Cross-Invocation Cluster Analysis for resolve-pr-feedback

Overview

Replace the dead verify-loop re-entry gate signal in the resolve-pr-feedback skill with a cross-invocation awareness signal that detects recurring feedback patterns across multiple review rounds on the same PR. The change touches three files: the get-pr-comments script (data), the SKILL.md (orchestration), and the pr-comment-resolver agent (cluster handling).

Problem Frame

The skill's cluster analysis has two gates: volume (3+ items) and verify-loop re-entry (2nd+ pass within same invocation). The verify-loop gate is dead — automated reviewers post minutes after push, but verify runs seconds after. This leaves volume as the only gate, which misses the highest-value scenario: a reviewer posts 1-2 threads per round about the same class of problem across multiple rounds. Cross-invocation awareness detects this pattern by checking for resolved threads alongside new ones — evidence of multi-round review. (see origin: docs/brainstorms/2026-04-01-cross-invocation-cluster-analysis-requirements.md)

Requirements Trace

• R1. Cross-invocation awareness signal replaces verify-loop re-entry gate
• R2. Prior resolutions + new feedback = re-entry signal, even with 1 new item
• R3. Volume gate (3+) unchanged, OR'd with cross-invocation signal
• R4. Clustering input includes new + prior threads (bounded to last N)
• R5. Previously-resolved threads participate in category assignment and spatial grouping
• R6. Three-mode resolver assessment: band-aid (redo), correct-but-incomplete (investigate siblings), sound-and-independent (context only)
• R7. Cluster brief gains <prior-resolutions> element with metadata
• R8. Within-session verify loop subsumes into cross-invocation signal
• R9. Zero additional GraphQL calls — broaden existing query's jq filter
• R10. Bounded lookback: last N resolved threads (simplified from "rounds" — see Key Technical Decisions)

Scope Boundaries

• No persistent state files or .context/ storage
• No changes to the volume gate threshold or spatial grouping rules
• No changes to standard (non-cluster) thread handling
• No new scripts — extend the existing get-pr-comments script

Context & Research

Relevant Code and Patterns

• plugins/compound-engineering/skills/resolve-pr-feedback/SKILL.md — skill orchestration, steps 1-9
• plugins/compound-engineering/skills/resolve-pr-feedback/scripts/get-pr-comments — GraphQL query + jq filter; already fetches resolved threads in the query but drops them in jq (isResolved == false)
• plugins/compound-engineering/agents/workflow/ce-pr-comment-resolver.agent.md — resolver agent with standard and cluster modes

Institutional Learnings

• Script-first architecture (docs/solutions/skill-design/script-first-skill-architecture.md): Classification and filtering logic must live in the script, not in SKILL.md instructions. The script should output pre-computed analysis so the model receives structured decisions, not raw data to classify. 60-75% token savings.
• Explicit state machines (docs/solutions/skill-design/git-workflow-skills-need-explicit-state-machines-2026-03-27.md): Model the cross-invocation gate as a decision table with explicit outcomes, not prose conditionals.
• Pass paths, not content (docs/solutions/skill-design/pass-paths-not-content-to-subagents-2026-03-26.md): The <prior-resolutions> element should contain metadata (thread IDs, categories, file paths, timestamps), not full comment bodies. The resolver reads full content on demand.
• Status-gated resolution (docs/solutions/workflow/todo-status-lifecycle.md): Previously-resolved threads must be enforced at the dispatch boundary — they participate in clustering but are never individually dispatched.

