devrites 4.5.0 → 4.6.0

package/pack/generated/claude/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/skill-authoring.md

@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ Description routes; it is not documentation.
 - State the nearest sibling's **defining constraint** (Seal decides; Ship mutates
   Git). Routing evals test it.
 - A routing/tie-breaker change cites the mis-route it fixes and passes trigger corpora; no failing case, no change.
+- Descriptions stay **mutually exclusive** across the pack: two skills claiming one trigger
+  phrase is a routing defect fixed in the same change; rising wrong-skill fires signal a
+  rotted trigger.
 - Put examples/edges/rationale/procedure in body/reference—not frontmatter.
 
 ### Activation order

package/pack/generated/claude/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/spec-grammar.md

@@ -85,11 +85,10 @@ a separate **`## Success metrics`** heading:
 - Support tickets about export drop by half within a quarter
 ```
 
-Why the split earns its place: an outcome metric tagged `AC-###` poisons traceability in
-both directions. No slice can honestly `Satisfies:` a quarterly KPI, and no feature test can
-observe a quarter of production traffic. The metric still matters (it is *why* the feature
-exists) but belongs to intent (`brief.md` / `spec.md` overview), not criteria the lifecycle
-proves. The load-bearing test: **can one slice make this true and one test show it?** If no,
+Why the split: an outcome metric tagged `AC-###` poisons traceability both ways — no slice
+can honestly `Satisfies:` a quarterly KPI and no test observes a quarter of traffic. The
+metric matters (it is *why* the feature exists) but belongs to intent, not provable
+criteria. The load-bearing test: **can one slice make this true and one test show it?** If no,
 it is a success metric, not an acceptance criterion. Native traceability reviews map only
 buildable `AC-###` IDs and meanings.
 
@@ -190,7 +189,7 @@ readiness.
 
 ## Unresolved-question markers (fail closed)
 
-- `spec.md` may mark an unknown in place as `` `[NEEDS DECISION: q-YYYY-MM-DD-NNN]` `` beside the affected requirement/criterion; released workspaces use their recorded `Q-###` form.
+- `spec.md` may mark an unknown in place as `` `[NEEDS DECISION: q-YYYY-MM-DD-NNN]` `` beside the affected requirement/criterion; released workspaces use their recorded `Q-###` form. A free-text `` `[NEEDS CLARIFICATION: <question>]` `` placeholder is the drafting form from the spec template; it converts to the id-bound marker before readiness.
 - The id must exist in `questions.md`, status open, with a `gate:` naming the resolving phase. Spec readiness treats any surviving marker as an open-question blocker (fail closed).
 - Resolution removes the marker in the same edit that records the answer; markers pointing at resolved/dropped ids block too.
 - Markers are forbidden in plan-stage artifacts and inside acceptance-criteria rows — unresolved criteria get reclassified or removed, not fenced.

package/pack/generated/claude/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/testing.md

@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ Test code optimizes for a different reader than production code: someone staring
 needs the whole scenario in front of them. A test should read like a spec: arrange, act, assert,
 visible in one screen. Prefer a little repetition over a clever shared helper that hides what the
 test exercises; **D**escriptive **A**nd **M**eaningful **P**hrases beat **D**on't **R**epeat **Y**ourself
-here. (This trades against production `coding-style.md` reuse-first on purpose: a shared fixture
-that makes the reader scroll away to understand the case has cost more than the duplication saved.)
+here. (Deliberately trades against production reuse-first: a fixture that makes the reader
+scroll away to understand the case costs more than the duplication saved.)
 
 ## Test doubles: reach for the real thing first
 Prefer, in order: **real > fake > stub > mock**. Use the real collaborator when it's fast and

package/pack/generated/claude/skills/rite-define/reference/plan-template.md

@@ -115,7 +115,10 @@ otherwise simplify.
 | <e.g. new dependency X> | <reason> | <why the in-repo option won't work> |
 
 ## Rollback
-Risky-step backout: migration/flag/revert/backup.
+Every risky step (migration, destructive write, flag widening, contract change) names its
+backout before Build: **trigger** (what aborts it), **procedure** (down-migration / flag
+off / revert / restore), and **rollback-verification proof** (command + observed state).
+"Revert if needed" is not a rollback plan.
 
 ## Scope boundaries
 Untouched scope; copy spec “Ask first”/“Never do.”
@@ -130,7 +133,7 @@ Framework/library sources (triggers source-driven).
 - [ ] Applicability matches live evidence; outputs name owner, recovery, slice, proof
 - [ ] `MVP cut` is shippable/self-contained: ACs proven, no dependency below
 - [ ] Deviations are justified
-- [ ] Destructive/migration steps have rollback
+- [ ] Destructive/migration steps have rollback (trigger + procedure + verification proof); spec Prohibitions carry into slices verbatim
 - [ ] Each `Mode: HITL` slice has `Gate`, `SLA`, `Checkpoint`
 - [ ] Human choices resolved; checkpoints need unavailable pre-code evidence/action approval
 - [ ] All horizon items remain; blockers/planning items resolved or validly spiked;

package/pack/generated/claude/skills/rite-learn/SKILL.md

@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ of one authority; it cannot promote a rule alone.
 - Never create a learning ledger/index/queue, score, timeline, or parallel authority; rejected directions return only when evidence changes their rationale.
 - A declined lesson persists as a declined decision entry (reason recorded) in the nearest owning decisions file — not re-litigated without new evidence.
 - Contradiction outranks staleness: actively misleading guidance outranks merely old guidance.
+- A proposal names the **retrospective failing case**: the concrete past feature/artifact the
+  rule would have caught. None → generic advice — drop.
 - ≤3 accepted lessons per round; proposals extend/narrow but never lower an existing bar (revisions show old text beside new); duplicates consolidate into one canonical edit — simplification (deletions/merges) counts toward the cap.
 
 ## Output

package/pack/generated/claude/skills/rite-polish/reference/anti-ai-slop.md

