diff --git a/.github/scripts/validate-footers.js b/.github/scripts/validate-footers.js
index 457df7874..5b2985eb6 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/validate-footers.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/validate-footers.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 import fs from "fs";
 import path from "path";
+import { execSync } from "child_process";
 import yaml from "js-yaml";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "url";
 
@@ -51,15 +52,164 @@ const reportFile = args
   .find((arg) => arg.startsWith("--report="))
   ?.split("=")[1];
 const verbose = args.includes("--verbose");
+const changedOnly = args.includes("--changed-only");
 
 // Track violations
 const violations = {
   duplicateFooters: [],
   multipleFooersPerDoc: [],
   invalidFooterId: [],
-  missingCategory: [],
+  missingFooters: [],
 };
 
+const DEFAULT_FOOTER_SIGNATURES = [
+  "_Maintained with",
+  "_Built by",
+  "_Have questions?",
+  "_This page brought to you by",
+  "_Docs signed by",
+  "Made with 💚 by LightSpeedWP",
+];
+
+function extractFooterSignatures(config) {
+  const canonicalFooters = Object.values(config?.footers || {})
+    .map((footer) => footer?.template)
+    .filter((template) => typeof template === "string")
+    .map((template) =>
+      template
+        .trim()
+        .split("\n")
+        .map((line) => line.trim())
+        .find((line) => line && line !== "---"),
+    )
+    .filter(Boolean);
+
+  return [...new Set([...DEFAULT_FOOTER_SIGNATURES, ...canonicalFooters])];
+}
+
+function escapeRegExp(value) {
+  return value.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, "\\$&");
+}
+
+function extractFooterTail(content) {
+  const lines = content.split("\n");
+  const separators = [];
+
+  lines.forEach((line, idx) => {
+    if (line.trim() === "---") {
+      separators.push(idx);
+    }
+  });
+
+  if (separators.length === 0) {
+    return "";
+  }
+
+  const tailStart = separators[separators.length - 1] + 1;
+  return lines.slice(tailStart).join("\n").trim();
+}
+
+function countFooterSignatureMatches(content, config) {
+  const tail = extractFooterTail(content);
+  const signatures = extractFooterSignatures(config);
+
+  return signatures.map((signature) => {
+    const escaped = escapeRegExp(signature);
+    const matches = tail.match(new RegExp(escaped, "g")) || [];
+    return { signature, count: matches.length };
+  });
+}
+
+function getDefaultFooterForCategory(category) {
+  const categoryConfig = footerConfig.categories?.[category];
+  const footerId = categoryConfig?.default_footer;
+  const footerTemplate = footerId && footerConfig.footers?.[footerId]?.template;
+
+  if (typeof footerTemplate === "string") {
+    return footerTemplate.trimEnd();
+  }
+
+  return null;
+}
+
+function replaceFooterTail(content, footerTemplate) {
+  const footerBlock = `\n---\n\n${footerTemplate.trimEnd()}\n`;
+  const separators = [];
+  const lines = content.split("\n");
+
+  lines.forEach((line, idx) => {
+    if (line.trim() === "---") {
+      separators.push(idx);
+    }
+  });
+
+  if (separators.length === 0) {
+    if (content.endsWith("\n")) {
+      return `${content}${footerBlock.trimStart()}`;
+    }
+
+    return `${content}\n${footerBlock.trimStart()}`;
+  }
+
+  const lastSeparatorIdx = separators[separators.length - 1];
+  const contentWithoutTail = lines
+    .slice(0, lastSeparatorIdx)
+    .join("\n")
+    .replace(/\s+$/, "");
+  return `${contentWithoutTail}${footerBlock}`;
+}
+
+function inferCategory(filePath, frontmatter) {
+  if (
+    frontmatter?.category &&
+    footerConfig.categories?.[frontmatter.category]
+  ) {
+    return frontmatter.category;
+  }
+
+  const normalizedPath = filePath.replace(/\\/g, "/");
+  const pathPatterns = [
+    {
+      pattern: /^\.github\/ISSUE_TEMPLATE\/.*\.md$/i,
+      category: "issue-template",
+    },
+    {
+      pattern: /^\.github\/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE\/.*\.md$/i,
+      category: "pull-request-template",
+    },
+    { pattern: /^agents\/.*\.(?:md|agent\.md)$/i, category: "agents" },
+    {
+      pattern: /^instructions\/.*\.md$|.*\.instructions\.md$/i,
+      category: "instructions",
+    },
+    { pattern: /^schema\/.*\.md$|.*\.schema\.md$/i, category: "schema" },
+    {
+      pattern: /^\.github\/reports\/.*\.md$|.*audit.*\.md$/i,
+      category: "audit",
+    },
+    { pattern: /.*research.*\.md$/i, category: "research" },
+    {
+      pattern: /^scripts\/.*\.md$|^utils\/.*\.md$|.*utility.*\.md$/i,
+      category: "utility",
+    },
+    {
+      pattern: /^docs\/.*governance.*\.md$|^governance\/.*\.md$/i,
+      category: "governance",
+    },
+    {
+      pattern: /^docs\/.*(?:automation|ai-ops).*\.md$/i,
+      category: "ai-ops",
+    },
+    { pattern: /^docs\/.*\.md$/i, category: "docs" },
+    { pattern: /^(?:.*\/)?README\.md$/i, category: "readme" },
+  ];
+
+  const match = pathPatterns.find(({ pattern }) =>
+    pattern.test(normalizedPath),
+  );
+  return match?.category || "";
+}
+
 /**
  * Find all Markdown files in the repository
  */
@@ -83,56 +233,62 @@ function findMarkdownFiles(dir = ".") {
   return files;
 }
 
