helpdesk-pr-queue-closeout

name

helpdesk-pr-queue-closeout

description

Oldest-first Helpdesk dev PR queue closeout orchestrator. Use when Ben asks to drain, close out, babysit, green, reply to review threads, or merge eligible open Helpdesk pull requests targeting dev. Requires live GitHub truth, clean isolated worktrees, full PR blast-radius fan-out, patch-or-fix for bugfix or behavior PRs, non-mock proof, evidence replies on every review thread, current-head checks, explicit current merge authorization, GitHub issues for non-blocking follow-ups, and worktree cleanup after verified dev merge. Do not use for promote, ship to main, production deploys, or generic single-PR review unless the task is queue closeout.

Helpdesk PR Queue Closeout

Purpose

Use this skill to act as the Codex lead orchestrator for Helpdesk open PR queues targeting dev. Process one PR at a time, starting with the oldest live open PR, and keep going from fresh GitHub truth until the queue is empty or every remaining PR is blocked or currently ineligible.

This is not the promote skill. It must not handle dev-to-main release trains, production deploys, Render deploys, or migration cutovers.

Required References

Load only the reference needed for the current step:

• references/github-closeout.md for GitHub queries, review-thread GraphQL, final gate commands, and follow-up issue commands.
• references/worktree-lifecycle.md for route-card, worktree, lock, and cleanup rules.
• references/report-template.md when writing per-PR or queue status reports.

Before running the mandatory gates, read the canonical $blast-radius and $patch-or-fix skill bodies. Do not replace those skills with summaries here.

Run Modes

• merge-dev: Ben currently asked to merge/drain/merge eligible PRs in this run.
• merge-ready: no current merge instruction; make PRs ready and stop before merge.
• status-only: read-only queue status; do not create worktrees, mutate branches, reply to threads, or run merge gates unless Ben expands the scope.

Skill purpose is not merge authorization. Merge authorization must be a current Ben instruction for the named PR or eligible queue.

Preflight

1. State: WORKFLOW BUDGET: xhigh | multi-subagent | expanded tools.
2. For normal closeout, run enterprise-precheck --skill helpdesk-pr-queue-closeout. If it exits non-zero, stop and report stderr verbatim. Skip only for status-only or purely read-only invocations.
3. Read the latest route card before any repo mutation. Missing, stale, wrong-cwd, wrong-repo, wrong-base, old-head, contradictory, or allowed_to_edit_here=false cards fail closed for mutation.
4. Fetch current truth: git fetch origin --prune.
5. List open PRs targeting dev from live GitHub, sorted by createdAt ascending. Use gh --repo anotherben/helpdesk for every GitHub command.
6. Capture for each candidate: number, title, URL, author, base/head repo and branch, maintainerCanModify, draft state, headRefOid, mergeability, review decision, required checks, status rollup, and paginated GraphQL reviewThreads by thread ID.
7. Detect existing active closeout worktrees, branches, or locks for the same PR. Stop or coordinate instead of running two lanes against one branch.

Per-PR Loop

Handle the oldest currently eligible PR first.

Do not skip ahead unless the current PR is blocked by source evidence, missing permission, draft state, unsafe branch authority, unresolved owner input, unmergeable conflicts you cannot safely resolve, or a required proof surface that Ben has not waived. Record blocker evidence, preserve any useful worktree, then refresh the live oldest-first list.

Worktree And Branch Authority

• Use one isolated clean worktree per PR, with a unique slug containing PR number and head SHA. Prefer: /Users/ben/.codex/bin/codex-new-worktree <slug> --repo /Users/ben/helpdesk.
• Reread or regenerate the route card inside the PR worktree after checkout, rebase, conflict resolution, or headRefOid change. Mutate only when allowed_to_edit_here=true.
• Before pushing fixes, prove the head repo and branch are writable and appropriate for Codex. Do not push to forks or another author's branch without explicit permission.
• No force-push unless Ben explicitly approves --force-with-lease for the named PR branch.
• If approval identity matters, close or replace via ~/.codex/bin/codex-pr-create.
• Draft PRs are blocked/not merge-eligible unless Ben explicitly authorizes conversion.