@@ -52,13 +52,10 @@ match the neighbors.
   dots as set dressing.
 
 ### Copy & data realism
-Placeholder content is a tell even when the layout is clean:
-- **Fake-perfect numbers** — `99.99%`, `10,000+`, `$1M`. Real data is ragged: `47.2%`, `1,283`.
-- **Placeholder people/brands** — "John Doe", "Acme", "Nexus". Invent specific, plausible ones.
-- **Filler verbs** — Elevate / Seamless / Unleash / Supercharge / Next-Gen. Say what it does.
-- **Copy self-audit** — re-read every visible string before shipping; anything grammatically
-  broken, referent-unclear, or "an LLM trying to sound thoughtful" gets rewritten. AI-cute
-  copy is worse than boring copy.
+Placeholder content is a tell even when the layout is clean: fake-perfect numbers
+(`99.99%`, `10,000+` — real data is ragged), placeholder people/brands ("John Doe",
+"Acme"), filler verbs (Elevate / Seamless / Unleash). Re-read every visible string before
+shipping; AI-cute copy is worse than boring copy.
 
 ### Category-reflex check — run at two altitudes
 
@@ -160,49 +157,11 @@ Each is pass/fail by counting or grep, not judgment:
   Reuse → extend → build new (`coding-style.md`, `patterns.md`); duplication beats the *wrong*
   abstraction, but pasted clones are slop, not a deliberate AHA call.
 
-### Comment density — before / after
-
-```js
-// Before (slop): a comment narrating almost every line
-function calculateTotal(items) {
-  // initialize the total to zero
-  let total = 0;
-  // loop through each item in the items array
-  for (const item of items) {
-    // add the item price to the total
-    total += item.price;
-  }
-  // return the final total
-  return total;
-}
-
-// After: the names carry it; no comment needed
-function sumPrices(items) {
-  return items.reduce((total, item) => total + item.price, 0);
-}
-
-// A comment that earns its place — it explains WHY, not what:
-// Prices are in minor units (cents); the gateway rejects fractional amounts.
-const total = sumPrices(items);
-```
-
-## Why these are banned
-They signal "a model generated this" rather than "this team designed/wrote this." They
-ignore the product's register and the project's idiom, add noise, hide bugs (defensive
-catches), bloat the diff (over-engineering, beyond-spec), and often fail accessibility
-or correctness review. They're cargo-cult, not craft.
-
-## What to do instead
-- **UI**: project tokens / shared components / consistent type & spacing
-  (`design-system-discovery.md`); content shapes layout; motion serves feedback;
-  reserve modals for focused interrupting tasks.
-- **Code**: validate at trust boundaries (don't sprinkle null checks); catch narrow,
-  recover or rethrow; one clear name per concept; one responsibility per function;
-  reuse before write (`coding-style.md`); implement exactly the spec; let inherent
-  complexity be — don't pad with ceremony.
-- If the project **does** use one of these intentionally, follow the project. Consistency
-  beats the rule.
-
-## When in doubt: ask
-A "robust" check or shiny abstraction you can't justify in one sentence is probably slop.
-Delete it; or ask the user if it should exist.
+## Why banned, what instead
+They signal model-generated rather than team-designed work: they ignore register and
+idiom, add noise, hide bugs (defensive catches), bloat diffs, and often fail a11y or
+correctness review. Instead: project tokens/components, validate at trust boundaries,
+catch narrow and rethrow, one clear name per concept, reuse first (`coding-style.md`),
+implement exactly the spec. If the project intentionally uses one of these, follow the
+project — consistency beats the rule. A check or abstraction you can't justify in one
+sentence is slop: delete it or ask.

package/pack/generated/claude/skills/rite-pr-feedback/SKILL.md

@@ -24,8 +24,13 @@ Step 0: Read `.claude/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/core.md`, plus `gi
 2. **Fetch.** Use GitHub GraphQL/CLI to collect unresolved review threads with file, line, author, body, and thread id. Completion: every unresolved thread is represented once, or the fetch error is reported.
 3. **Legitimacy gate.** For each item, read the surrounding code and classify: `fix`, `not-addressing`, `declined`, `reply-only`, or `needs-human`. Deduplicate overlapping items.
 4. **Fix approved items.** Apply contained fixes, add/update tests when behavior changes, and run targeted checks. Larger product/API/security calls become `needs-human`.
-5. **Commit/push.** Stage only touched files. Commit only if changes exist; push the branch.
-   **Completion:** changed files are committed/pushed with SHA evidence, or no commit is created because the diff is empty.
+5. **Commit/push.** Stage only touched files; commit only if changes exist; push the branch.
+   Push rejected (protected branch, non-fast-forward, hooks): stop and report the exact
+   rejection — never force-push or rewrite a shared branch. Post-push checks fail: record
+   the failing check, choose fix-forward or revert, put the choice + reason in the thread
+   reply — never a silent red push.
+   **Completion:** committed/pushed with SHA evidence and green checks, or no commit (empty
+   diff), or the push failure reported verbatim.
 6. **Reply and resolve.** Reply to every thread with outcome and evidence. Resolve only `fix`, `not-addressing`, `declined`, and `reply-only`; leave `needs-human` open.
    **Completion:** every thread has one recorded outcome and only permitted terminal outcomes are resolved.
 7. **Verify.** Fetch unresolved threads again and report remaining intentional opens.

package/pack/generated/claude/skills/rite-spec/reference/spec-template.md

@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 Contract WHAT users get, WHY, success, and scope. HOW belongs in `plan.md`,
 topology in `architecture.md`/`flows.md`, coverage in `traceability.md`.
 
-Use `[NEEDS CLARIFICATION: <question>]` (blocking stops `/rite-clarify`) and
-stable `REQ-001`/`AC-001` IDs. Link, never duplicate, source artifacts. Over
-schema budget requires `Budget override: <reason>`.
+Use `[NEEDS CLARIFICATION: <question>]` (blocking stops `/rite-clarify`); before readiness
+every surviving marker converts to a gated `Q-###` open question (`spec-grammar.md` §
+Unresolved-question markers — fail closed). Stable `REQ-001`/`AC-001` IDs; link, never
+duplicate, source artifacts; over-budget requires `Budget override: <reason>`.
 