-/**
- * Extract YAML frontmatter from a Markdown file
- */
-function extractFrontmatter(content) {
-  const fmRegex = /^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---/;
-  const match = content.match(fmRegex);
+function readGitEventContext() {
+  const eventPath = process.env.GITHUB_EVENT_PATH;
 
-  if (!match) return null;
+  if (!eventPath || !fs.existsSync(eventPath)) {
+    return null;
+  }
 
   try {
-    return yaml.load(match[1]);
+    return JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(eventPath, "utf8"));
   } catch {
     return null;
   }
 }
 
-/**
- * Extract all footer blocks from content
- * A footer block is content after the last "---" separator
- */
-function extractFooters(content) {
-  const separators = [];
-  const lines = content.split("\n");
+function getChangedMarkdownFiles() {
+  let baseRef = "";
+  let headRef = "";
+  const event = readGitEventContext();
+  const eventName = process.env.GITHUB_EVENT_NAME || "";
+
+  if (eventName === "pull_request" || eventName === "pull_request_target") {
+    baseRef = event?.pull_request?.base?.sha || "";
+    headRef = event?.pull_request?.head?.sha || "";
+  } else if (eventName === "push") {
+    baseRef = event?.before || "";
+    headRef = event?.after || "";
+  }
 
-  // Find all "---" separators
-  lines.forEach((line, idx) => {
-    if (line.trim() === "---") {
-      separators.push(idx);
-    }
-  });
+  const diffRange =
+    baseRef && headRef ? `${baseRef} ${headRef}` : "HEAD~1 HEAD";
 
-  // If less than 2 separators, no footer
-  if (separators.length < 2) return [];
+  try {
+    const output = execSync(`git diff --name-only ${diffRange} -- '*.md'`, {
+      encoding: "utf8",
+    }).trim();
 
-  // Content after the last separator is the footer
-  const lastSeparatorIdx = separators[separators.length - 1];
-  const footerContent = lines
-    .slice(lastSeparatorIdx + 1)
-    .join("\n")
-    .trim();
+    return output ? output.split("\n").filter(Boolean) : [];
+  } catch {
+    return findMarkdownFiles();
+  }
+}
 
-  if (!footerContent) return [];
+/**
+ * Extract YAML frontmatter from a Markdown file
+ */
+function extractFrontmatter(content) {
+  const fmRegex = /^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---/;
+  const match = content.match(fmRegex);
 
-  // Split footer into blocks (separated by blank lines)
-  const footerBlocks = footerContent
-    .split("\n\n")
-    .map((block) => block.trim())
-    .filter((block) => block.length > 0);
+  if (!match) return null;
 
-  return footerBlocks;
+  try {
+    return yaml.load(match[1]);
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -141,49 +297,51 @@ function extractFooters(content) {
 function validateFile(filePath) {
   const content = fs.readFileSync(filePath, "utf8");
   const frontmatter = extractFrontmatter(content);
-  const footers = extractFooters(content);
+  const category = inferCategory(filePath, frontmatter);
+  const footerMatches = countFooterSignatureMatches(content, footerConfig);
+  const footerHitCounts = footerMatches.filter(({ count }) => count > 0);
 
   const fileViolations = [];
 
-  // Check category requirement
-  if (
-    footerConfig.validation_rules.require_category_in_frontmatter &&
-    !frontmatter?.category
-  ) {
+  if (!category) {
+    return fileViolations;
+  }
+
+  // Check for duplicate footers
+  const duplicateMatch = footerMatches.find(({ count }) => count > 1);
+  if (duplicateMatch) {
     fileViolations.push({
-      type: "missingCategory",
+      type: "duplicateFooters",
       file: filePath,
-      message: 'Document missing "category" field in frontmatter',
+      message: `Found repeated footer signature: ${duplicateMatch.signature}`,
+      count: duplicateMatch.count,
     });
   }
 
-  // Check for duplicate footers
-  if (footers.length > 1) {
-    const seen = new Set();
-    for (const footer of footers) {
-      if (seen.has(footer)) {
-        fileViolations.push({
-          type: "duplicateFooters",
-          file: filePath,
-          message: `Found ${footers.length} footer blocks; ${footers.filter((f) => f === footer).length} are duplicates`,
-          count: footers.length,
-        });
-        break;
-      }
-      seen.add(footer);
-    }
+  // Check for missing footer
+  if (
+    footerConfig.validation_rules.require_footer_in_document &&
+    category &&
+    footerHitCounts.length === 0
+  ) {
+    fileViolations.push({
+      type: "missingFooters",
+      file: filePath,
+      message: `Document is missing a branded footer for category '${category}'`,
+      category,
+    });
   }
 
   // Check for multiple footers per document
   if (
     !footerConfig.validation_rules.allow_multiple_footers_per_document &&
-    footers.length > 1
+    footerHitCounts.length > 1
   ) {
     fileViolations.push({
       type: "multipleFootersPerDoc",
       file: filePath,
-      message: `Document has ${footers.length} footers; only 1 allowed`,
-      count: footers.length,
+      message: `Document has ${footerHitCounts.length} footer signatures; only 1 allowed`,
+      count: footerHitCounts.length,
     });
   }
 
@@ -217,8 +375,10 @@ function removeDuplicateFooters(content) {
 function main() {
   console.log("🔍 Scanning for Markdown files...\n");
 
-  const files = findMarkdownFiles();
-  console.log(`📄 Found ${files.length} Markdown files\n`);
+  const files = changedOnly ? getChangedMarkdownFiles() : findMarkdownFiles();
+  console.log(
+    `📄 Found ${files.length} ${changedOnly ? "changed " : ""}Markdown files\n`,
+  );
 
   let totalViolations = 0;
 
