intake-explain

name	intake-explain
description	Read-only operator surface for diagnosing one repo-scoped PRD or build item against Lisa's current intake and repair contracts. Resolves the item's queue family, lifecycle role, ownership boundary, and gate outcomes using the same source/tracker detection, lifecycle naming, leaf-only, dependency, staleness, and backoff semantics the write-side intake and repair flows already enforce.
allowed-tools	["Skill","Bash","Read"]

Intake Explain: $ARGUMENTS

/lisa:intake-explain is the operator-facing explanation surface for one specific item in the current repo or project. It answers the per-item diagnosis question Lisa's batch flows intentionally do not answer directly: what lifecycle lane the item belongs to, which Lisa rule or gate applies right now, whether the item is eligible for intake or repair, and what the next relevant action should be.

This command is read-only in v1. It does not claim, relabel, repair, transition, comment on, decompose, or otherwise mutate the item. It complements /lisa:intake, /lisa:repair-intake, /lisa:queue-status, /lisa:automation-status, and tracker-native inspection; it does not replace them.

Confirmation policy

Do not ask for confirmation once invoked. This skill inspects one item and reports what the current Lisa contract says about it. There are no write-side effects in the v1 surface.

Scope

Inspect exactly one repo-scoped item reference:

• a GitHub issue URL or owner/repo#123 ref
• a Linear issue or project URL
• a JIRA issue key
• a Notion PRD/item URL
• a Confluence PRD page URL

The skill must determine whether the item belongs to the PRD lifecycle or the build lifecycle, then explain the item's status using the same contract Lisa already uses for /lisa:intake and /lisa:repair-intake. Do not invent a second source of truth for queue detection, lifecycle role naming, repo scoping, or repair eligibility.

Operator usage

Typical entrypoints:

/lisa:intake-explain https://github.com/acme/repo/issues/123
/lisa:intake-explain owner/repo#123
/lisa:intake-explain ENG-123
/lisa:intake-explain https://linear.app/acme/issue/ENG-123/example

Use this command when an operator needs one deterministic answer to questions like:

• "Would Lisa intake this item right now, or skip it?"
• "Is this state still product-owned, or has it crossed into a Lisa-owned lane?"
• "Is repair eligible yet, or am I still waiting on staleness or backoff?"
• "Is the real next step /lisa:intake, /lisa:repair-intake, blocker cleanup, decomposition, or manual product clarification?"

Keep the diagnosis terminal-first and human-readable: observable item facts first, then the smallest useful next command or manual action.

Contract reuse

Resolve item family, queue source/tracker, and lifecycle role names from .lisa.config.json plus the same defaults the active intake and repair flows already consume.

Route one-item diagnosis through the same contract surfaces the write-side flows already trust:

• determine whether the item belongs to the configured PRD source lane or build tracker lane using the same source / tracker settings that /lisa:intake and /lisa:repair-intake already resolve
• read vendor lifecycle role names from the same config keys and fallback defaults documented in the config-resolution rule rather than inventing hardcoded status names
• keep repo/project scoping aligned with the same current-repo detection and queue-target rules the active intake scanners use

When the runtime can identify the item but cannot confidently resolve its source lane, tracker lane, lifecycle namespace, or current repo/project scope from that contract, report MISCONFIGURED instead of guessing.

Reuse the existing execution-side semantics instead of recreating them by hand:

• queue/source detection and lifecycle naming from intake + repair-intake
• one-item routing helpers for resolving the item's queue family against the correct source/tracker contract
• product-owned versus Lisa-owned lifecycle roles
• leaf-only and repo-scope build eligibility
• active dependency holds
• repair staleness thresholds and activity signals
• repair backoff / loop-prevention suppression

Work from the same vendor families Lisa already supports for intake and repair: GitHub, Linear, JIRA, Notion, and Confluence.

What to report

Render a stable terminal-first diagnosis for one item:

1. Item identity and resolved lifecycle family (PRD or BUILD).
2. The current lifecycle role and whether that role is product-owned or Lisa-owned.
3. The exact rule, gate, or ownership boundary currently driving behavior.
4. A verdict such as ELIGIBLE_FOR_INTAKE, ELIGIBLE_FOR_REPAIR, WAITING_ON_STALENESS, HELD_BY_BLOCKERS, NON_LEAF_CONTAINER, PRODUCT_OWNED_STATE, or MISCONFIGURED.
5. The smallest useful next action, such as /lisa:intake, /lisa:repair-intake, decomposition, blocker resolution, or manual product clarification.

Keep observable item facts separate from the recommended next step so operators can tell what Lisa knows versus what Lisa suggests.

