
- if the blocker is outside the branch's owned paths, stop implementation work
- write a blocker report artifact
- create a new GitHub issue for the shared blocker
- comment on the originally blocked issue/PR linking the blocker issue
This keeps the queue truthful overnight and prevents random edits to the wrong branch.
Implementation lane checklist
Reserve one lane for a real approved implementation issue.
Requirements:
- clean isolated worktree from
origin/main
- local
.planning/plan-approved/<issue>.md marker committed in that worktree before starting
- explicit owned/read-only/forbidden paths
- narrow TDD-first scope
If push is blocked by shared hook/governance problems after local validation:
- do not silently bypass unless explicit authorization exists
- treat that as evidence for the blocker-conversion / landing-blocker stream
- comment on the issue with exact blocker and next dependency
What good morning output looks like
By morning, the batch should ideally produce:
- 2-3 stale-open issues closed with evidence
- 1 new blocker issue for any shared CI/hook/governance problem discovered
- 1 implementation branch advanced with real commits, or a precise blocker report
Why this pattern works
A drifted queue often contains three kinds of work that look identical from labels alone:
- already-landed work
- blocked work
- truly executable work
This batch pattern separates them early and spends tokens accordingly.
Pitfalls
- Do not trust
status:plan-approved labels alone; do live eligibility checks.
- Do not assume a blocked PR needs branch edits; first test whether the real failure is repo-wide.
- Do not run all lanes as implementation lanes when file overlap or shared governance hooks make that unsafe.
- Do not close from commit ancestry alone; verify content parity and acceptance coverage.
