lightspeedwp · ashleyshaw · Jun 19, 2026 · Jun 19, 2026 · Jun 19, 2026 · Jun 19, 2026
@@ -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

@@ -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))

@@ -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
@@ -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)
@@ -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)
@@ -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.

@@ -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)
@@ -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)
@@ -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)
@@ -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",

@@ -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);
+  });
+});