@@ -241,8 +401,8 @@ function main() {
           violations.duplicateFooters.push({ file, ...v });
         } else if (v.type === "multipleFootersPerDoc") {
           violations.multipleFooersPerDoc.push({ file, ...v });
-        } else if (v.type === "missingCategory") {
-          violations.missingCategory.push({ file, ...v });
+        } else if (v.type === "missingFooters") {
+          violations.missingFooters.push({ file, ...v });
         }
       });
     }
@@ -253,7 +413,7 @@ function main() {
   console.log(
     `Multiple footers:        ${violations.multipleFooersPerDoc.length}`,
   );
-  console.log(`Missing category:        ${violations.missingCategory.length}`);
+  console.log(`Missing footers:         ${violations.missingFooters.length}`);
   console.log(`Total violations:        ${totalViolations}\n`);
 
   // Report to file if requested
@@ -269,13 +429,24 @@ function main() {
     const filesToFix = [
       ...violations.duplicateFooters,
       ...violations.multipleFooersPerDoc,
+      ...violations.missingFooters,
     ].map((v) => v.file);
 
     const uniqueFiles = [...new Set(filesToFix)];
 
     for (const file of uniqueFiles) {
       const content = fs.readFileSync(file, "utf8");
-      const fixed = removeDuplicateFooters(content);
+      let fixed = removeDuplicateFooters(content);
+
+      const frontmatter = extractFrontmatter(fixed);
+      const footerCategory = inferCategory(file, frontmatter);
+      const footerTemplate = footerCategory
+        ? getDefaultFooterForCategory(footerCategory)
+        : null;
+
+      if (footerTemplate) {
+        fixed = replaceFooterTail(fixed, footerTemplate);
+      }
 
       // Create backup
       const backupFile = `${file}.backup`;
diff --git a/.github/workflows/checks.yml b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
index 02990e750..befc9e6b7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ jobs:
       - run: npm run validate:json
       - run: npm run validate:issue-fields
       - run: npm run validate:retired-doc-links
+      - run: npm run validate:footers -- --changed-only
       - run: npm run validate:frontmatter:changed -- --base ${{ github.event.merge_group.base_sha || github.event.pull_request.base.sha || github.event.before }} --head ${{ github.event.merge_group.head_sha || github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
 
   # Composite status check: ensures all checks pass before merge
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 539f29ff8..238740a5d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Changed
 
+- **Automation governance for Dependabot PRs and branding footers** — Stopped the metadata sync flow from auto-creating a milestone for each Dependabot PR, switched footer detection to the canonical branding config with tail-aware matching, and backfilled branded markdown footers across the repository. Updated the related CI, workflow, and documentation surfaces to keep the behaviour durable. ([#1010](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/issues/1010), [#1013](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/pull/1013))
+
 - **Metadata governance automation for issues and pull requests** — Added and hardened the GitHub automation that assigns project items, milestones, assignees, issue/PR relationships, project field values, and labelling behaviour for new issues and pull requests. Also updated the related docs, workflow guards, and test coverage to match the current codebase. ([#974](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/pull/974))
 
 - **Community health audit — PR templates, governance docs, and README alignment** — Completed a comprehensive audit of all community health files: updated WCAG version references from 2.1 to 2.2 AA in `pr_bug.md`, `pr_chore.md`, `pr_ci.md`, and `pr_dep_update.md`; added 15 missing branch-prefix rows to the default `pull_request_template.md` quick-selector table to align with `PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/config.yml`; expanded `AGENTS.md` issue template list from 10 to 23 entries and added Saved Replies section; expanded `CLAUDE.md` issue template list to match; fixed template count, range, and parity note in `.github/custom-instructions.md`; completely rewrote `.github/workflows/README.md` with an accurate inventory of all 27 real workflows (removed 4 phantom workflow references); updated `.github/README.md` version date; added 20 missing files to `.github/SAVED_REPLIES/README.md`; added template index table to `.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/README.md`; replaced generic category list with the 9 actual YAML file inventory in `.github/DISCUSSION_TEMPLATE/README.md`; updated `docs/ISSUE_CREATION_GUIDE.md` to 25-template parity and corrected label values. ([#966](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/pull/966))
diff --git a/config/footers.config.yaml b/config/footers.config.yaml
index ef06a691d..532b0b5ad 100644
--- a/config/footers.config.yaml
+++ b/config/footers.config.yaml
@@ -338,4 +338,5 @@ validation_rules:
   max_footer_lines: 5
   max_duplicates_allowed: 0 # Zero duplicates allowed
   require_category_in_frontmatter: true
+  require_footer_in_document: true
   allow_multiple_footers_per_document: false # ONE footer per document maximum
diff --git a/docs/AUTOMATION.md b/docs/AUTOMATION.md
index 30de06fd8..4dfefa679 100644
--- a/docs/AUTOMATION.md
+++ b/docs/AUTOMATION.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 file_type: "documentation"
 title: "Automation & Workflows"
 description: "Strategy, governance, and workflow documentation for GitHub automation in LightSpeed repositories."
-version: "v1.0.5"
+version: "v1.0.6"
 last_updated: "2026-06-19"
 owners: ["LightSpeedWP Team"]
 tags: ["automation", "workflows", "governance", "agents"]
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ If your project allows hotfixes directly to `main`, ensure validation workflows
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
 | **labeling.yml** | develop | Unified labelling, status/priority, and type automation | labeling.agent.js |
 | **changelog-validate.yml** | develop | Enforce changelog requirements and PR labelling standards | changelog validation |
-| **metadata-governance.yml** | issues / pull_request_target | Apply assignee, milestone, and relationship metadata | issue-pr-metadata.cjs |
+| **metadata-governance.yml** | issues / pull_request_target | Apply assignee and relationship metadata; inherit milestones only when explicitly linked | issue-pr-metadata.cjs |
+| **validate-footers** | validation step | Enforce branded footers on changed Markdown and catch missing footer drift | `.github/scripts/validate-footers.js` |
 | **planner.yml** | develop | Post merge-readiness checklists and exit criteria to PRs | planner.agent.js |
 | **reviewer.yml** | develop | Automated PR review and quality feedback | reviewer.agent.js |
 | **project-meta-sync.yml** | issues / pull_request | Sync project board fields from labels, title/body fallbacks, and kickoff metadata | derive-project-fields.cjs |
@@ -156,7 +157,8 @@ Issue types are defined once in `.github/issue-types.yml` and used by both:
 ### Metadata Governance
 
