Pull Request

When to Use

Before creating or suggesting a pull request to ANY repository. Acts as a quality filter to prevent wasting maintainer time and embarrassing the contributor.

Quick Reference

Domain	File
Pre-submission checklist	checklist.md
Red flags to avoid	red-flags.md
Repository context gathering	repo-context.md
PR description templates	templates.md

Critical Rules

• Read CONTRIBUTING.md first — Adapt to project's workflow, not a fixed pattern
• Issue policy depends on scope — Small fixes may PR directly; features need discussion first
• Disclose AI involvement — Mark AI-assisted PRs in title/description
• Run checks if possible — If you can't run tests, say so explicitly
• Match existing style — Check for .editorconfig, prettier, eslint configs
• Small and focused — One logical change per PR
• No secrets ever — Use <PLACEHOLDER> syntax

Issue Policy (Contextual)

NOT all projects require issues first. Check CONTRIBUTING.md, then:

Change Type	Default Action
Typo, small bug fix	PR directly (unless CONTRIBUTING.md says otherwise)
New feature	Open Discussion/Issue first, wait for approval
Architecture change	RFC or Discussion required
When in doubt	Ask in issue before coding

AI-Assisted PRs

If this PR was created with AI assistance:

1. Mark it — Add [AI-assisted] to PR title or note in description
2. Testing level — State: untested / lightly tested / fully tested
3. Include context — Prompts or session logs if available and helpful
4. Confirm understanding — "I have reviewed this code and understand what it does"
5. Human accountable — Link to the human directing the contribution

Rate Limiting (Avoid Spam)

• MAX 1 open PR per repo at a time
• Wait 24h between PRs to same repo
• If 2 PRs rejected consecutively → STOP and escalate to human
• Check repo's PR velocity first (don't flood low-activity projects)

Abandonment Prevention

• MUST respond to review feedback within 48h
• If unable to address feedback, close with: "I cannot continue; @human please take over or close"
• Never leave PRs to rot

Scope Boundaries — STOP and Discuss First If:

• Change touches >5 files OR >200 lines
• Change modifies public API
• Change involves security, auth, or crypto
• Change is in governance, licensing, or CoC
• Maintainer requested discussion in issue
• You're unsure if this aligns with project philosophy

Human Escalation Required

Escalate to human when:

• Reviewer asks clarifying questions about design intent
• CI fails in non-obvious way
• Any pushback beyond "fix this typo"
• Reviewer seems confused or frustrated
• You can't run the test suite locally