Key Technical Decisions

• jq filter change, not GraphQL change: The existing query fetches all threads including resolved ones. The isResolved == false filter is in jq. Broadening this filter adds resolved threads to the output at zero API cost. (see origin: R9)
• Any resolved thread is a prior resolution — no author matching needed: The brainstorm originally required detecting the skill's own prior replies. The plan simplifies this: any resolved thread on the PR is evidence of a prior review round. This eliminates the gh api user call, author.login matching, reply pattern detection, and the set -e error handling complexity. Multi-round review is the signal, regardless of who resolved the threads.
• N bounds total resolved threads, not "rounds": The brainstorm defined "rounds" as groups of threads resolved in a single invocation, which required fragile timestamp-based clustering in jq. The plan simplifies to: take the last N resolved threads (by createdAt of the most recent comment). This is a trivial jq sort + limit. N=10 is the starting value (covering typical PR history without excessive data). Successive reviews naturally cluster around changed code, so thread-level bounding is sufficient.
• No spatial overlap check: The brainstorm's R11 specified a lightweight overlap check before full clustering. The plan drops this: successive reviews almost always cluster around the same code areas, so the overlap check would almost always pass. The cost it prevents (clustering with ~10 resolved threads + 1-2 new ones) is small. Skipping it keeps the orchestration simpler.
• Script computes the cross-invocation envelope: Per the script-first learning, the script outputs a cross_invocation object with signal (boolean) and resolved_threads (array). The SKILL.md receives pre-computed analysis.

Open Questions

Resolved During Planning

• How to detect prior resolutions: Any resolved thread = prior resolution. No author matching, no reply pattern matching, no user API call. Resolved threads exist alongside new ones in the script output.
• How to bound the lookback: Last N=10 resolved threads by most-recent comment timestamp. Simple jq sort + slice.
• Whether to check spatial overlap first: No. Successive reviews naturally cluster around changed code. The overlap check adds orchestration complexity for negligible token savings.

Deferred to Implementation

• Optimal value of N: Starting at 10. If PRs with extensive resolved thread history show performance issues, reduce. If patterns are missed, increase.

---

High-Level Technical Design

This illustrates the intended approach and is directional guidance for review, not implementation specification. The implementing agent should treat it as context, not code to reproduce.

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  get-pr-comments script (data layer)                 │
│                                                      │
│  GraphQL query (unchanged)                           │
│       │                                              │
│       ▼                                              │
│  jq filter (broadened)                               │
│       │                                              │
│       ├── review_threads: [unresolved, as before]    │
│       ├── pr_comments: [as before]                   │
│       ├── review_bodies: [as before]                 │
│       └── cross_invocation:                          │
│             signal: true/false                        │
│             resolved_threads: [                       │
│               { thread_id, path, line,               │
│                 first_comment_body, last_comment_at } │
│               ...last N by recency                   │
│             ]                                        │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                       │
                       ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  SKILL.md (orchestration layer)                      │
│                                                      │
│  Step 1: Fetch (calls modified script)               │
│                                                      │
│  Step 2: Triage (as before)                          │
│                                                      │
│  Step 3: Cluster gate (CHANGED)                      │
│    ┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│    │ Volume (3+)? ─── YES ──> full clustering   │    │
│    │      │                                     │    │
│    │      NO                                    │    │
│    │      │                                     │    │
│    │ cross_invocation.signal? ─ NO ──> skip     │    │
│    │      │                                     │    │
│    │     YES                                    │    │
│    │      │                                     │    │
│    │ Full clustering (new + resolved threads)   │    │
│    └────────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                                      │
│  Step 5: Dispatch                                    │
│    - resolved threads: cluster input only            │
│    - new threads: cluster or individual              │
│                                                      │
│  Step 8: Verify loop (simplified)                    │
│    - removes old verify-loop re-entry logic          │
│    - relies on cross-invocation signal next run      │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                       │
                       ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  pr-comment-resolver agent (cluster mode)            │
│                                                      │
│  Receives <cluster-brief> with <prior-resolutions>   │
│                                                      │
│  Three-mode assessment:                              │
│    1. Band-aid: redo prior fixes holistically        │
│    2. Correct-but-incomplete: keep fixes,            │
│       investigate sibling code                       │
│    3. Sound-and-independent: context only            │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Implementation Units

• Unit 1: Extend get-pr-comments script

Goal: Broaden the jq filter to include resolved threads and output a cross-invocation envelope alongside the existing data.