Verdicts and next actions

Use verdicts as stable operator language, not as an excuse to dump raw tracker state:

• ELIGIBLE_FOR_INTAKE: the item is in the correct actionable lane and Lisa could pick it up with /lisa:intake.
• ELIGIBLE_FOR_REPAIR: the item is Lisa-owned, stale or stuck enough to qualify for /lisa:repair-intake, and repair suppression rules are not currently preventing action.
• WAITING_ON_STALENESS: the item is Lisa-owned but too fresh to repair yet; explain which activity signal or freshness window is still protecting it from a repair loop.
• HELD_BY_BLOCKERS: the item is otherwise actionable, but explicit blockers or dependency holds mean Lisa would wait rather than claim it.
• NON_LEAF_CONTAINER: the item is structurally a container, childless Epic, or otherwise not directly buildable; explain that direct build pickup is disallowed until decomposition or reclassification happens.
• PRODUCT_OWNED_STATE: the item is currently in a product-owned role or pre-intake lane, so Lisa should not mutate it yet.
• MISCONFIGURED: Lisa could not resolve the item's queue, lifecycle namespace, repo scope, or another required contract signal confidently enough to explain actionability.

Each verdict must carry a concrete next action:

• Prefer /lisa:intake for ELIGIBLE_FOR_INTAKE.
• Prefer /lisa:repair-intake for ELIGIBLE_FOR_REPAIR.
• Prefer "wait and re-check later" for WAITING_ON_STALENESS.
• Prefer blocker resolution for HELD_BY_BLOCKERS.
• Prefer decomposition or type correction for NON_LEAF_CONTAINER.
• Prefer manual product clarification or the upstream product workflow for PRODUCT_OWNED_STATE.
• Prefer fixing config, lifecycle adoption, or repo scoping for MISCONFIGURED.

Ownership and repair readiness

Classify ownership before recommending any command. Intake-explain should make clear whether the item is waiting for a human/product promotion, already belongs to Lisa automation, or is terminal enough that normal intake should leave it alone.

Product-owned roles are roles that Lisa must not mutate from this read-only diagnosis and that normal intake/repair should not "fix" just because the item exists:

• PRD draft: still being authored; next action is manual product clarification or promotion to ready.
• PRD shipped: generated work is complete and the next automated owner is /lisa:verify-prd, not PRD intake or repair.
• PRD verified: empirically checked terminal state; no intake or repair action is required unless a human reopens scope.
• Build items with no build lifecycle role or without the configured current-repo scope: outside the build pickup lane until a human adopts the lifecycle label or fixes repo scoping.

Lisa-owned roles are roles where the framework has accepted responsibility for moving the item forward or surfacing a precise blocker:

• PRD ready: actionable for /lisa:intake.
• PRD in_review: already claimed by PRD intake; repairable only when the item is stale beyond stale_after and not suppressed by repair backoff.
• PRD blocked: Lisa asked for clarification or failed validation; repairable only when new answers, dependency changes, or other current signals make another validate-to-route pass materially different.
• PRD ticketed: generated work exists; normal PRD intake owns rollup toward shipped, while repair-intake may reconcile rollup drift when all generated top-level work is terminal.
• Build ready: actionable for /lisa:intake if repo-scope, leaf-only, and dependency gates pass.
• Build claimed: already claimed by build intake; repairable only when stale beyond stale_after and not protected by recent PR/check/comment activity.
• Build blocked: Lisa surfaced an implementation blocker; repairable only when every parsed blocker is cleared or the blocker fingerprint changed enough to justify a new attempt.
• Build done: terminal build role; repair-intake may only reconcile provider-native close-out drift, not re-run implementation.

Report repair readiness in this order:

1. If the role is product-owned, return PRODUCT_OWNED_STATE and name the product or verification workflow that owns the next move.
2. If the item is Lisa-owned but in an in-progress role, compare the newest activity signal with the configured staleness threshold. Fresh activity returns WAITING_ON_STALENESS; stale activity can return ELIGIBLE_FOR_REPAIR.
3. If the item is Lisa-owned but blocked, evaluate current blockers, clarifying answers, and the [lisa-repair-intake] fingerprint/backoff window. Active blockers or unchanged fingerprints stay held; cleared blockers or new answers can return ELIGIBLE_FOR_REPAIR.
4. If the item is ready for first pickup, run the same repo-scope, leaf-only, and dependency checks used by intake before returning ELIGIBLE_FOR_INTAKE.