 - Issues and PRs are assigned to the repository project automatically on create.
-- New issues and PRs should receive an assignee, milestone, and relationship metadata where relevant.
+- New issues and PRs should receive an assignee and relationship metadata where relevant.
+- Milestones are only applied when explicitly inherited from linked work or already present; the automation no longer invents a milestone per issue or PR.
 - `Start date` and `Target date` remain empty until the item is explicitly marked `status:ready` or `status:in-progress`.
 - Template enforcement must flag incomplete issues, apply `status:needs-more-info`, and keep the item open.
 
@@ -264,3 +266,7 @@ All configuration files are validated:
 - [Agent Specifications](../.github/agents/)
 
 ---
+
+*Maintained by the 🤖 LightSpeedWP Automation Team*
+
+[📋 AI Governance](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/blob/develop/docs/AUTOMATION.md) · [🧠 Agents](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/blob/develop/AGENTS.md) · [📞 Contact](https://lightspeedwp.agency/contact)
diff --git a/docs/BRANCHING_STRATEGY.md b/docs/BRANCHING_STRATEGY.md
index a01ffcb52..57105e11e 100644
--- a/docs/BRANCHING_STRATEGY.md
+++ b/docs/BRANCHING_STRATEGY.md
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 file_type: documentation
 title: Org-wide Git Branching Strategy
 description: Canonical branch naming, protection, merge discipline, and automation rules for LightSpeedWP repositories.
-last_updated: '2026-06-09'
+last_updated: '2026-06-19'
 owners:
   - LightSpeed Team
-version: v1.5
+version: v1.5.1
 status: active
 stability: stable
 domain: governance
@@ -389,3 +389,7 @@ reused so automation stays predictable.
 - Add cheat sheets and workflow diagrams to internal wiki.
 
 ---
+
+*Built by 🧱 LightSpeedWP with ☕, 🚀, and open-source spirit!*
+
+[🔗 Website](https://lightspeedwp.agency) · [📧 Contact](https://lightspeedwp.agency/contact) · [👥 Contributors](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/graphs/contributors)
diff --git a/docs/BRANDING_AGENT_USAGE.md b/docs/BRANDING_AGENT_USAGE.md
index 1047b1e56..e09d8a707 100644
--- a/docs/BRANDING_AGENT_USAGE.md
+++ b/docs/BRANDING_AGENT_USAGE.md
@@ -2,17 +2,17 @@
 title: "Unified Branding Agent — Usage Guide"
 description: "Complete guide for using the unified branding agent to apply category-aware branding to documents"
 file_type: "documentation"
-version: "1.0.0"
+version: "1.0.1"
 created_date: "2026-05-29"
-last_updated: "2026-06-03"
+last_updated: "2026-06-19"
 category: "docs"
 owners: ["LightSpeedWP Automation Team"]
 ---
 
 # Unified Branding Agent — Usage Guide
 
-**Document Version**: 1.0.0
-**Last Updated**: 2026-05-29
+**Document Version**: 1.0.1
+**Last Updated**: 2026-06-19
 **Related Issues**: #555 (Wave 4E Implementation)
 
 ---
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ owners: ["LightSpeedWP Automation Team"]
 
 The **Unified Branding Agent** automates the application of category-aware branding (headers, footers, and badges) to Markdown documents across the repository.
 
-It reads from the Wave 4D configuration (`config/footers.config.yaml` and `.schemas/branding-schema.json`) and applies consistent branding rules based on:
+It reads from the canonical branding configuration (`config/footers.config.yaml` and `.schemas/branding-schema.json`) with a legacy fallback for older automation paths, and applies consistent branding rules based on:
 