 ```markdown
 # Spec: <Feature>
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ status routes Define/Vet/Build/Prove to the named standard without copying it he
 - Model/RAG/agent/eval/LLM-output scope: `ai-spec.md` from `ai-spec-template.md`.
 - Otherwise: not applicable.
 
-## Measurable success
+## Success metrics
 - <Metric or observable proof.>
 
 ## Scope boundaries

package/pack/generated/claude/skills/rite-status/SKILL.md

@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ artifacts only as needed. Never infer lifecycle state from `README.md` or chat.
 
 If no workspace exists, recommend `/rite-spec <feature>` and stop.
 
+If `state.md` is unreadable/malformed: report a gap with the defect and stop — never infer the phase from other files; `/rite-doctor`/`/rite-upgrade` own repair.
+
 ## Report
 
 1. feature and one-line objective;

package/pack/generated/codex/agents/devrites-retrospector.toml

@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ Use native file search; do not use engine miners, indexes, telemetry, or agents.
 
 - Keep two-feature corrections or one rationale-backed durable product/architecture decision.
 - Verify live claims; cite currentness. Unverifiable = `unknown`, not false.
+- Source order: live repository source outranks an archive's recorded claim; where they
+  conflict, follow live and record the delta as part of the finding.
 - Name trigger/non-trigger; drop generic, stale, one-off, unbounded advice.
 - Search instructions/standards/ADRs for duplicate, contrary, or superseded guidance;
   choose one canonical home + discovery route.

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-frontend-craft/SKILL.md

@@ -85,13 +85,10 @@ through the layers (DB → service → API → UI) one capability at a time, app
 engineering rules to the backend and this craft to the frontend, map every contract error
 to a real UI state, and **prove both layers** (contract tests + browser proof).
 
-## Anti-AI-slop (banned defaults unless the project's system uses them)
-Purple/blue gradients · gradient text · glassmorphism by default · cards-in-cards ·
-identical card grids everywhere · rounded-square icon tile above every heading ·
-gray-on-color text · hero-metric cliché · decorative bounce/elastic easing · random
-Inter-for-everything · modal-first thinking · ghost-card (border + big shadow) · fake
-UI-in-a-div · placeholder copy/data. Full list + the countable mechanical pre-flight:
-`rite-polish/reference/anti-ai-slop.md`.
+## Anti-AI-slop
+The banned-defaults list and the countable mechanical pre-flight live in
+`rite-polish/reference/anti-ai-slop.md` (canonical owner): run both at build and polish
+time — a slop pattern in the slice is a polish finding.
 
