elastic / elastic/ai-github-actions

[ux-design-patrol] Issue Fixer — unrestricted scope messaging is internally inconsistent

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Dominant language
Python
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11
Forks
16
Avg merge
22h 9m
Merged PRs (30d)
31

Description

Recent commits introduced user-facing messaging for **Issue Fixer — unrestricted** that conflicts with how scope is represented elsewhere in the same workflow/docs set.

## Design Drift Findings

### 1. Scope wording says “no top-level-dot-folder restrictions,” but concrete guidance/config narrows to `.github/`

**Commit(s):**
- [622701bf4a007e6d8be4f4119a0f22d6ba085366](https://github.com/elastic/ai-github-actions/commit/622701bf4a007e6d8be4f4119a0f22d6ba085366)

**New pattern (introduced by commit):**
```text
.github/workflows/gh-aw-issue-fixer-unrestricted.md:4
"Investigate issues and open draft PRs without workflow-edit / top-level-dot-folder restrictions (trusted callers)"

.github/workflows/gh-aw-issue-fixer-unrestricted.md:129
"...may touch `.github/` (or other top-level dot folders)..."

gh-agent-workflows/issue-fixer-unrestricted/README.md:10
"Trusted callers that need PRs touching `.github/` (and any other paths)"

docs/workflows/gh-agent-workflows.md:59
"...without workflow-edit / top-level-dot-folder restrictions..."
```

**Existing pattern (established elsewhere):**
```text
.github/workflows/gh-aw-issue-fixer-unrestricted.md:101-103
create-pull-request.protected-files.exclude:
- .github/

gh-agent-workflows/issue-fixer-unrestricted/README.md:9
"...`.github/` opted out of dot-folder protection"

.github/workflows/gh-aw-issue-fixer-unrestricted.md:118,127
Narrative scope is framed as verified changes under `.github/` / workflow YAML.
```

**Location of new pattern:**
- `.github/workflows/gh-aw-issue-fixer-unrestricted.md`
- `gh-agent-workflows/issue-fixer-unrestricted/README.md`
- `docs/workflows/gh-agent-workflows.md`

**Location of existing pattern:**
- `.github/workflows/gh-aw-issue-fixer-unrestricted.md`
- `gh-agent-workflows/issue-fixer-unrestricted/README.md`

**User impact:**
Consumers can reasonably infer this workflow removes restrictions for all top-level dot-folders (or any path), then encounter behavior/documentation that is effectively scoped to `.github/`. This mismatch is noticeable when selecting which fixer to install and when setting expectations for what remediations the workflow can land.

## Suggested Actions

- [ ] Standardize wording across docs/prompt to match actual intended scope (either `.github/` specifically, or explicitly "all top-level dot-folders" if that is truly intended).
- [ ] Keep one canonical phrase for scope in workflow description, catalog row, and README comparison table.
- [ ] If broader scope is intended, update configuration and docs together in one change so user-visible messaging and behavior stay aligned.

---
[What is this?](https://ela.st/github-ai-tools) | [From workflow: Trigger UX Design Patrol](https://github.com/elastic/ai-github-actions/actions/runs/34847840032)

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Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Read the cited scope wording and protected-files configuration in .github/workflows/gh-aw-issue-fixer-unrestricted.md, then compare the matching text in gh-agent-workflows/issue-fixer-unrestricted/README.md and docs/workflows/gh-agent-workflows.md. Confirm the intended scope with a maintainer before editing. Done means the workflow prompt, README, catalog text, and configuration consistently describe the scope and expected behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
github-actions
Domain
documentation
Issue type
Documentation
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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