pr-merge-gate

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name: pr-merge-gate description: Use when about to merge a pull request — before running pnpm ready-to-merge, resolving claude-review/reviewer threads, or rebasing. The bash-guard blocks gh pr merge for AI agents (exit 2); the repo owner executes the final merge in an external terminal once all gates pass. Covers the full 9-point pre-merge gate: claude-review Approve requirement, GitHub resolve-thread ground truth, RESOLVE-or-ESCALATE discipline, in-session reviewer findings, self-resolve detection, the pnpm ready-to-merge mechanical command, branch-protection invariant, the local Playwright visual check, and the rebase rule with its dependabot and already-reviewed exceptions. Do NOT auto-activate for ordinary pushes — only at merge time.

PR merge gate (9 points)

These are merge-time procedures, not standing rules — they fire only when a PR is about to be merged. Order matters: rebase first (point 9, unless it is a dependabot branch or the already-reviewed exception applies), THEN run pnpm ready-to-merge <pr> (point 6) so its checks run on the post-rebase HEAD — running ready-to-merge before a rebase wastes the run and a rebase changes HEAD, invalidating the claude-review/readiness checks. Then work through the rest. The bash-guard blocks gh pr merge in agent sessions (exit 2). Once all points pass, the repo owner executes the final merge in an external terminal or via the GitHub UI. (The Quick sequence below has the canonical ordering.)

The 9 points

1. claude-review Approve requirement (mechanical: pnpm claude-gate / check-claude-approval.ts); repo owner executes the final merge. The bash-guard blocks gh pr merge in agent sessions (exit 2) — the repo owner runs the final merge command in an external terminal or via the GitHub UI. pnpm ready-to-merge <pr> must pass first; it runs claude-gate, which requires the latest /claude-review overview verdict to be Approve and non-stale (reviewed SHA == HEAD). If the verdict is not Approve or is stale, WAIT — do not self-authorize, do not --admin override. (Branch protection also mechanically blocks gh pr merge until the current HEAD is reviewed; a new commit after the Approve re-blocks until claude-review re-reviews. Re-request with gh pr comment <pr> --body /claude-review after any push that fixes a thread; do NOT re-request after self-found fixes — CI failures, self-discovered bugs — that burns a review cycle with no new signal.)

2. GitHub resolve-thread is ground truth. No merge while any PullRequestReviewThread is isResolved: false (required_conversation_resolution branch protection). Verify via GraphQL reviewThreads, not the timeline.

3. RESOLVE or ESCALATE every open comment — no third bucket.

   • RESOLVE = fix commit + a reply citing the commit SHA + behavioral test update.
   • ESCALATE = post the verbatim comment + 2-3 options + a recommendation, then wait for the owner's decision.
   • Every reply to a review thread MUST cite the specific commit SHA that addresses it (Fixed in <sha>. <reason>) — a reply with no commit reference is not a resolution. For a non-code resolution (PR-description/metadata edit, or a "won't fix" with rationale), still reference the commit(s) the decision relates to, or state explicitly that no commit was required and why, so the thread is auditable from the SHA alone.

4. In-session reviewer findings count. Critical/Important findings from pr-review-toolkit, code-review, or ultrareview must be fixed (commit) or posted as file-line review threads — NOT timeline comments.

5. Self-resolve is detectable. scripts/check-pr-comments.ts warns when a thread was resolved by the PR author/agent. Document the override if it is intentional (an agent RESOLVE per point 3 — reply with the fix SHA then resolve — is the standard, intended workflow and produces this warning; it is not a violation).

6. Mechanical command. pnpm ready-to-merge <pr> runs ci:local + branch-protection

   • claude-review Approve verdict (claude-gate) + unresolved-thread check + pr-metrics. It must pass before gh pr merge.

7. The branch protection rule must stay enabled. Never disable it to merge.

8. Local Playwright visual check before merge. pnpm dev + Playwright MCP: inspect desktop (1280×720) + mobile (375×812) on all changed sections. CI baselines do not catch intent regressions. (This is the check referenced elsewhere as "the pre-merge Playwright check.")

9. Rebase before merge (non-dependabot only). git fetch && git rebase origin/main. Skip dependabot/* branches. Exception: when the user says "merge"/"ship" on a PR that already passed the full review battery and CI, the repo owner executes gh pr merge immediately in an external terminal — no rebase (rebasing would change HEAD, invalidate the review stamp, and trigger the pre-push hook needlessly). See DECISIONS.md for why this is a local gate only.

Quick sequence

1. git fetch && git rebase origin/main (unless dependabot or the already-reviewed exception in point 9 applies).
2. pnpm ready-to-merge <pr> — must print OK.
3. Confirm 0 unresolved review threads (point 2) and every thread RESOLVED/ESCALATED (point 3).
4. Local Playwright visual check on changed sections (point 8).
5. Repo owner runs gh pr merge <pr> --squash --delete-branch in an external terminal — only after 1-4 pass and claude-review has Approved the current HEAD (point 1). The bash-guard blocks direct gh pr merge calls in agent sessions (exit 2).

Related

• pnpm ready-to-merge and the /claude-review re-request also appear in CLAUDE.md's AI-agent command table.
• The pre-PR review battery + pnpm review:stamp (a different, pre-PR gate) stays inline in CLAUDE.md — it is not part of this merge-time gate.