 - **Document category** (explicitly in frontmatter or inferred from file path)
 - **Predefined footer templates** per category
@@ -284,6 +284,16 @@ footers:
       *Built by 🧱 LightSpeedWP*
 ```
 
+### Validation
+
+The repository validator now treats missing branded footers in changed Markdown as a failure and can backfill them from the category default via `npm run validate:footers -- --fix`.
+
+Run the validator after bulk edits or agent changes to make sure changed docs are not left unbranded:
+
+```bash
+npm run validate:footers
+```
+
 ### `.schemas/branding-schema.json`
 
 Comprehensive JSON Schema for validation and IDE autocomplete.
diff --git a/docs/BRANDING_CONFIG_SPEC.md b/docs/BRANDING_CONFIG_SPEC.md
index a11d71e99..f3dfda4c4 100644
--- a/docs/BRANDING_CONFIG_SPEC.md
+++ b/docs/BRANDING_CONFIG_SPEC.md
@@ -2,17 +2,17 @@
 title: "Branding Configuration Specification"
 description: "Complete specification for category-aware branding, frontmatter validation, and header/footer management"
 file_type: "documentation"
-version: "1.0.0"
+version: "1.0.1"
 created_date: "2026-05-29"
-last_updated: "2026-06-03"
+last_updated: "2026-06-19"
 category: "governance"
 owners: ["LightSpeedWP Automation Team"]
 ---
 
 # Branding Configuration Specification
 
-**Document Version**: 1.0.0
-**Last Updated**: 2026-05-29
+**Document Version**: 1.0.1
+**Last Updated**: 2026-06-19
 **Related Issues**: #33 (Parent Spec), #554 (Schema Implementation), #555 (Agent Implementation), #556 (Remediation)
 
 ---
@@ -413,6 +413,8 @@ The configuration is used in:
 - CodeRabbit configuration
 - Linting and validation scripts
 
+Missing branded footers are now treated as a validation failure via `npm run validate:footers`, which can also backfill the category default when run with `--fix`.
+
 ### 9.3 For Documentation Generation
 
 Category-aware tools use configuration to:
@@ -529,6 +531,6 @@ governance-footer:
 
 ---
 
-*Built by 🧱 LightSpeedWP with ☕, 🚀, and open-source spirit!*
+⚖️ *Governance policy maintained by LightSpeedWP*
 
-[🔗 Website](https://lightspeedwp.agency) · [📧 Contact](https://lightspeedwp.agency/contact) · [👥 Contributors](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/graphs/contributors)
+[📋 Full Governance Docs](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/blob/develop/AGENTS.md) · [🔒 Security](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/blob/develop/SECURITY.md)
diff --git a/docs/FOOTER_REMEDIATION_GUIDE.md b/docs/FOOTER_REMEDIATION_GUIDE.md
index d20ca11a1..455775216 100644
--- a/docs/FOOTER_REMEDIATION_GUIDE.md
+++ b/docs/FOOTER_REMEDIATION_GUIDE.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: "Footer Remediation Guide"
 description: "How to identify, fix, and prevent duplicate footers in Markdown files"
-version: "v1.0.1"
+version: "v1.0.2"
 created_date: "2026-05-28"
 type: "guide"
 category: "governance"
@@ -54,13 +54,13 @@ Currently, footers are:
 
 1. **`schema/footer-config.schema.json`** — JSON Schema defining valid footer structure
 2. **`config/footers.config.yaml`** — Predefined footer library with 13 category-specific templates
-3. **`.github/scripts/validate-footers.js`** — Validation script to detect and fix violations
+3. **`.github/scripts/validate-footers.js`** — Validation script to detect, fix, and backfill violations
 
 ### Key Principles
 
 ✅ **One footer per document** — Validation enforces this
 ✅ **Predefined templates** — Choose from validated, category-specific footers
-✅ **Schema validation** — Prevent duplicates and invalid footers
+✅ **Schema validation** — Prevent duplicates, missing footers, and invalid footers
 ✅ **Automation-ready** — Footer insertion can be automated via agent
 
 ---
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-      - run: node .github/scripts/validate-footers.js
+      - run: npm run validate:footers -- --changed-only
 ```
 
 This ensures every PR is validated before merge.
@@ -453,10 +453,10 @@ Action: Replace and note in commit
 4. ⬜ **Validate changes** — Confirm no violations remain
 5. ⬜ **Commit & push** — Create PR with fixes
 6. ⬜ **Set up CI validation** — Add footer-validation.yml workflow
-7. ⬜ **Plan automation** — Implement branding meta agent (issue #33)
+7. ⬜ **Plan automation** — Implement branding meta agent and footer validation hardening (issue #33)
 
 ---
 
-**Created**: 2026-05-28
-**Status**: Active guidance for footer remediation
-**Related issues**: #33 (branding meta agent), #46 (templates), #49 (schema)
+⚖️ *Governance policy maintained by LightSpeedWP*
+
+[📋 Full Governance Docs](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/blob/develop/AGENTS.md) · [🔒 Security](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/blob/develop/SECURITY.md)
diff --git a/docs/ISSUE_CREATION_GUIDE.md b/docs/ISSUE_CREATION_GUIDE.md
index 4a74e3c8f..b8a433270 100644
--- a/docs/ISSUE_CREATION_GUIDE.md
+++ b/docs/ISSUE_CREATION_GUIDE.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 title: GitHub Issue Creation Guide
 description: How to create well-formed issues, select templates, and trigger automation
 file_type: documentation
-version: "1.0.6"
+version: "1.0.7"
 created_date: "2026-05-31"
 last_updated: "2026-06-19"
 author: Claude Code
@@ -128,7 +128,8 @@ Click **Submit new issue**. Your issue is now visible to the team and ready for
 
 - Issue outcomes are still driven by the body content and canonical labels, so keep the template complete and specific.
 - Incomplete templates are flagged and labelled for correction rather than closed.
-- Metadata governance now handles the project item, assignee, milestone, and relationship metadata automatically when it can infer them safely.
+- Metadata governance now handles the project item, assignee, and relationship metadata automatically when it can infer them safely.
+- Milestones are no longer created per issue or PR by default; use a shared milestone deliberately when batching related work.
 
 ### AI / Automation Issue Creation
 
@@ -222,3 +223,7 @@ When creating an issue:
 - [Issue Types](./ISSUE_TYPES.md)
 
