review-intake

Purpose

The counterpart to review. While review finds issues in code, review-intake handles the response when someone finds issues in YOUR code. Enforces a verification-first discipline: understand fully, verify against codebase reality, then act. Prevents the common failure mode of blindly implementing suggestions that break things or don't apply.

Modes

Mode	When	Workflow
PR Review Mode (default)	Input is PR comments / code review feedback / external suggestions	Phases 1-6 below — absorb, comprehend, verify, evaluate, respond, implement
Issue Triage Mode	Input is issue tracker item (gh-42, URL, pasted issue body), or user says "triage" / "process the inbox"	See references/issue-triage.md — state machine (needs-triage → ready-for-agent / ready-for-human / needs-info / wontfix) + repro-first for bugs + AGENT-BRIEF emission

Both modes share Phase 4.5 (Rejection KB Write) — wontfix-enhancement from Issue Triage and OUT OF SCOPE from PR Review both write .out-of-scope/<slug>.md.

Triggers

• /rune review-intake — manual invocation, PR Review Mode by default
• /rune review-intake <issue-ref> — Issue Triage Mode (issue number, URL, or path)
• /rune review-intake --inbox — Issue Triage Mode batch sweep (unlabeled + needs-triage + needs-info-with-activity)
• Auto-trigger: when cook or fix receives PR review comments → PR Review Mode
• Auto-trigger: when user pastes review feedback into session → PR Review Mode
• Auto-trigger: when user pastes an issue body or references a ticket → Issue Triage Mode

Calls (outbound)

• scout (L3): verify reviewer claims against actual codebase
• fix (L2): apply verified changes
• test (L2): add tests for edge cases reviewers found
• hallucination-guard (L3): verify suggested APIs/packages exist
• sentinel (L2): re-check security if reviewer flagged concerns

Called By (inbound)

• cook (L1): Phase 5 quality gate when external review arrives
• review (L2): when self-review surfaces issues to address

Workflow (PR Review Mode)

For Issue Triage Mode, see references/issue-triage.md. Both modes converge at Phase 4.5 for rejection KB writes. <MUST-READ path="references/issue-triage.md" trigger="when input is an issue tracker item, batch inbox sweep, or user explicitly says 'triage' / 'process the inbox'"/>

Phase 1 — ABSORB

Read ALL feedback items before reacting. Do not implement anything yet.

Classify each item:

Type	Example	Priority
BLOCKING	Security vuln, data loss, broken build	P0 — fix now
BUG	Logic error, off-by-one, race condition	P1 — fix soon
IMPROVEMENT	Better pattern, cleaner API, perf gain	P2 — evaluate
STYLE	Naming, formatting, conventions	P3 — quick fix
OPINION	"I would do it differently"	P4 — evaluate

Phase 2 — COMPREHEND

For each item, restate the technical requirement in your own words.

<HARD-GATE> If ANY item is unclear → STOP entirely. Do not implement clear items while unclear ones remain. Items may be interconnected — partial understanding = wrong implementation.

Ask: "I understand items [X]. Need clarification on [Y] before proceeding." </HARD-GATE>

Phase 3 — VERIFY

Before implementing ANY suggestion, verify it against the codebase:

For each item:
  1. Does the file/function reviewer references actually exist?
  2. Is the reviewer's understanding of current behavior correct?
  3. Will this change break existing tests?
  4. Does it conflict with architectural decisions already made?
  5. If suggesting a package/API — does it actually exist? (hallucination-guard)

Use scout to check claims. Use grep to find actual usage patterns.

Phase 4 — EVALUATE

For each verified item, decide:

Verdict	Action
CORRECT + APPLICABLE	Queue for implementation
CORRECT + ALREADY DONE	Reply with evidence
CORRECT + OUT OF SCOPE	Acknowledge, defer to backlog
INCORRECT	Push back with technical reasoning
YAGNI	Check if feature is actually used — if unused, propose removal

YAGNI check:

# Reviewer says "implement this properly"
# First: is anyone actually using it?
grep -r "functionName" --include="*.{ts,tsx,js,jsx}" src/
# Zero results? → "This isn't called anywhere. Remove it (YAGNI)?"

