🏥 Safe Output Health Report - 2026-01-29

[github-actions[bot]]

Executive Summary

• Period: Last 24 hours (2026-01-29)
• Runs Analyzed: 10
• Workflows Active: 7 unique workflows
• Safe Output Jobs Executed: 8
• Safe Output Jobs Failed: 0
• Overall Success Rate: 100% ✅
• Warnings Identified: 30 (non-blocking)
• Error Clusters Identified: 2

Status: All safe output jobs completed successfully, but 2 recurring warning patterns need attention to improve operational quality.

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Safe Output Job Statistics

Job Type	Total Executions	Failures	Success Rate	Warnings
create_issue	1	0	100%	0
noop	2	0	100%	0
update_project	10	0	100%	30
create_project_status_update	1	0	100%	0
Total	14	0	100%	30

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Error Clusters

While no jobs failed completely, two recurring warning patterns were identified that affect operational quality:

Cluster 1: Campaign Label Permission Errors 🔒

• Count: 10 occurrences
• Affected Jobs: update_project
• Affected Workflows: Dependabot Burner
• Affected Runs: §21496931510
• Sample Warning:

  ##[warning]Failed to add campaign label: Resource not accessible by personal access token
  ```
  

• Root Cause: The GitHub token (GH_AW_PROJECT_GITHUB_TOKEN) lacks sufficient permissions to add labels to issues. The token needs issues: write or broader repository permissions.
• Impact: Medium - Campaign labels are not being added to issues, which affects:
  • Campaign tracking and organization
  • Issue filtering and reporting
  • Project automation that relies on labels

View Detailed Error Context

This error occurred in the "Process Project-Related Safe Outputs" step during the Dependabot Burner workflow run. The workflow successfully:

• Created project items
• Updated project fields
• Created status updates

But failed to add campaign labels to 10 different issues due to permission restrictions. The operations themselves completed successfully, but the labeling step was skipped.

Location: /tmp/gh-aw/aw-mcp/logs/run-21496931510/workflow-logs/safe_outputs/6_Process Project-Related Safe Outputs.txt

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Cluster 2: Project Field Type Mismatches ⚙️

• Count: 20 occurrences (10 for target_repo, 10 for worker_workflow)
• Affected Jobs: update_project
• Affected Workflows: Dependabot Burner
• Affected Runs: §21496931510
• Sample Warning:

  ##[warning]Field type mismatch for "target_repo": Expected SINGLE_SELECT but found TEXT. 
  The field was likely created with the wrong type. To fix this, delete the field in the 
  GitHub Projects UI and let it be recreated, or manually change the field type if supported.
  

• Root Cause: Project fields target_repo and worker_workflow in GitHub Project [claude-test] Pull request not found #144 were created as TEXT fields, but the safe output handler expects them to be SINGLE_SELECT fields. This type mismatch occurs when:
  1. Fields were manually created with the wrong type
  2. The field creation logic changed but existing fields weren't migrated
  3. Different workflows created the same field with different types
• Impact: Medium - Field type mismatches cause:
  • Potential data consistency issues
  • Inability to use dropdown selection in GitHub Projects UI
  • Reduced filtering and querying capabilities
  • Confusion for users expecting different field behavior

View Detailed Error Context

The warnings appeared for each of the 10 update_project operations during the Dependabot Burner run. The operations completed successfully (the handler appears to handle the mismatch gracefully), but the warnings indicate a configuration issue that should be resolved.

Fields affected:

• target_repo - Should be SINGLE_SELECT, currently TEXT
• worker_workflow - Should be SINGLE_SELECT, currently TEXT

Project: https://github.com/orgs/githubnext/projects/144

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Root Cause Analysis

Permission-Related Issues

Campaign Label Failures:

• The GH_AW_PROJECT_GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable contains a token with insufficient permissions
• This appears to be a personal access token (PAT) that lacks the issues: write scope
• The safe output handler gracefully degrades by logging a warning and continuing execution
• No data loss occurs, but operational features (label-based organization) are degraded

Configuration Issues

Field Type Mismatches:

• GitHub Projects V2 uses strongly-typed custom fields
• The update_project handler expects certain fields to be SINGLE_SELECT type for dropdown functionality
• Existing fields in Project [claude-test] Pull request not found #144 were created as TEXT type, likely from an earlier version or manual creation
• The handler detects the mismatch and provides actionable guidance in the warning message
• No failures occur because the handler can still write to TEXT fields, but the user experience is degraded

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Recommendations

Critical Issues (Immediate Action Required)