 ---
+
+*Built by 🧱 LightSpeedWP with ☕, 🚀, and open-source spirit!*
+
+[🔗 Website](https://lightspeedwp.agency) · [📧 Contact](https://lightspeedwp.agency/contact) · [👥 Contributors](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/graphs/contributors)
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b5823d45e..2e832e981 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@
     "validate:frontmatter:changed": "node scripts/validation/validate-frontmatter-freshness.js",
     "validate:branch-name": "node scripts/validation/validate-branch-name.js",
     "validate:workflows": "node scripts/validation/validate-workflows.js",
+    "validate:footers": "node .github/scripts/validate-footers.js",
     "validate:labeling-configs": "node scripts/validation/validate-labeling-configs.cjs",
     "validate:retired-doc-links": "node scripts/validation/validate-retired-doc-links.cjs",
     "validate:issue-fields": "node scripts/validation/validate-issue-fields.cjs",
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@
     "validate:readme-links": "node scripts/validation/validate-readme-links.js",
     "validate:wceu:phase1": "node scripts/verify-wceu-readiness.js",
     "validate:wceu:phase2": "node scripts/validate-phase2-completion.js",
-    "validate:all": "npm run validate:branch-name && npm run validate:structure && npm run validate:skill-manifests && npm run validate:plugins && npm run validate:links && npm run validate:frontmatter && npm run validate:agents && npm run validate:issue-fields && npm run validate:workflows && npm run validate:memory && npm run validate:mermaid && npm run validate:json:all",
+    "validate:all": "npm run validate:branch-name && npm run validate:structure && npm run validate:skill-manifests && npm run validate:plugins && npm run validate:links && npm run validate:frontmatter && npm run validate:agents && npm run validate:issue-fields && npm run validate:workflows && npm run validate:footers && npm run validate:memory && npm run validate:mermaid && npm run validate:json:all",
     "eslint:delta:wave-1": "node scripts/compute-eslint-delta-wave-1.js",
     "sync-version": "node scripts/sync-version.js",
     "metrics:run": "node metrics/frontmatter-metrics.js",
diff --git a/scripts/agents/includes/__tests__/header-footer.test.js b/scripts/agents/includes/__tests__/header-footer.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c59250287
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/agents/includes/__tests__/header-footer.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+const fs = require("fs");
+const os = require("os");
+const path = require("path");
+
+describe("header-footer", () => {
+  test("ensureFooter appends the canonical docs footer", async () => {
+    const { ensureFooter } = await import("../header-footer.js");
+    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "branding-footer-"));
+    const filePath = path.join(tmpDir, "branching-strategy.md");
+
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      filePath,
+      [
+        "---",
+        "title: Org-wide Git Branching Strategy",
+        "description: Canonical branch naming and merge discipline.",
+        "file_type: documentation",
+        "---",
+        "",
+        "# Org-wide Git Branching Strategy",
+        "",
+        "Primary operations reference.",
+        "",
+      ].join("\n"),
+    );
+
+    expect(ensureFooter(filePath, { category: "docs" })).toBe(true);
+
+    const output = fs.readFileSync(filePath, "utf8");
+    expect(output).toContain("Built by 🧱 LightSpeedWP with ☕, 🚀, and open-source spirit!");
+    expect(output).toContain("https://lightspeedwp.agency/contact");
+  });
+
+  test("ensureFooter ignores footer text mentioned in the body", async () => {
+    const { ensureFooter } = await import("../header-footer.js");
+    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "branding-footer-body-"));
+    const filePath = path.join(tmpDir, "branding-note.md");
+
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      filePath,
+      [
+        "---",
+        "title: Branding note",
+        "description: Body text mentions the footer phrase.",
+        "file_type: documentation",
+        "---",
+        "",
+        "This note mentions Built by 🧱 LightSpeedWP with ☕, 🚀, and open-source spirit! in the body.",
+        "",
+      ].join("\n"),
+    );
+
+    expect(ensureFooter(filePath, { category: "docs" })).toBe(true);
+
+    const output = fs.readFileSync(filePath, "utf8");
+    const footerMatches = output.match(/Built by 🧱 LightSpeedWP with ☕, 🚀, and open-source spirit!/g) || [];
+    expect(footerMatches).toHaveLength(2);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/scripts/agents/includes/__tests__/issue-pr-metadata.test.js b/scripts/agents/includes/__tests__/issue-pr-metadata.test.js
index 3306f281a..1e975ddbc 100644
--- a/scripts/agents/includes/__tests__/issue-pr-metadata.test.js
+++ b/scripts/agents/includes/__tests__/issue-pr-metadata.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 const {
-  deriveMilestoneTitle,
   extractIssueRefs,
   formatRelationshipComment,
   getItemFromEvent,
@@ -8,19 +7,6 @@ const {
 } = require("../issue-pr-metadata.cjs");
 
 describe("issue-pr-metadata helpers", () => {
-  test("derives an assignee-ready milestone title from a release issue", () => {
-    expect(
-      deriveMilestoneTitle(
-        "Release v0.6.0 — Community Health, Governance Docs, and Meta Agent Foundations",
-      ),
-    ).toBe(
-      "Release v0.6.0 — Community Health, Governance Docs, and Meta Agent Foundations".slice(
-        0,
-        80,
-      ),
-    );
-  });
-
   test("extracts linked issue references from PR wording", () => {
     expect(extractIssueRefs("Fixes #965\nRelated to #42")).toEqual([965, 42]);
   });
@@ -109,8 +95,7 @@ describe("issue-pr-metadata helpers", () => {
     expect(extractIssueRefs(item.body)).toEqual([965]);
   });
 
-  test("syncs issue metadata with requester assignee and milestone fallback", async () => {
-    const createdMilestones = [];
+  test("syncs issue metadata with requester assignee and leaves milestone unset when no grouped milestone exists", async () => {
     const updatedIssues = [];
     const addedAssignees = [];
     const createdComments = [];
@@ -127,11 +112,6 @@ describe("issue-pr-metadata helpers", () => {
       rest: {
         issues: {
           listMilestones: jest.fn(),
-          createMilestone: jest.fn().mockImplementation(async ({ title }) => {
-            const milestone = { number: 77, title };
-            createdMilestones.push(milestone);
-            return { data: milestone };
-          }),
           addAssignees: jest.fn().mockImplementation(async (args) => {
             addedAssignees.push(args);
           }),
@@ -176,22 +156,78 @@ describe("issue-pr-metadata helpers", () => {
 
     expect(result).toMatchObject({
       assignee: "ashleyshaw",
-      milestone: "Release v0.6.0 — Community Health, Governance Docs, and Meta Agent Foundations".slice(
-        0,
-        80,
-      ),
+      milestone: "",
     });
     expect(addedAssignees).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(addedAssignees[0]).toMatchObject({
       issue_number: 968,
       assignees: ["ashleyshaw"],
     });
-    expect(createdMilestones).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(updatedIssues).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(updatedIssues).toHaveLength(0);
     expect(createdComments).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(createdComments[0].body).toContain("Linked issues/PRs: #965");
   });
 