Phase 5 — RESPOND

What to say:

CORRECT:  "Fixed. [Brief description]." or "Good catch — [issue]. Fixed in [file]."
PUSHBACK: "[Technical reason]. Current impl handles [X] because [Y]."
UNCLEAR:  "Need clarification on [specific aspect]."

What NEVER to say:

BANNED: "You're absolutely right!"
BANNED: "Great point!" / "Great catch!"
BANNED: "Thanks for catching that!"
BANNED: "I agree with your suggestion"
BANNED: "That's a good idea"
BANNED: "I see what you mean"
BANNED: Any sentence that adds no technical information
BANNED: Any performative gratitude — actions speak, not words.

<HARD-GATE> Every response to a review item MUST start with an ACTION VERB: - "Fixed — [description]" - "Reverted — [reason]" - "Deferred — [reason + ticket]" - "Pushed back — [technical evidence]" - "Clarifying — [question]"

Responses starting with praise, agreement, or social pleasantries are BLOCKED. This is a professional code review, not a conversation — signal with actions, not words. </HARD-GATE>

When replying to GitHub PR comments, reply in the thread:

gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pr}/comments/{id}/replies \
  -f body="Fixed — [description]"

Phase 4.5 — Rejection KB Write (when verdict = OUT OF SCOPE)

For every item with verdict OUT OF SCOPE, write a durable record to .out-of-scope/. Oral-only rejections leave no trace and force re-litigation in future sessions.

<HARD-GATE> Every OUT OF SCOPE verdict MUST produce a `.out-of-scope/<slug>.md` file (or append to an existing one). A rejection without a written record is a rejection that didn't happen. </HARD-GATE>

Procedure:

1. Generate slug from the rejected concept (kebab-case, lowercase, max 40 chars, recognizable without opening the file).
2. Lexical-similarity check: Glob .out-of-scope/*.md, parse each frontmatter's concept + aliases, compute overlap with the new slug's tokens. If any existing concept has ≥0.7 overlap → APPEND to that file's prior_requests list instead of creating a new one.
3. If new file: write the format from ba/references/out-of-scope-format.md — YAML frontmatter (concept / aliases / decision: rejected / rejected_at / rejected_by: review-intake / prior_requests / revisit_if) + Markdown body (concept name, "Why out of scope" reasoning, "What would change our mind" signals).
4. The reasoning MUST be substantive — not "we don't want this" but why. Reference project scope, technical constraints, or strategic decisions. Reject deferrals ("we're busy") — those don't belong here.

Only enhancement rejections produce .out-of-scope/ entries. Bug rejections (won't fix because already fixed / not reproducible / not a bug) get a comment on the issue, not a KB file.

Phase 6 — IMPLEMENT

Execute in priority order: P0 → P1 → P2 → P3 → P4.

For each fix:

1. Apply change via fix
2. Run tests — verify no regression
3. If fix touches security → run sentinel
4. Move to next item only after current passes

Source Trust Levels

Source	Trust	Approach
Project owner / user	High	Implement after understanding. Still verify scope.
Team member	Medium	Verify against codebase. Implement if correct.
External reviewer	Low	Skeptical by default. Verify everything. Push back if wrong.
AI-generated review	Lowest	Double-check every suggestion. High hallucination risk.

When external feedback conflicts with owner's prior architectural decisions → STOP. Discuss with owner first.

Pushback Framework

Push back when:

• Suggestion breaks existing functionality (show failing test)
• Reviewer lacks context on WHY current impl exists
• YAGNI — feature isn't used
• Technically incorrect for this stack/version
• Conflicts with owner's documented decisions

How to push back:

• Lead with technical evidence, not defensiveness
• Reference working tests, actual behavior, or docs
• Ask specific questions that reveal the gap
• If wrong after pushback → "Verified, you were right. [Reason]. Fixing."