Mandatory Gates

• Run $blast-radius in PR Review mode with full queue-closeout fan-out. Do not use Lite for merge decisions. The artifact must include change set, mandatory pattern sweep, live schema section when applicable, adversarial matrix, review trap replay, finding closure ledger, stable finding IDs, mechanical verdict, and start/end review-thread state.
• Merge-ready is blocked by any HIGH or CRITICAL finding; any MEDIUM finding unless Ben or an explicitly delegated reviewer accepts it as truly non-blocking and outside the merge-safety path with a GitHub issue; important UNTESTED adversarial cells; blocked live schema proof; stale or wrong-head artifacts; prior unclosed findings; or unresolved review threads.
• Run $patch-or-fix before merge for bugfixes and behavior changes. Require the full canonical output: Evidence Ledger, Assumption Ledger, Boundary Ledger, Specialist Reviews, Causal Chain, Structural Checks, Falsification, Required Fix, Verification, JSON handoff packet, and validation.
• Docs-only or chore PRs require evidence-backed patch-or-fix: NOT APPLICABLE; do not fake a FIX verdict.
• Non-FIX blocks merge unless Ben gives per-PR contained-patch approval with owner, deadline, GitHub issue, preserved diagnostics, no unresolved review threads, and no fix-now recurrence path.

Proof Rules

• Do not add new mock tests as regression or proof.
• Mock-only proof never counts. Supplemental existing mocks may remain only when they are not the proof surface.
• DB mocks, mocked runtime shapes, fixture-only proof, source-string-only checks, or count-only proof inside the radius are findings, not supporting evidence.
• DB-touching changes need real DB/schema proof.
• UI behavior needs browser proof.
• Integration proof stays read-only unless Ben approves the exact Shopify/REX object and scope. Substitute proof must not claim equivalence to unauthorized write proof.
• Run focused tests, final-head proof, and npm run local:canary before merge. A blocked canary blocks merge unless Ben explicitly accepts a per-PR waiver after the blocker is evidence-classified as environment/tooling and affected surfaces have stronger focused proof.

Review Conversations

• Query review threads with paginated GraphQL by thread ID at the start, after fixes/replies, and immediately before merge. Counts alone are insufficient.
• Reply on the exact review thread, not only as a top-level PR comment.
• Each evidence reply must include thread URL or ID, final commit SHA, changed files/symbols, proof commands and results, artifact paths, and live/schema/runtime proof where relevant.
• Resolve a thread only after the evidence reply and only when the issue is fixed or proven not applicable. Do not resolve threads needing reviewer, owner, or Ben judgment; unresolved human approval; or disputed product scope.
• After the final push/reply cycle and before the final review-thread query, run: node scripts/review/copilot-review-wait.cjs --repo anotherben/helpdesk --pr <PR>.

Current-Head Discipline

If headRefOid changes after checkout, a fix, rebase, conflict resolution, review reply, async reviewer update, or final poll, rerun the affected gates: $blast-radius, $patch-or-fix, review-thread queries, and verification.

Conflict resolution is a new code change and must be retraced.

Final pre-merge truth bundle:

• git fetch origin --prune
• gh pr checks --repo anotherben/helpdesk --required <PR>
• gh pr view --repo anotherben/helpdesk --json baseRefName,headRefName,headRefOid,isDraft,mergeable,mergeStateStatus,reviewDecision,statusCheckRollup
• paginated GraphQL review-thread query with timestamp and unresolved thread IDs

Block merge when the base is not dev, the PR is draft, mergeStateStatus is not clean/mergeable, required checks are not passing, review decision is blocking, current head is stale, or any review thread is unresolved.

Merge

Merge only when merge-dev mode is active and all gates pass on the final head.

• Merge only PRs targeting dev.
• Never push directly to main.
• Never use --auto or --admin.
• Prefer: gh pr merge --repo anotherben/helpdesk --rebase <PR>.
• After merge, verify the merge commit is contained in origin/dev before cleanup.

Follow-Ups

• fix-now and recurrence-path issues must be resolved before merge.
• Real non-blocking follow-ups must become GitHub issues before merge-ready or merge, with issue URL/number, owner, scope, proof target, and source artifact links recorded in the PR report.
• If issue creation fails, block or get explicit Ben exception.
• Do not create issues for note-only observations.

Cleanup

Preserve evidence before cleanup. Do not delete the only copy of blast-radius, patch-or-fix, canary, DB, browser, or thread artifacts. Artifact writes must obey the route card; otherwise use approved scratch and record the limitation.

Remove only clean merged, closed, or explicitly abandoned PR worktrees after:

• origin/dev containment is verified,
• git status --porcelain is clean,
• artifacts are committed, attached, or exported, and
• no local evidence or unpushed fixes need preservation.

Use git worktree remove and git worktree prune. Do not use rm -rf.

Preserve blocked worktrees with local evidence or unpushed fixes and report the path.

Completion Standard

After each PR, report using references/report-template.md.

The queue is complete only when a fresh live GitHub list shows no remaining eligible open PRs targeting dev, or every remaining PR has a recorded blocker and revisit condition.