+  test("skips milestone assignment for Dependabot pull requests", async () => {
+    const updatedIssues = [];
+
+    const github = {
+      paginate: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
+      graphql: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+        repository: {
+          issue: {
+            id: "ISSUE-ID",
+          },
+        },
+      }),
+      rest: {
+        issues: {
+          listMilestones: jest.fn(),
+          addAssignees: jest.fn(),
+          update: jest.fn().mockImplementation(async (args) => {
+            updatedIssues.push(args);
+          }),
+          listComments: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
+          createComment: jest.fn(),
+          updateComment: jest.fn(),
+          get: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+            data: { milestone: null },
+          }),
+        },
+      },
+    };
+
+    const result = await syncItemMetadata({
+      github,
+      owner: "lightspeedwp",
+      repo: ".github",
+      event: {
+        pull_request: {
+          number: 101,
+          node_id: "MDExOlB1bGxSZXF1ZXN0",
+          title: "Bump lodash from 4.17.20 to 4.17.21",
+          body: "",
+          labels: [],
+          milestone: null,
+          user: { login: "dependabot[bot]" },
+        },
+      },
+      config: {
+        defaults: {
+          issue: {
+            assignee: "ashleyshaw",
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({
+      assignee: "dependabot[bot]",
+      milestone: "",
+    });
+    expect(updatedIssues).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
   test("syncs pull request metadata and inherits milestone from linked issue", async () => {
     const updatedIssues = [];
     const createdComments = [];
diff --git a/scripts/agents/includes/header-footer.js b/scripts/agents/includes/header-footer.js
index 9f2a28246..78474c501 100644
--- a/scripts/agents/includes/header-footer.js
+++ b/scripts/agents/includes/header-footer.js
@@ -11,13 +11,29 @@ import path from "path";
 import yaml from "js-yaml";
 
 /**
- * Load footer configuration from footers.yml
+ * Resolve the canonical footer configuration path.
+ */
+function resolveFooterConfigPath() {
+  const explicitPath = process.env.BRANDING_FOOTER_CONFIG?.trim();
+  const projectRoot = process.cwd();
+  const candidatePaths = [
+    explicitPath ? path.resolve(explicitPath) : null,
+    path.join(projectRoot, "config/footers.config.yaml"),
+    path.join(projectRoot, ".github/automation/footers.yml"),
+  ].filter(Boolean);
+
+  return candidatePaths.find((candidatePath) => fs.existsSync(candidatePath)) || null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Load footer configuration from the canonical branding config.
  */
 function loadFooterConfig() {
-  const configPath = path.join(process.cwd(), ".github/automation/footers.yml");
-  if (!fs.existsSync(configPath)) {
+  const configPath = resolveFooterConfigPath();
+  if (!configPath) {
     return null;
   }
+
   const content = fs.readFileSync(configPath, "utf-8");
   return yaml.load(content);
 }
@@ -33,6 +49,61 @@ const DEFAULT_FOOTERS = [
   "_Docs signed by 🤖 Copilot for LightSpeedWP – always fresh!_",
 ];
 
+const DEFAULT_FOOTER_SIGNATURES = [
+  "_Maintained with",
+  "_Built by",
+  "_Have questions?",
+  "_This page brought to you by",
+  "_Docs signed by",
+  "Made with 💚 by LightSpeedWP",
+];
+
+function getCanonicalFooterTemplates() {
+  const config = loadFooterConfig();
+  if (!config?.categories || !config?.footers) {
+    return [];
+  }
+
+  return Object.entries(config.categories)
+    .map(([, categoryConfig]) => config.footers[categoryConfig?.default_footer])
+    .filter((footer) => typeof footer?.template === "string")
+    .map((footer) => footer.template.trimEnd());
+}
+
+function getFooterSignatures() {
+  const canonicalTemplates = getCanonicalFooterTemplates();
+  const canonicalSignatures = canonicalTemplates
+    .map((template) => template.split("\n").map((line) => line.trim()).find(Boolean))
+    .filter(Boolean);
+
+  return [...new Set([...DEFAULT_FOOTER_SIGNATURES, ...canonicalSignatures])];
+}
+
+function stripFrontmatter(content) {
+  return content.replace(/^---\n[\s\S]*?\n---\n?/, "");
+}
+
+function extractFooterTail(content) {
+  const stripped = stripFrontmatter(content);
+  const lastSeparatorIndex = stripped.lastIndexOf("\n---\n");
+
+  if (lastSeparatorIndex === -1) {
+    return "";
+  }
+
+  return stripped.slice(lastSeparatorIndex + 1).trim();
+}
+
+function buildFooterBlock(footerText) {
+  return `\n---\n\n${footerText.trimEnd()}\n`;
+}
+
+function hasKnownFooter(content) {
+  const tail = extractFooterTail(content);
+  const signatures = getFooterSignatures();
+  return signatures.some((signature) => tail.includes(signature));
+}
+
 /**
  * Get footer phrases for a given category
  * @param {string} category - Category from front matter or 'default'
@@ -40,18 +111,28 @@ const DEFAULT_FOOTERS = [
  */
 function getFooterPhrases(category = "default") {
   const config = loadFooterConfig();
-  if (!config || !config.categories) {
+  if (!config || !config.categories || !config.footers) {
     return DEFAULT_FOOTERS;
   }
 
-  // Try to get category-specific footers
-  if (config.categories[category] && config.categories[category].phrases) {
-    return config.categories[category].phrases;
+  const categoryConfig =
+    config.categories[category] ||
+    config.categories.docs ||
+    config.categories.readme ||
+    null;
+
+  const footerId = categoryConfig?.default_footer;
+  const footerTemplate = footerId && config.footers[footerId]?.template;
+  if (typeof footerTemplate === "string") {
+    return [footerTemplate.trimEnd()];
   }
 