Requirements: R1, R2, R9, R10

Dependencies: None

Files:

• Modify: plugins/compound-engineering/skills/resolve-pr-feedback/scripts/get-pr-comments

Approach:

• Widen the jq filter: keep the existing review_threads array (unresolved, non-outdated, as before). Add a new selection for resolved threads (isResolved == true), sorted by most-recent comment createdAt, limited to the last N=10.
• Output the existing three keys (review_threads, pr_comments, review_bodies) unchanged, plus a new cross_invocation object containing: signal (boolean — true when both resolved threads and unresolved review threads exist), and resolved_threads (array of objects with thread_id, path, line, first_comment_body, last_comment_at).
• No gh api user call. No author matching. No reply pattern detection. The signal is simply: resolved threads exist AND new threads exist.

Patterns to follow:

• Existing jq pipeline in get-pr-comments — extend the $pr extraction, don't restructure it
• Keep all logic in jq

Test scenarios:

• Happy path: PR with 2 resolved threads and 1 new thread -> cross_invocation.signal: true, resolved_threads has 2 entries, review_threads has 1
• Happy path: PR with no resolved threads -> cross_invocation.signal: false, resolved_threads empty
• Happy path: PR with resolved threads but no unresolved threads -> cross_invocation.signal: false (nothing new to cluster)
• Edge case: PR with 20 resolved threads -> only last 10 (by recency) included
• Edge case: PR with resolved threads but all unresolved threads are outdated -> review_threads empty, signal false

Verification:

• Run against a test PR with known resolved threads and verify the output JSON shape
• Existing review_threads, pr_comments, review_bodies output is identical to current behavior

---

• Unit 2: Update SKILL.md orchestration

Goal: Replace the verify-loop re-entry gate with the cross-invocation signal, update cluster brief format, enforce dispatch boundary for resolved threads, and simplify the verify loop.

Requirements: R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R7, R8

Dependencies: Unit 1 (script must output the cross-invocation envelope)

Files:

• Modify: plugins/compound-engineering/skills/resolve-pr-feedback/SKILL.md

Approach:

Step 1 (Fetch): No change — the script now returns the cross-invocation envelope automatically.

Step 2 (Triage): No changes. Triage classifies new vs already-handled among unresolved threads. Resolved threads from cross_invocation are not triage subjects — they're a separate input to clustering.

Step 3 (Cluster Analysis): Replace the gate table:

When cross-invocation gate fires: include resolved threads from cross_invocation.resolved_threads alongside new threads in category assignment and spatial grouping. Resolved threads get a previously_resolved marker.

Update cluster brief XML to include <prior-resolutions>:

<cluster-brief>
  <theme>[concern category]</theme>
  <area>[common directory path]</area>
  <files>[comma-separated file paths]</files>
  <threads>[comma-separated thread/comment IDs]</threads>
  <hypothesis>[one sentence]</hypothesis>
  <prior-resolutions>
    <thread id="PRRT_..." path="..." category="..."/>
  </prior-resolutions>
</cluster-brief>

Remove the <just-fixed-files> element — subsumed by <prior-resolutions>.

Step 5 (Dispatch): Add dispatch boundary rule: resolved threads participate in clustering and appear in cluster briefs, but are NEVER individually dispatched. Only new threads get individual or cluster dispatch.

Step 8 (Verify): Simplify. Remove "Record which files were modified and which concern categories were addressed" and the verify-loop re-entry language. If new threads remain after 2 fix-verify cycles, escalate. Cross-invocation signal handles re-entry across sessions; within-session re-entry works because replies from earlier cycles make threads resolved on re-fetch.

Patterns to follow:

• Existing gate table format in step 3
• Existing cluster brief XML structure
• Existing dispatch boundary logic in step 5

Test scenarios:

• Happy path: 1 new thread + cross-invocation signal -> cluster analysis runs, resolved threads included
• Happy path: 3 new threads + no cross-invocation signal -> volume gate fires, no resolved threads
• Happy path: 1 new