 ## Default vs departure
 Preserve the existing identity (default, ~90%). Reject it only on an explicit signal (a

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-frontend-craft/reference/quality-standards.md

@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ these are the floor, not the ceiling.
 - **Test** with keyboard, a screen reader, and an automated checker (e.g. axe): early.
 
 ## Motion
-- Purposeful only; UI feedback ~≤200 ms, transitions ~≤500 ms. Never animate to mask slow
-  loading. Honor `prefers-reduced-motion` (reduce/remove non-essential motion).
+- Purposeful only; UI feedback ~≤200 ms, transitions ~≤500 ms (class table below). Never
+  animate to mask slow loading; honor `prefers-reduced-motion`.
 
 ## Responsive
 - Fluid layouts; no fixed widths that break. Verify at **320 / 768 / 1024 / 1440** px; no

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/reply-contract.md

@@ -65,13 +65,11 @@ Claims such as proved, reviewed, sealed, shipped, or complete must point to real
 output or an artifact. Use exactly one recommended next action except for
 terminal agent-owned technical exhaustion, which has no runnable action.
 
-Use that terminal case only after three recorded no-progress corrections of the
-exact fingerprint, or when required evidence was irretrievably absent **and** no safe in-scope diagnostic-amplification seam exists. Loss from the
-past attempt alone is not terminal: repair and Vet a boundary-discriminating
-evidence design, then request fresh authorization for its acquisition attempt. A spent
-consumptive-action authorization plus a retained new fingerprint is not terminal;
-it continues offline recovery and waits for fresh authorization only after repair.
-For a true terminal case use:
+Use that terminal case only per [`one-shot-actions.md`](standards/one-shot-actions.md):
+three recorded no-progress corrections of the exact fingerprint, or required evidence
+irretrievably absent with **no safe in-scope diagnostic-amplification seam**. A spent
+consumptive-action authorization plus a retained new fingerprint is not terminal. For a
+true terminal case use:
 
 ```text
 Stopped: Technical recovery exhausted

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/agents.md

@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ Claude grants only wright `acceptEdits`; Codex root is workspace-capable (childr
 
 Isolated-worktree pilot only under [`wright-dispatch.md`](../../../rite-build/reference/wright-dispatch.md#isolated-writer-worktree-pilot): one writer, committed/clean baseline, non-submodule parent, exact transfer commit, candidate reconciliation — never parallel writers nor weaker exact-path admission. Root may materialize only exact Vet-ready workflow-artifact paths per [`workflow-artifacts.md`](workflow-artifacts.md) — not a writer dispatch or candidate mutation.
 
-Each job gets objective/exclusions, exact paths/immutable candidate, rubric/result shape. Briefs MUST NOT seed verdict/severity cap/conclusion/suppression. Results state status/scope, outcome, commands/escalation; wright adds paths, changed files, gates, stood decisions; results never widen scope.
+Each job gets objective/exclusions, exact paths/immutable candidate, rubric/result shape, a **stop condition** (when to return), and the exact result shape; a dispatch missing them is malformed and re-issued. Briefs MUST NOT seed verdict/severity cap/conclusion/suppression. Results state status/scope, outcome, commands/escalation; wright adds paths, changed files, gates, stood decisions; results never widen scope.
 
 ## Independence
 

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/core.md

@@ -43,14 +43,11 @@ Before advancing a phase, run `devrites-engine check readiness <slug>` for struc
 
 ### Gate contract
 
-Each gate is declared as **Name · Precondition · Satisfying observation (exact command/artifact state) · Pass/Fail · What failure blocks**, with one type: `preflight`, `revision`, `escalation` (human-only), `abort`. Engine gates keep exit codes; semantic gates are judged by their owner against this contract. A gate whose failure consequence cannot be named is decoration — sharpen or delete it.
-## Caller-owned technical backtracking
+Each gate is declared as **Name · Precondition · Satisfying observation (exact command/artifact state) · Pass/Fail · What failure blocks**, with one type: `preflight`, `revision`, `escalation` (human-only), `abort`. Engine gates keep exit codes; semantic gates are judged by their owner against this contract. A gate whose failure consequence cannot be named is decoration — sharpen or delete it. A mechanical gate's satisfying observation is a command or artifact state a reviewer can re-run or re-read — narrative-only passes are unproven.
 
-When a rite invokes an earlier rite inline to repair an agent-owned technical gap, the original rite stays the controlling caller: a nested `STOP` is a phase boundary, not user-facing. The caller re-reads `state.md`, follows the return cursor/`next_action`, and resumes unless a human-owned, safety, access, budget, or exhausted-recovery stop is active ([Persistence before stopping](#persistence-before-stopping-handoff-discipline)). Derive `exhausted-recovery` from the fingerprint's recorded no-progress attempts; one consumed authorization doesn't exhaust offline recovery from retained new evidence.
+## Caller-owned technical backtracking
 
-Derive `exhausted-recovery` from the exact fingerprint's recorded no-progress
-attempts, not from a stale `state.md` label. A consumed authorization for one
-real action does not exhaust offline recovery from its retained new evidence.
+When a rite invokes an earlier rite inline to repair an agent-owned technical gap, the original rite stays the controlling caller: a nested `STOP` is a phase boundary, not user-facing. The caller re-reads `state.md`, follows the return cursor/`next_action`, and resumes unless a human-owned, safety, access, budget, or exhausted-recovery stop is active ([Persistence before stopping](#persistence-before-stopping-handoff-discipline)). Derive `exhausted-recovery` from the fingerprint's recorded no-progress attempts, not from a stale `state.md` label; one consumed authorization doesn't exhaust offline recovery from retained new evidence.
 
