copilot-review-outdated-filter

name	copilot-review-outdated-filter
description	Filter outdated Copilot review suggestions after merge conflicts or rebases to focus on still-applicable feedback
domain	github-workflow
confidence	high
source	earned
tools	[{"name":"github-github-mcp-server-pull_request_read","description":"Fetch PR review threads with is_outdated flag","when":"After conflict resolution or rebase to determine which suggestions still apply"}]

Context

After resolving merge conflicts or rebasing a PR branch, many Copilot review suggestions become outdated because they reference line numbers and file states that no longer exist. Copilot marks these as is_outdated: true in the review thread metadata.

Problem: Addressing outdated suggestions wastes time and may introduce incorrect changes based on stale context.

Solution: Filter review threads by is_outdated flag and focus only on still-applicable suggestions.

Pattern

Step 1 — Fetch Review Threads

After conflict resolution or rebase:

# Using GitHub CLI
gh pr view {PR_NUMBER} --json reviews

# Or via MCP tool
github-github-mcp-server-pull_request_read(
  method: "get_review_comments",
  owner: "{owner}",
  repo: "{repo}",
  pullNumber: {number}
)

Step 2 — Parse and Filter

Review threads have three key fields:

• is_outdated: Boolean — true if file/line changed since review
• is_resolved: Boolean — true if author resolved the thread
• is_collapsed: Boolean — UI hint (not actionable)

Filter logic:

// Keep only non-outdated, unresolved threads
const actionable = review_threads.filter(t => 
  !t.is_outdated && !t.is_resolved
);

// Count what you're skipping
const outdated = review_threads.filter(t => t.is_outdated).length;
console.log(`Skipped ${outdated} outdated suggestions`);

Step 3 — Address Still-Applicable Suggestions

For each actionable thread:

1. Read the current file state (not the diff view)
2. Verify the suggestion still makes sense
3. Apply the fix if valid
4. Commit with reference: "docs: resolve Copilot review suggestions on PR #{number}"

Step 4 — Document Outcomes

In PR comment or commit message:

## Copilot Suggestions Resolved

**Fixed:** {N} still-applicable suggestions
**Skipped:** {M} outdated suggestions after {conflict-resolution|rebase}

### Fixed Items
1. {file}: {what was changed}
2. ...

### Skipped (outdated)
- {M} review threads marked stale after {commit SHA}

Examples

Example 1 — Post-Conflict Filter (PR #17)

Scenario: Gandalf resolved merge conflicts on PR #17 with commit 89bcf1c. Many Copilot suggestions became outdated.

Action:

// Fetch reviews
const threads = pullRequest.getReviewComments();

// Filter
const current = threads.filter(t => !t.is_outdated);
const stale = threads.filter(t => t.is_outdated);

console.log(`${current.length} still apply, ${stale.length} outdated`);
// Output: "2 still apply, 24 outdated"

// Fix only current ones
current.forEach(thread => {
  // Apply suggestion to current file state
  applyFix(thread.path, thread.body);
});

Outcome: Fixed 2 suggestions (YAML front matter, legacy warning banner), skipped 24 outdated ones.

Key Considerations

When to skip outdated suggestions:

• ✅ File content changed significantly (conflict resolution, rebase)
• ✅ Line numbers shifted due to insertions/deletions
• ✅ Copilot marked is_outdated: true automatically

When to still address outdated suggestions:

• ⚠️ Suggestion highlights conceptual issue (e.g., "missing validation") even if line changed
• ⚠️ Same issue exists in new code (e.g., "no error handling" still true after rebase)
• Use judgment: outdated ≠ automatically invalid

Fresh re-review cycle:

• After addressing current suggestions, push commit
• CI runs + Copilot re-reviews on new commit SHA
• New review catches any issues missed by filtering

Anti-Patterns

❌ Manually applying outdated suggestions — Suggestion references line 42, but file now has 100 lines after rebase

❌ Ignoring all Copilot suggestions post-conflict — Some suggestions are still valid (e.g., metadata issues, repo-fit warnings)

❌ Resolving threads without fixing — Let GitHub track outdated status; don't manually resolve stale ones

Success Criteria

✅ Only non-outdated suggestions addressed
✅ Commit message documents fix count + skip count
✅ PR comment explains what was fixed vs skipped
✅ CI passing before requesting human re-review
✅ Fresh Copilot review cycle triggered on new commit

Related Patterns

• PR Merge Process — .squad/playbooks/pr-merge-process.md (Critical Rule #8: read Copilot review before verdict)
• Pre-Push Test Gate — .squad/skills/pre-push-test-gate/SKILL.md (verify fixes locally before push)
• Skill Template — .squad/templates/skill.md (metadata requirements)

Reference

• GitHub PR Review API: is_outdated field — https://docs.github.com/en/rest/pulls/reviews
• Copilot PR Review: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/using-github-copilot/code-review/using-copilot-code-review
• .squad/agents/aragorn/charter.md — Critical Rule #8 (read Copilot review before posting verdict)