[copilot-opt] Skip duplicate auto-generated issues when prior WIP PR on the same topic was closed unmerged

[github-actions]

Problem

Two recurring automated-issue topics have each produced 2 Copilot PRs that were opened, left in [WIP] state, and closed without merging — a retry-blocked pattern where the same generated task is re-attempted with no evidence the prior close reason was addressed.

Evidence

• Analysis window: 2026-08-10 to 2026-08-24 (last 14 days)
• Data source: /tmp/gh-aw/agent/pr-data/copilot-prs.json (1000 PRs, 189 closed-without-merge, 49 of those still [WIP]-prefixed at close)
• Session logs (events.jsonl/conversation transcripts) were unavailable for all 50 in-window sessions, so this finding is PR-metadata only (see companion telemetry-gap issue)
• Retry-blocked topics detected (exact-title duplicate closed-PR groups):
  • "Create /llms.txt for the documentation site" (source: geo-optimizer generated issue) — PR #53158 closed 2026-08-16, PR #53760 closed 2026-08-18 (2 days later, same title, both 0 additions/0 deletions, no reviews, no CI runs recorded)
  • "Normalize report formatting for non-compliant workflows" (source: workflow-style generated issue) — PR #53707 closed 2026-08-18, PR #54349 closed 2026-08-20 (2 days later, same title, both 0 additions/0 deletions, no reviews, no CI runs recorded)
• In both pairs the PRs show zero diff and zero review activity, indicating the agent opened a placeholder/WIP PR, made no progress, and the PR was closed — then the same generator re-issued an identical task days later with no linkage to the prior failed attempt.

Proposed Change

Before an automated issue-generator (geo-optimizer, workflow-style, or similar recurring/scheduled workflows) opens a new issue, have it query for prior closed-without-merge PRs whose title matches the candidate issue title (normalized, prefix-stripped). If one or more matches exist:

• Skip auto-creating a duplicate issue, or
• Attach a "Prior Failed Attempts" note to the new issue listing the earlier PR numbers/close dates so the assigned agent starts with that context instead of repeating the same empty attempt.

Expected Impact

• Eliminates at least 2 duplicate 0-diff agent sessions/PRs per 2-week window for these two topics alone, and prevents the pattern from silently recurring for other generator-driven issue types.
• Reduces reviewer/triage noise from empty [WIP] PRs that never receive commits.

Notes

• Distinct root cause category: duplicate-PR / retry waste reduction
• Data quality caveat: no session event logs were available to confirm why each PR stalled (only PR metadata was inspected); recommend the agent implementing this also review the linked PRs directly for confirmation before building the skip logic.

Prior Failed Attempts

The following Copilot PRs on this topic were closed without merging before this issue was created:

PR	Closed (YYYY-MM-DD)	Close reason
#53158	2026-08-16	unknown (0 diff, no reviews/CI recorded — appears abandoned before implementation started)
#53760	2026-08-18	unknown (0 diff, no reviews/CI recorded — re-attempt of #53158, also abandoned)
#53707	2026-08-18	unknown (0 diff, no reviews/CI recorded — appears abandoned before implementation started)
#54349	2026-08-20	unknown (0 diff, no reviews/CI recorded — re-attempt of #53707, also abandoned)

Retry count: 2 (per topic) — human review required before a new implementation attempt.
Any agent attempting to implement this recommendation MUST read this section and the linked PRs, address all close reasons, and post a plan comment on this issue before opening a new PR.

Generated by ⚡ Copilot Opt · copilot · auto · 46.5 AIC · ⌖ 13.5 AIC · ⊞ 8.3K · ◷