-  // Fall back to default category
-  if (config.categories.default && config.categories.default.phrases) {
-    return config.categories.default.phrases;
+  // Fall back to a known default if the config is partial or missing the category mapping.
+  if (categoryConfig?.allowed_footers?.length) {
+    const fallbackFooter = config.footers[categoryConfig.allowed_footers[0]]?.template;
+    if (typeof fallbackFooter === "string") {
+      return [fallbackFooter.trimEnd()];
+    }
   }
 
   return DEFAULT_FOOTERS;
@@ -156,17 +237,26 @@ function ensureFooter(file, options = {}) {
 
   let content = fs.readFileSync(file, "utf-8");
   const nextFooter = getRandomFooter(category, seed);
+  const footerBlock = buildFooterBlock(nextFooter);
 
-  if (FOOTER_REGEX.test(content)) {
-    content = content.replace(FOOTER_REGEX, nextFooter);
-    fs.writeFileSync(file, content);
-    return true;
-  }
+  if (hasKnownFooter(content)) {
+    const frontmatterStripped = stripFrontmatter(content);
+    const lastSeparatorIndex = frontmatterStripped.lastIndexOf("\n---\n");
 
-  if (!content.endsWith("\n")) {
-    content += "\n";
+    if (lastSeparatorIndex !== -1) {
+      const prefix = content.slice(0, content.length - frontmatterStripped.length);
+      const bodyWithoutFooter = frontmatterStripped.slice(0, lastSeparatorIndex);
+      content = `${prefix}${bodyWithoutFooter.replace(/\s+$/, "")}${footerBlock}`;
+    } else {
+      content = `${content.replace(/\s+$/, "")}${footerBlock}`;
+    }
+  } else {
+    if (!content.endsWith("\n")) {
+      content += "\n";
+    }
+    content += footerBlock.trimStart();
   }
-  content += "\n" + nextFooter + "\n";
+
   fs.writeFileSync(file, content);
   return true;
 }
diff --git a/scripts/agents/includes/issue-pr-metadata.cjs b/scripts/agents/includes/issue-pr-metadata.cjs
index 0da6ec551..08b89dfff 100644
--- a/scripts/agents/includes/issue-pr-metadata.cjs
+++ b/scripts/agents/includes/issue-pr-metadata.cjs
@@ -25,11 +25,6 @@ function normaliseTitle(title) {
     .trim();
 }
 
-function deriveMilestoneTitle(title) {
-  const cleaned = normaliseTitle(title);
-  return cleaned.slice(0, 80) || "Untriaged";
-}
-
 function getActorLogin(event) {
   return (
     event?.sender?.login ||
@@ -192,33 +187,6 @@ function buildAssigneeCandidates(item, defaultAssignee) {
   return candidates;
 }
 
-async function findOpenOrRecentMilestone(github, owner, repo, title) {
-  const milestones = await github.paginate(github.rest.issues.listMilestones, {
-    owner,
-    repo,
-    state: "all",
-    per_page: 100,
-  });
-
-  return milestones.find((milestone) => milestone.title === title) || null;
-}
-
-async function ensureMilestone(github, owner, repo, title) {
-  const existing = await findOpenOrRecentMilestone(github, owner, repo, title);
-  if (existing) {
-    return existing;
-  }
-
-  const created = await github.rest.issues.createMilestone({
-    owner,
-    repo,
-    title,
-    state: "open",
-  });
-
-  return created.data;
-}
-
 async function assignIssue(github, owner, repo, number, candidates) {
   for (const candidate of candidates) {
     if (!candidate) continue;
@@ -250,6 +218,13 @@ async function updateIssueMilestone(github, owner, repo, number, milestoneNumber
   });
 }
 
+function isDependabotPullRequest(item) {
+  return (
+    item.kind === "pull_request" &&
+    /^(dependabot\[bot\]|app\/dependabot)$/.test(item.author || "")
+  );
+}
+
 async function resolveLinkedIssueMilestone(github, owner, repo, references) {
   for (const ref of references) {
     try {
@@ -362,19 +337,19 @@ async function syncItemMetadata({ github, owner, repo, event, config }) {
 
   let milestoneSummary = item.milestone?.title || "";
   if (!milestoneSummary) {
-    const linkedMilestone =
-      item.kind === "pull_request"
-        ? await resolveLinkedIssueMilestone(
-            github,
-            owner,
-            repo,
-            [...new Set([...hints.linkedRefs, ...extractIssueRefs(item.body)])],
-          )
-        : null;
-    const milestoneTitle = linkedMilestone?.title || deriveMilestoneTitle(item.title);
-    const milestone = linkedMilestone || (await ensureMilestone(github, owner, repo, milestoneTitle));
-    await updateIssueMilestone(github, owner, repo, item.number, milestone.number);
-    milestoneSummary = milestone.title;
+    const linkedMilestone = await resolveLinkedIssueMilestone(
+      github,
+      owner,
+      repo,
+      [...new Set([...hints.linkedRefs, ...extractIssueRefs(item.body)])],
+    );
+
+    if (linkedMilestone) {
+      await updateIssueMilestone(github, owner, repo, item.number, linkedMilestone.number);
+      milestoneSummary = linkedMilestone.title;
+    } else if (isDependabotPullRequest(item)) {
+      milestoneSummary = "";
+    }
   }
 
   const hasRelationshipMetadata =
@@ -472,7 +447,6 @@ module.exports = {
   addSubIssueRelationship,
   assignIssue,
   buildAssigneeCandidates,
-  deriveMilestoneTitle,
   extractIssueRefs,
   formatRelationshipComment,
   getActorLogin,