 An intermediate `Next step` is cold-resume metadata. Do not ask the human to
 copy routine `$rite-plan repair`, `$rite-vet`, `$rite-build`, or proof-rerun

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/development-workflow.md

@@ -10,9 +10,17 @@ Ship small, integrate often, and keep the main branch releasable. Workflow phase
 - Prefer short-lived branches off the main branch.
 - The main branch is **always in a releasable state**. Validate every change through a
   **fast, reliable CI pipeline** (tests + build) before it merges.
+- **Trunk broken?** Revert first (default repair); fix forward only when revert is harder. Red trunk blocks all merges.
 - Hide incomplete work behind a **feature flag / toggle** rather than a long branch, so
   partial work can land without blocking releases or breaking the trunk.
 
+## Feature-flag lifecycle
+
+- Name the **removal trigger** at flag creation; delete the flag once the work ships — a
+  flag past its trigger is **flag debt**, a review finding. Prove **both states**
+  ([`testing.md`](testing.md)); widen rollout only with the rollback path recorded
+  ([`data-integrity.md`](data-integrity.md)).
+
 ## Review gate
 - A human reviews every change before merge; `code-review.md` owns review scope and evidence.
 

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/documentation.md

@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ Document intent/decisions; public inputs, outputs, errors, and gotchas; non-obvi
 constraints; and real build/test/run commands. Update with behavior; prefer one runnable
 example. Do not restate code or types.
 
+## Drift check (docs describe what runs)
+
+A documented command/example that no longer runs is a **documentation-drift finding** at
+review/polish: run it — failure plus output is the evidence. A behavior change updates the
+doc or records the divergence; doc and code never hold contradictory "truths".
+
 ## Record decisions
 
 - Capture significant context, decision, consequences, accepted trade-off, change trigger,

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/error-handling.md

@@ -16,6 +16,17 @@ recoverable.
 - If you catch, either recover meaningfully, or rethrow/wrap with added context. Don't
   log-and-continue past an error you didn't handle.
 
+## Classify the outcome before retrying
+
+Never retry blind — match the outcome first:
+
+- **Rejected** (refused: validation/authz/conflict): fix input; unchanged retry fails again.
+- **Unknown** (timed out mid-call): check state at the source before any retry.
+- **Partial** (half-committed): [`data-integrity.md`](data-integrity.md) § partial failure — reconcile or roll back, never resume blind.
+- **Clean failure** (not started / fully rolled back): safe to retry after fixing the cause.
+
+**Failing case:** an **Unknown** outcome retried unchanged double-applies (duplicate charge). Idempotency: [`data-integrity.md`](data-integrity.md); outcome taxonomies: [`integration-reliability.md`](integration-reliability.md). Not provable → `cannot_verify` and stop.
+
 ## Meaningful messages
 - Error messages state what failed, the relevant context (ids, inputs, not secrets),
   and ideally how to recover. Cryptic messages cost hours.

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/performance.md

@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ Measure first. An optimization without a measurement is a guess that adds comple
 ## Optimize responsibly
 - Fix the **measured** bottleneck, then **re-measure** to prove the win (before/after).
   An optimization that doesn't move the number is just added complexity: revert it.
+- **Measurement not reproducible in CI** (noisy host, external dependency): label the claim
+  `Lab (<named command/environment>)` — never an elapsed-time assertion in shared CI (a
+  flaking wall-clock test is a flaky test, [`testing.md`](testing.md)). Budget regression:
+  re-measure; fix to budget or record the accepted regression with reason and owner.
 
 ## Frontend: Core Web Vitals
 For UI work, measure-first means LCP / INP / CLS judged against real numbers, each labeled

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/security.md

@@ -101,5 +101,4 @@ Conditional on a model/RAG/tool surface; prompt-injection rules above always app
 - **LLM06 unbounded consumption:** rate-limit, cap tokens/cost/time; an open loop is DoS and bill.
 
 ## Framework references on findings
-
-Bind findings to framework identifiers **where written**: ATT&CK technique ids for adversary behavior, D3FEND countermeasures when a mitigation is named, NIST CSF function-categories for governance framing, ATLAS ids for model-facing techniques. Rules carry ids at authorship; summaries derive from those citations later. Annotation, not busywork — omit when no identifier strengthens remediation. Severity follows [`code-review.md`](code-review.md); Critical blocks Seal.
+Bind findings to framework identifiers **where written**: ATT&CK technique ids for adversary behavior, D3FEND countermeasures when a mitigation is named, NIST CSF function-categories for governance framing, ATLAS ids or ASI ids (OWASP Agentic Applications / Agentic Skills Top 10) for model/agent-facing techniques. Rules carry ids at authorship; summaries derive from those citations later. Annotation, not busywork — omit when no identifier strengthens remediation. Severity follows [`code-review.md`](code-review.md); Critical blocks Seal.

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/skill-authoring.md

@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ Description routes; it is not documentation.
 - State the nearest sibling's **defining constraint** (Seal decides; Ship mutates
   Git). Routing evals test it.
 - A routing/tie-breaker change cites the mis-route it fixes and passes trigger corpora; no failing case, no change.
+- Descriptions stay **mutually exclusive** across the pack: two skills claiming one trigger
+  phrase is a routing defect fixed in the same change; rising wrong-skill fires signal a
+  rotted trigger.
 - Put examples/edges/rationale/procedure in body/reference—not frontmatter.
 
 ### Activation order

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/spec-grammar.md

@@ -85,11 +85,10 @@ a separate **`## Success metrics`** heading:
 - Support tickets about export drop by half within a quarter
 ```
 