None - all safe output jobs are completing successfully.

High Priority Issues

1. Grant Label Management Permissions to Project Token 🔑

• Priority: High
• Root Cause: Token lacks issues: write permission
• Recommended Action:
  1. Review the token stored in GH_AW_PROJECT_GITHUB_TOKEN secret
  2. Verify it has issues: write scope (or use a GitHub App with appropriate permissions)
  3. If using a PAT, regenerate it with the required scopes
  4. Update the repository secret with the new token
• Affected: All update_project operations that attempt to add campaign labels
• Expected Benefit: Campaign labels will be successfully added to issues, improving organization and tracking

2. Fix Project Field Types for target_repo and worker_workflow 📋

• Priority: High
• Root Cause: Fields created with wrong type (TEXT instead of SINGLE_SELECT)
• Recommended Action:
  1. Navigate to https://github.com/orgs/githubnext/projects/144
  2. Go to Settings → Fields
  3. Delete the target_repo field
  4. Delete the worker_workflow field
  5. Let the next workflow run recreate these fields with the correct SINGLE_SELECT type
  6. Alternatively, if GitHub Projects supports type conversion, manually change the field types
• Affected: All update_project operations that set these fields
• Expected Benefit: Proper dropdown behavior in Projects UI, better data consistency, improved filtering

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Process Improvements

Medium Priority Enhancements

1. Add Field Type Pre-Validation 🔍

• Current State: The handler detects type mismatches after attempting to update fields
• Proposed: Add a pre-flight check that validates field types before processing updates
• Implementation Approach:
  1. Query project field definitions at the start of update_project operations
  2. Compare expected types with actual types
  3. If mismatches exist, provide detailed guidance and offer to skip or attempt updates
  4. Cache field definitions to avoid redundant API calls
• Benefits:
  • Earlier detection of configuration issues
  • Clearer error messages with actionable guidance
  • Reduced warning noise in logs
  • Better user experience

2. Implement Token Permission Validation 🛡️

• Current State: Permission failures are only discovered when operations are attempted
• Proposed: Validate token permissions at the start of safe output job execution
• Implementation Approach:
  1. Add a pre-flight permission check in the safe output handler manager
  2. Query GitHub API for token scopes and permissions
  3. Compare against required permissions for planned operations
  4. Warn or fail fast if permissions are insufficient
• Benefits:
  • Immediate feedback about permission issues
  • Avoids partial execution with degraded functionality
  • Better debugging experience
  • Clearer documentation of required permissions

3. Create Field Type Migration Tool 🔧

• Current State: Users must manually delete and recreate fields to fix type mismatches
• Proposed: Create an automated migration tool or workflow
• Implementation Approach:
  1. Create a standalone workflow that can detect field type mismatches
  2. Provide an option to backup existing field values
  3. Delete misconfigured fields
  4. Recreate with correct types
  5. Restore data where possible
• Benefits:
  • Easier resolution of configuration issues
  • Reduced risk of data loss
  • Self-service capability for users
  • Documentation through automation

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Work Item Plans

Work Item 1: Grant Label Permissions to GitHub Token

• Type: Configuration Change
• Priority: High
• Description: Update the GH_AW_PROJECT_GITHUB_TOKEN to include permissions for label management
• Acceptance Criteria:
  • Token has issues: write scope or equivalent GitHub App permission
  • Repository secret is updated with new token
  • Next workflow run successfully adds campaign labels without warnings
  • Verification test passes (create test issue and add label via workflow)
• Technical Approach:
  1. Identify current token type (PAT vs GitHub App)
  2. If PAT: Regenerate with required scopes in GitHub settings
  3. If GitHub App: Update app permissions and request org approval if needed
  4. Update repository secret via Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions
  5. Trigger a test workflow to verify
• Estimated Effort: Small (15-30 minutes)
• Dependencies: Access to token management and repository secrets

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Work Item 2: Fix GitHub Project Field Types

• Type: Configuration Change
• Priority: High
• Description: Fix field type mismatches for target_repo and worker_workflow in Project [claude-test] Pull request not found #144
• Acceptance Criteria:
  • Fields target_repo and worker_workflow are SINGLE_SELECT type
  • Next workflow run completes without field type mismatch warnings
  • Project UI shows dropdowns for these fields
  • Existing data is preserved or documented as migrated
• Technical Approach:
  1. Document current field values across all project items