Output Format

## Review Intake Report

### Summary
- **Items received**: [count]
- **Blocking**: [count] | Bugs: [count] | Improvements: [count] | Style: [count]

### Verdicts
| # | Item | Type | Verdict | Action |
|---|------|------|---------|--------|
| 1 | [description] | BUG | CORRECT | Fixed in [file] |
| 2 | [description] | IMPROVEMENT | YAGNI | Proposed removal |
| 3 | [description] | OPINION | PUSHBACK | [reason] |

### Changes Applied
- `path/to/file.ts` — [description]

### Verification
- Tests: PASS ([n] passed)
- Regressions: none

Constraints

1. MUST read ALL items before implementing ANY — partial processing causes rework
2. MUST verify reviewer claims against actual codebase — never trust blindly
3. MUST NOT use performative language ("Great point!", "You're right!") — just fix it
4. MUST push back with technical reasoning when suggestion is wrong — correctness > comfort
5. MUST run tests after each individual fix — not batch-and-pray
6. MUST STOP and ask if any item is unclear — do not implement clear items while unclear ones remain

Mesh Gates

Gate	Requires	If Missing
Comprehension	All items understood	Ask clarifying questions, block implementation
Verification	Claims checked against codebase	Run scout + grep before implementing
Test pass	Each fix passes tests individually	Revert fix, re-diagnose

Sharp Edges

Failure Mode	Severity	Mitigation
Implementing suggestion that breaks existing feature	CRITICAL	Phase 3 verify: check existing tests before changing
Blindly trusting external reviewer	HIGH	Source Trust Levels: external = skeptical by default
Implementing 4/6 items, leaving 2 unclear	HIGH	HARD-GATE: all-or-nothing comprehension
Performative agreement masking misunderstanding	MEDIUM	Banned phrases list + restate-in-own-words requirement
Fixing tests instead of code to make review pass	HIGH	Defer to fix constraints: fix CODE, not TESTS
OUT OF SCOPE verdict with no .out-of-scope/ file written	HIGH	Phase 4.5 HARD-GATE — oral-only rejections force re-litigation in future sessions
Writing a deferral ("busy this quarter") to .out-of-scope/	MEDIUM	Deferrals belong in backlog, not the rejection KB. KB entries must cite durable reasons (scope, tech constraint, strategy)
Creating duplicate .out-of-scope/ files for the same concept	MEDIUM	Lexical-similarity gate (≥0.7 overlap) — append to existing file's prior_requests instead of duplicating
Marking issue ready-for-agent without confirmed repro (bugs)	CRITICAL	Issue Triage Mode Step T4 HARD-GATE: bugs MUST attempt reproduction before ready-for-agent label. Confirmed repro = strong agent-brief; failed repro = needs-info
Auto-applying wontfix to an issue without maintainer confirmation	HIGH	Triage recommends, maintainer decides. State changes (label + comment + close) confirmed via Step T3 before Step T6 acts
Posting triage comments without the AI-disclaimer line	MEDIUM	Issue Triage Mode requires > *This was generated by AI during triage.* disclaimer prefix on every comment — trust degrades when reporter discovers AI authorship after the fact
Writing .out-of-scope/ for a wontfix-bug (not enhancement)	MEDIUM	Format spec: only enhancement rejections produce KB files. Bug rejections (already fixed, not reproducible, not a bug) get a comment, not a file

Done When

• All feedback items classified by type and priority
• Each item verified against codebase reality
• Verdicts assigned (correct/pushback/yagni/defer)
• Approved items implemented in priority order
• Tests pass after each individual fix
• Every OUT OF SCOPE verdict has produced a .out-of-scope/<slug>.md file (new or appended)
• Review Intake Report emitted

Returns

Artifact	Format	Location
Review Intake Report	Markdown table	inline
Categorized feedback (P0–P4)	Classified list	inline
Verdict per item (CORRECT/PUSHBACK/YAGNI/DEFER)	Table	inline
Action plan (changes applied)	File list with descriptions	inline

Cost Profile

~2000-5000 tokens depending on feedback volume. Sonnet for evaluation logic, haiku for scout/grep verification.

Scope guardrail: review-intake processes the feedback items provided — it does not pull new reviews, open PRs, or change architectural decisions without owner confirmation.