Gate and ownership expectations

The explanation must stay aligned with existing Lisa rules:

• If a build item is a parent/container or a childless Epic, explain the leaf-only gate and say direct build pickup is not allowed.
• If a build item has active blockers, list the blocker refs and explain that intake would hold or skip it until they clear.
• If a PRD is in a product-owned role such as draft, shipped, or verified, explain why intake or repair will not mutate it.
• If a claimed, in-review, or blocked item is not yet repairable, explain the relevant staleness or backoff condition at a human-readable level.
• If the source lane, tracker lane, repo/project scope, or lifecycle namespace is unresolved, report MISCONFIGURED instead of pretending the item is idle or actionable.

PRD item role and repair diagnosis

For PRD lifecycle items, run the same read-side checks that PRD intake and repair-intake use before they would claim, validate, roll up, or retry a PRD. This is still a read-only explanation: if execution intake would transition ready -> in_review, route a ticketed PRD through rollup, move a blocked PRD after new answers, or suppress repair because a [lisa-repair-intake] marker is still inside its backoff window, intake-explain reports that decision and does not mutate the PRD, comments, labels, parent page, project labels, or generated work.

Resolve the source lane from .lisa.config.json source and the PRD lifecycle roles from the same vendor-specific config keys PRD intake and repair-intake use (github.labels.prd.*, linear.labels.prd.*, notion.values.*, or confluence.parents.*) with the usual defaults (draft, ready, in_review, blocked, ticketed, shipped, and verified equivalents). If the current item carries conflicting PRD lifecycle roles, lacks an adopted PRD namespace, or cannot be tied to the configured source lane, return MISCONFIGURED rather than guessing.

For GitHub-backed PRDs, collect these reader signals before choosing a verdict:

• current PRD lifecycle role label and any conflicting prd-* labels
• source-lane role ownership: draft, shipped, and verified are product-owned or verification-owned; ready, in_review, blocked, and ticketed are Lisa-owned for intake, repair, or rollup purposes
• provider-native timestamps (updatedAt) plus latest PRD comments, with special attention to comments after the most recent blocked or in-review marker
• [lisa-repair-intake] marker comments, including state fingerprint, repair verdict, retry count, and backoff window when present
• generated top-level work from native sub-issues first, then the ## Tickets / ## Generated Work section used by prd-lifecycle-rollup
• generated child terminal status so ticketed PRDs can explain whether rollup is waiting on downstream work or ready for /lisa:repair-intake
• clarifying-answer signals on blocked PRDs: new product comments, changed body text, changed blocker refs, or cleared dependencies compared with the last blocked/repair fingerprint

Apply PRD verdicts in the same order as PRD intake and repair-intake:

1. Product-owned or verification-owned roles. A PRD in draft returns PRODUCT_OWNED_STATE; the next action is manual product clarification or promotion to the configured ready role. A PRD in shipped returns PRODUCT_OWNED_STATE with /lisa:verify-prd <item-ref> as the next Lisa workflow because shipped-to-verified acceptance is outside PRD intake. A PRD in verified returns PRODUCT_OWNED_STATE or a terminal no-op explanation; normal intake and repair must not mutate it.
2. Ready PRD. A PRD in the configured ready role returns ELIGIBLE_FOR_INTAKE when the source lane and lifecycle namespace resolve cleanly. The Why: line should say PRD intake would claim it into the configured in_review role and run the source-to-tracker dry-run validate-to-route pipeline.
3. In-review PRD. A PRD in in_review is already Lisa-owned. Compare the newest activity signal against the resolved repair stale_after threshold ($ARGUMENTS override if present, .lisa.config.json intake.repair.staleAfterHours, then the 2h default). If provider activity, a progress comment, or a source edit is newer than now - stale_after, return WAITING_ON_STALENESS and name the activity timestamp. If no reliable timestamp exists, return WAITING_ON_STALENESS unless the caller explicitly uses the repair flow with stale_after=0; intake-explain should not imply automatic recovery from unknown freshness. If the item is stale and no repair-backoff marker suppresses retry, return ELIGIBLE_FOR_REPAIR.
4. Blocked PRD. A PRD in blocked is Lisa-owned but repairable only when the next validate-to-route pass can materially differ. Treat new human answers after the blocking comment, body edits after the blocking marker, cleared blockers, changed blocker refs, or changed validator fingerprint as repair-enabling signals. If none are present, return HELD_BY_BLOCKERS or WAITING_ON_STALENESS depending on whether the decisive fact is an active blocker/unchanged clarification need or a still-fresh blocked marker. If the blocker/answer state changed and repair backoff is clear, return ELIGIBLE_FOR_REPAIR.
5. Ticketed PRD. A PRD in is not ready for first intake. Read generated top-level work using the same boundary as PRD intake: top-level Epics and top-level Stories count; nested Stories and Sub-tasks do not. If any generated top-level child is non-terminal, return or a waiting explanation that downstream build work is still in progress. If all generated top-level work is terminal but the PRD has not rolled up to , return and recommend to reconcile rollup drift.