-Why the split earns its place: an outcome metric tagged `AC-###` poisons traceability in
-both directions. No slice can honestly `Satisfies:` a quarterly KPI, and no feature test can
-observe a quarter of production traffic. The metric still matters (it is *why* the feature
-exists) but belongs to intent (`brief.md` / `spec.md` overview), not criteria the lifecycle
-proves. The load-bearing test: **can one slice make this true and one test show it?** If no,
+Why the split: an outcome metric tagged `AC-###` poisons traceability both ways — no slice
+can honestly `Satisfies:` a quarterly KPI and no test observes a quarter of traffic. The
+metric matters (it is *why* the feature exists) but belongs to intent, not provable
+criteria. The load-bearing test: **can one slice make this true and one test show it?** If no,
 it is a success metric, not an acceptance criterion. Native traceability reviews map only
 buildable `AC-###` IDs and meanings.
 
@@ -190,7 +189,7 @@ readiness.
 
 ## Unresolved-question markers (fail closed)
 
-- `spec.md` may mark an unknown in place as `` `[NEEDS DECISION: q-YYYY-MM-DD-NNN]` `` beside the affected requirement/criterion; released workspaces use their recorded `Q-###` form.
+- `spec.md` may mark an unknown in place as `` `[NEEDS DECISION: q-YYYY-MM-DD-NNN]` `` beside the affected requirement/criterion; released workspaces use their recorded `Q-###` form. A free-text `` `[NEEDS CLARIFICATION: <question>]` `` placeholder is the drafting form from the spec template; it converts to the id-bound marker before readiness.
 - The id must exist in `questions.md`, status open, with a `gate:` naming the resolving phase. Spec readiness treats any surviving marker as an open-question blocker (fail closed).
 - Resolution removes the marker in the same edit that records the answer; markers pointing at resolved/dropped ids block too.
 - Markers are forbidden in plan-stage artifacts and inside acceptance-criteria rows — unresolved criteria get reclassified or removed, not fenced.

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/testing.md

@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ Test code optimizes for a different reader than production code: someone staring
 needs the whole scenario in front of them. A test should read like a spec: arrange, act, assert,
 visible in one screen. Prefer a little repetition over a clever shared helper that hides what the
 test exercises; **D**escriptive **A**nd **M**eaningful **P**hrases beat **D**on't **R**epeat **Y**ourself
-here. (This trades against production `coding-style.md` reuse-first on purpose: a shared fixture
-that makes the reader scroll away to understand the case has cost more than the duplication saved.)
+here. (Deliberately trades against production reuse-first: a fixture that makes the reader
+scroll away to understand the case costs more than the duplication saved.)
 
 ## Test doubles: reach for the real thing first
 Prefer, in order: **real > fake > stub > mock**. Use the real collaborator when it's fast and

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/rite-define/reference/plan-template.md

@@ -115,7 +115,10 @@ otherwise simplify.
 | <e.g. new dependency X> | <reason> | <why the in-repo option won't work> |
 
 ## Rollback
-Risky-step backout: migration/flag/revert/backup.
+Every risky step (migration, destructive write, flag widening, contract change) names its
+backout before Build: **trigger** (what aborts it), **procedure** (down-migration / flag
+off / revert / restore), and **rollback-verification proof** (command + observed state).
+"Revert if needed" is not a rollback plan.
 
 ## Scope boundaries
 Untouched scope; copy spec “Ask first”/“Never do.”
@@ -130,7 +133,7 @@ Framework/library sources (triggers source-driven).
 - [ ] Applicability matches live evidence; outputs name owner, recovery, slice, proof
 - [ ] `MVP cut` is shippable/self-contained: ACs proven, no dependency below
 - [ ] Deviations are justified
-- [ ] Destructive/migration steps have rollback
+- [ ] Destructive/migration steps have rollback (trigger + procedure + verification proof); spec Prohibitions carry into slices verbatim
 - [ ] Each `Mode: HITL` slice has `Gate`, `SLA`, `Checkpoint`
 - [ ] Human choices resolved; checkpoints need unavailable pre-code evidence/action approval
 - [ ] All horizon items remain; blockers/planning items resolved or validly spiked;

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/rite-learn/SKILL.md

@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ of one authority; it cannot promote a rule alone.
 - Never create a learning ledger/index/queue, score, timeline, or parallel authority; rejected directions return only when evidence changes their rationale.
 - A declined lesson persists as a declined decision entry (reason recorded) in the nearest owning decisions file — not re-litigated without new evidence.
 - Contradiction outranks staleness: actively misleading guidance outranks merely old guidance.
+- A proposal names the **retrospective failing case**: the concrete past feature/artifact the
+  rule would have caught. None → generic advice — drop.
 - ≤3 accepted lessons per round; proposals extend/narrow but never lower an existing bar (revisions show old text beside new); duplicates consolidate into one canonical edit — simplification (deletions/merges) counts toward the cap.
 
 ## Output

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/rite-polish/reference/anti-ai-slop.md

@@ -52,13 +52,10 @@ match the neighbors.
   dots as set dressing.
 
 ### Copy & data realism
-Placeholder content is a tell even when the layout is clean:
-- **Fake-perfect numbers** — `99.99%`, `10,000+`, `$1M`. Real data is ragged: `47.2%`, `1,283`.
-- **Placeholder people/brands** — "John Doe", "Acme", "Nexus". Invent specific, plausible ones.
-- **Filler verbs** — Elevate / Seamless / Unleash / Supercharge / Next-Gen. Say what it does.
-- **Copy self-audit** — re-read every visible string before shipping; anything grammatically
-  broken, referent-unclear, or "an LLM trying to sound thoughtful" gets rewritten. AI-cute
-  copy is worse than boring copy.
+Placeholder content is a tell even when the layout is clean: fake-perfect numbers
+(`99.99%`, `10,000+` — real data is ragged), placeholder people/brands ("John Doe",
+"Acme"), filler verbs (Elevate / Seamless / Unleash). Re-read every visible string before
+shipping; AI-cute copy is worse than boring copy.
 
 ### Category-reflex check — run at two altitudes
 
@@ -160,49 +157,11 @@ Each is pass/fail by counting or grep, not judgment:
   Reuse → extend → build new (`coding-style.md`, `patterns.md`); duplication beats the *wrong*
   abstraction, but pasted clones are slop, not a deliberate AHA call.
 
-### Comment density — before / after
-
-```js
-// Before (slop): a comment narrating almost every line
-function calculateTotal(items) {
-  // initialize the total to zero
-  let total = 0;
-  // loop through each item in the items array
-  for (const item of items) {
-    // add the item price to the total
-    total += item.price;
-  }
-  // return the final total
-  return total;
-}
-
-// After: the names carry it; no comment needed
-function sumPrices(items) {
-  return items.reduce((total, item) => total + item.price, 0);
-}
-
-// A comment that earns its place — it explains WHY, not what:
-// Prices are in minor units (cents); the gateway rejects fractional amounts.
-const total = sumPrices(items);
-```
-
-## Why these are banned
-They signal "a model generated this" rather than "this team designed/wrote this." They
-ignore the product's register and the project's idiom, add noise, hide bugs (defensive
-catches), bloat the diff (over-engineering, beyond-spec), and often fail accessibility
-or correctness review. They're cargo-cult, not craft.
-
-## What to do instead
-- **UI**: project tokens / shared components / consistent type & spacing
-  (`design-system-discovery.md`); content shapes layout; motion serves feedback;
-  reserve modals for focused interrupting tasks.
-- **Code**: validate at trust boundaries (don't sprinkle null checks); catch narrow,
-  recover or rethrow; one clear name per concept; one responsibility per function;
-  reuse before write (`coding-style.md`); implement exactly the spec; let inherent
-  complexity be — don't pad with ceremony.
-- If the project **does** use one of these intentionally, follow the project. Consistency
-  beats the rule.
-
-## When in doubt: ask
-A "robust" check or shiny abstraction you can't justify in one sentence is probably slop.
-Delete it; or ask the user if it should exist.
+## Why banned, what instead
+They signal model-generated rather than team-designed work: they ignore register and
+idiom, add noise, hide bugs (defensive catches), bloat diffs, and often fail a11y or
+correctness review. Instead: project tokens/components, validate at trust boundaries,
+catch narrow and rethrow, one clear name per concept, reuse first (`coding-style.md`),
+implement exactly the spec. If the project intentionally uses one of these, follow the
+project — consistency beats the rule. A check or abstraction you can't justify in one
+sentence is slop: delete it or ask.