Relevant Signals: should include the decisive context, not every field: for example prd-blocked; new product comment after blocker, prd-in-review; last activity 2h ago; stale_after=2h, prd-ticketed; generated top-level work #12/#13 terminal, or [lisa-repair-intake] fingerprint unchanged; backoff until 2026-05-27T12:00:00Z.

Build item gate diagnosis

For build lifecycle items, run the same read-side checks that build intake runs before it would claim an issue. This is still a read-only explanation: if execution intake would stamp repo labels, split a cross-repo leaf, move a stale container from ready to claimed, or post a dependency-hold comment, intake-explain reports what intake would do but does not stamp, does not split, does not move labels, and does not comment.

Resolve the current repo using the same repo-scope contract as build intake: local config repo, then .lisa.config.json github.repo, then the git remote basename. Resolve the build lifecycle roles from .lisa.config.json github.labels.build.* with the usual defaults (status:ready, status:in-progress, status:blocked, status:done, plus any configured env-specific done labels). If those signals cannot be resolved, return MISCONFIGURED.

For GitHub build items, collect these reader signals before choosing a verdict:

• current build lifecycle role label and any conflicting status:* labels
• repo:<current> / repo:<other> labels, including whether the item is unlabeled for repo scope
• type labels such as type:Epic, type:Story, type:Spike, type:Bug, type:Task, type:Sub-task, and type:Improvement
• native GitHub sub-issues and their open/closed state
• body parentage used by github-read-issue, including task-list child references and Parent: #123 style references
• explicit dependency holds from Blocked by: #123, comma-separated refs, owner/repo#123, and GitHub issue URLs
• blocker issue state and blocker status labels

Apply gate verdicts in the same order as build intake:

1. Repo-scope gate. A build item carrying repo:<other> and not repo:<current> is outside this repo's pickup lane. Return MISCONFIGURED when repo scope is absent or contradictory enough that the current repo cannot be determined confidently; otherwise explain the repo-scope mismatch and recommend running intake in the target repo or fixing the repo:<name> label. For an unlabeled item whose target repo is obvious from the item body, report the inferred repo signal but stay read-only: execution intake would stamp repo:<name>, while intake-explain only says it would do so. A multi-repo leaf is not directly buildable; explain that execution intake would split it per repo-scope-split, but this read-only diagnosis does not split.
2. Leaf-only gate. If the item has open child work from native GitHub sub-issues or body parentage, return NON_LEAF_CONTAINER and explain that direct build pickup is leaf-only per leaf-only-lifecycle. If it has no open children but carries type:Epic, also return NON_LEAF_CONTAINER because a childless Epic is a pure rollup container that still needs decomposition or reclassification. (A childless type:Story or type:Spike is a valid leaf per leaf-only-lifecycle and is NOT a NON_LEAF_CONTAINER — it is directly buildable.) The next action for a childless Epic is decomposition, moving status:ready to leaf children, or correcting the issue type. Execution build intake would move such a stale ready container out of the pickup queue; this read-only diagnosis must not perform that repair.
3. Dependency hold gate. If a single-repo leaf for the current repo has explicit blockers, read each blocker. Closed blockers are clear. Open blockers are clear only when they carry a cleared build status such as status:code-review, status:on-dev, status:on-stg, status:done, or the configured done-equivalent labels. Open blockers with status:ready, status:in-progress, no cleared status label, or inaccessible state are active. Return HELD_BY_BLOCKERS, list the active blocker refs, and make the next action blocker resolution rather than /lisa:intake.
4. Ready leaf. A build item in the configured ready role, scoped to the current repo, with no open child work and no active blockers returns . The line should say it is a single-repo leaf for the current repo and that leaf-only, repo-scope, and dependency gates all pass.

Relevant Signals: should include the decisive context, not every field: for example repo:lisa; type:Sub-task; no open children, open children #12/#13, repo:api but current repo is web, or active blockers CodySwannGT/lisa#123.