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/rite-pr-feedback/SKILL.md

@@ -24,8 +24,13 @@ Step 0: Read `.agents/skills/devrites-lib/reference/standards/core.md`, plus `gi
 2. **Fetch.** Use GitHub GraphQL/CLI to collect unresolved review threads with file, line, author, body, and thread id. Completion: every unresolved thread is represented once, or the fetch error is reported.
 3. **Legitimacy gate.** For each item, read the surrounding code and classify: `fix`, `not-addressing`, `declined`, `reply-only`, or `needs-human`. Deduplicate overlapping items.
 4. **Fix approved items.** Apply contained fixes, add/update tests when behavior changes, and run targeted checks. Larger product/API/security calls become `needs-human`.
-5. **Commit/push.** Stage only touched files. Commit only if changes exist; push the branch.
-   **Completion:** changed files are committed/pushed with SHA evidence, or no commit is created because the diff is empty.
+5. **Commit/push.** Stage only touched files; commit only if changes exist; push the branch.
+   Push rejected (protected branch, non-fast-forward, hooks): stop and report the exact
+   rejection — never force-push or rewrite a shared branch. Post-push checks fail: record
+   the failing check, choose fix-forward or revert, put the choice + reason in the thread
+   reply — never a silent red push.
+   **Completion:** committed/pushed with SHA evidence and green checks, or no commit (empty
+   diff), or the push failure reported verbatim.
 6. **Reply and resolve.** Reply to every thread with outcome and evidence. Resolve only `fix`, `not-addressing`, `declined`, and `reply-only`; leave `needs-human` open.
    **Completion:** every thread has one recorded outcome and only permitted terminal outcomes are resolved.
 7. **Verify.** Fetch unresolved threads again and report remaining intentional opens.

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/rite-spec/reference/spec-template.md

@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 Contract WHAT users get, WHY, success, and scope. HOW belongs in `plan.md`,
 topology in `architecture.md`/`flows.md`, coverage in `traceability.md`.
 
-Use `[NEEDS CLARIFICATION: <question>]` (blocking stops `$rite-clarify`) and
-stable `REQ-001`/`AC-001` IDs. Link, never duplicate, source artifacts. Over
-schema budget requires `Budget override: <reason>`.
+Use `[NEEDS CLARIFICATION: <question>]` (blocking stops `$rite-clarify`); before readiness
+every surviving marker converts to a gated `Q-###` open question (`spec-grammar.md` §
+Unresolved-question markers — fail closed). Stable `REQ-001`/`AC-001` IDs; link, never
+duplicate, source artifacts; over-budget requires `Budget override: <reason>`.
 
 ```markdown
 # Spec: <Feature>
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ status routes Define/Vet/Build/Prove to the named standard without copying it he
 - Model/RAG/agent/eval/LLM-output scope: `ai-spec.md` from `ai-spec-template.md`.
 - Otherwise: not applicable.
 
-## Measurable success
+## Success metrics
 - <Metric or observable proof.>
 
 ## Scope boundaries

package/pack/generated/codex/skills/rite-status/SKILL.md

@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ artifacts only as needed. Never infer lifecycle state from `README.md` or chat.
 
 If no workspace exists, recommend `$rite-spec <feature>` and stop.
 
+If `state.md` is unreadable/malformed: report a gap with the defect and stop — never infer the phase from other files; `$rite-doctor`/`$rite-upgrade` own repair.
+
 ## Report
 
 1. feature and one-line objective;

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "devrites",
-  "version": "4.5.0",
+  "version": "4.6.0",
   "description": "DevRites: a disciplined senior-engineer workflow pack for Claude Code and Codex",
   "license": "SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE",
   "homepage": "https://github.com/ViktorsBaikers/DevRites#readme",