Rule explanation expectations

The Why: line should name the decisive Lisa contract in plain English rather than only echoing a raw status label. Good explanations usually mention one of:

• the lifecycle role boundary (product-owned versus Lisa-owned)
• the leaf-only gate
• the repo-scope gate
• an active blocker or dependency hold
• staleness or repair-backoff suppression
• an unresolved config or lifecycle-adoption contract

The Next action: line should stay small and specific. Prefer one actionable follow-up over a menu:

• /lisa:intake <queue> when the item is ready for normal pickup
• /lisa:repair-intake <queue> when Lisa-owned stuck work is now repairable
• "resolve blocker #123" when a dependency hold is decisive
• "decompose into leaf tickets" when the issue is a non-leaf container
• "manual product clarification" when Lisa is not the current owner
• "fix .lisa.config.json or lifecycle labels" when the problem is misconfiguration

Smoke fixtures and read-only assertions

Intake-explain must keep representative smoke fixtures for both PRD and build lifecycles. These fixtures are contract examples for implementers and tests: they prove that lifecycle classification, dependency holds, staleness windows, and repair backoff map to the same verdict language operators see in real diagnosis output.

Minimum PRD smoke fixtures:

Fixture	Decisive signals	Expected verdict
prd-draft-product-owned	PRD role draft; source lane resolved; no Lisa claim marker	PRODUCT_OWNED_STATE
prd-ready-actionable	PRD role ready; source lane resolved; validation-ready content present	ELIGIBLE_FOR_INTAKE
prd-in-review-fresh	PRD role in_review; newest Lisa or tracker activity is inside stale_after	WAITING_ON_STALENESS
prd-blocked-backoff	PRD role blocked; latest [lisa-repair-intake] fingerprint is unchanged and inside the backoff window	WAITING_ON_STALENESS
prd-blocked-new-signal	PRD role blocked; clarifying answer or blocker fingerprint changed after the last repair marker	ELIGIBLE_FOR_REPAIR

Minimum build smoke fixtures:

Fixture	Decisive signals	Expected verdict
build-ready-leaf	status:ready; repo:<current>; leaf type; no open children; no active blockers	ELIGIBLE_FOR_INTAKE
build-active-dependency	otherwise actionable ready leaf; Blocked by: points at an open blocker without a cleared status	HELD_BY_BLOCKERS
build-cleared-dependency	otherwise actionable ready leaf; blockers are closed or carry cleared build status	ELIGIBLE_FOR_INTAKE
build-open-children	build lifecycle role present; native sub-issues or body parentage include open child work	NON_LEAF_CONTAINER
build-claimed-fresh	status:in-progress; newest claim, PR, check, or issue activity is inside stale_after	WAITING_ON_STALENESS
build-blocked-backoff	status:blocked; blocker fingerprint unchanged and repair-backoff marker still suppresses retries	WAITING_ON_STALENESS
build-blocked-cleared	status:blocked; parsed blockers are now cleared or the blocker fingerprint changed	ELIGIBLE_FOR_REPAIR

Every smoke fixture must assert read-only behavior. A diagnosis may call vendor read APIs, inspect config, and render a verdict, but it must not call write APIs such as gh issue edit, gh issue comment, label creation, issue creation, transition endpoints, PR mutation, or tracker comment/update calls. If execution intake would stamp repo labels, split a multi-repo leaf, repair a stale container label, add a dependency-hold comment, or retry stuck work, the smoke fixture should assert that intake-explain only reports that action as the next step.

Output shape

Use a stable grouped shape so one diagnosis is easy to scan:

Item: <identity>
Lifecycle: <PRD|BUILD>
Role: <current role> (<product-owned|Lisa-owned>)
Verdict: <VERDICT>
Why: <rule or gate explanation>
Next action: <smallest useful follow-up>

When helpful, include one short Signals: or Relevant refs: line for the exact blockers, staleness timestamps, parent/child classification, or repair markers that justify the verdict.

One acceptable rendering pattern is:

Item: CodySwannGT/lisa#123
Lifecycle: BUILD
Role: status:blocked (Lisa-owned)
Verdict: ELIGIBLE_FOR_REPAIR
Why: The issue is already in a Lisa-owned blocked lane, its last meaningful activity is stale, and no repair-backoff marker is suppressing a new repair pass.
Next action: /lisa:repair-intake github
Signals: blocker cleared; last activity 6d ago; repo:lisa

Rules

• Stay read-only. Never claim, relabel, transition, comment on, create, decompose, or repair work from this skill.
• Keep the explanation repo-scoped to the current project rather than aggregating unrelated repos or trackers.
• Reuse intake and repair-intake contract semantics so diagnosis and execution do not drift.
• Prefer existing vendor read surfaces and validators over creating a second lifecycle engine.
• If the current runtime or vendor surface cannot expose a needed signal, say that explicitly instead of guessing.