  2. Navigate to Project [claude-test] Pull request not found #144 settings
  3. Delete target_repo field
  4. Delete worker_workflow field
  5. Trigger a workflow that uses update_project to recreate fields
  6. Verify fields are created as SINGLE_SELECT
  7. Validate data integrity
• Estimated Effort: Small (30-45 minutes)
• Dependencies:
  • Access to GitHub Projects settings
  • Ability to trigger test workflow
  • Optional: Backup of current field values

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Work Item 3: Add Pre-Flight Permission Validation

• Type: Enhancement
• Priority: Medium
• Description: Implement token permission validation before executing safe output operations
• Acceptance Criteria:
  • Safe output handler validates token permissions before execution
  • Clear error message if permissions are insufficient
  • Graceful degradation with warnings for non-critical permissions
  • Documentation updated with required permissions
  • Unit tests cover permission validation logic
• Technical Approach:
  1. Identify file: actions/safe_output_project_handler_manager.cjs (or similar)
  2. Add function to query token permissions via GitHub API
  3. Define required permissions per operation type
  4. Add pre-flight check in handler initialization
  5. Provide actionable error messages with remediation steps
  6. Add logging for permission validation results
• Estimated Effort: Medium (2-4 hours)
• Dependencies:
  • Understanding of GitHub token permission model
  • Access to safe output handler code
  • Test environment for validation

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Work Item 4: Add Field Type Pre-Validation

• Type: Enhancement
• Priority: Medium
• Description: Validate GitHub Project field types before attempting updates
• Acceptance Criteria:
  • Handler queries field definitions before updates
  • Type mismatches are detected early with clear messages
  • Handler either fails fast or continues with warnings based on configuration
  • Field definition queries are cached to reduce API calls
  • Documentation updated with field type requirements
• Technical Approach:
  1. Modify update_project handler to query field definitions
  2. Compare expected vs actual field types
  3. Add configuration option for strict vs permissive mode
  4. Cache field definitions per-project using a Map or similar
  5. Enhance error messages with remediation guidance
  6. Add telemetry for type mismatches
• Estimated Effort: Medium (3-5 hours)
• Dependencies:
  • Access to GitHub Projects GraphQL API schema
  • Understanding of field type definitions
  • Test project for validation

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Historical Context

Trends: This is the first Safe Output Health audit, so no historical trends are available yet.

Baseline Established:

• 100% success rate for safe output jobs
• 30 warnings identified (all non-blocking)
• 2 distinct error patterns affecting operational quality

Future Monitoring: Subsequent audits will track:

• Whether error patterns persist or are resolved
• New error patterns that emerge
• Success rate trends over time
• Warning count trends
• Resolution effectiveness

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Metrics and KPIs

• Overall Safe Output Success Rate: 100% ✅
• Most Reliable Job Type: All types have 100% success rate
• Most Active Job Type: update_project (10 executions)
• Warning Rate: 30 warnings across 14 operations (2.14 warnings per operation)
• Most Common Warning Pattern: Field type mismatch (20 occurrences, 67% of warnings)

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Active Workflows Using Safe Outputs

The following workflows successfully used safe output jobs during this period:

1. Security Guard Agent 🛡️ (2 runs)

   • Operations: noop (security review summaries)
   • Status: ✅ All successful

2. Dependabot Burner (1 run)

   • Operations: create_issue, update_project, create_project_status_update
   • Status: ⚠️ Successful but with warnings

3. Daily CLI Performance Agent (1 run)

   • Operations: Various safe outputs
   • Status: ✅ Successful

4. Plan Command (1 run)

   • Operations: Various safe outputs
   • Status: ✅ Successful

5. Discussion Task Miner - Code Quality Improvement Agent (1 run)

   • Operations: Various safe outputs
   • Status: ✅ Successful

6. Instructions Janitor (1 run)

   • Operations: Various safe outputs
   • Status: ✅ Successful

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Next Steps

• Immediate: Review and update GH_AW_PROJECT_GITHUB_TOKEN permissions (Work Item 1)
• Immediate: Fix field types in Project [claude-test] Pull request not found #144 (Work Item 2)
• This Week: Implement pre-flight permission validation (Work Item 3)
• This Week: Add field type pre-validation (Work Item 4)
• Next Audit: Compare results with this baseline to track improvements

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Conclusion

The safe output job infrastructure is healthy and operational with a 100% success rate. Two recurring warning patterns have been identified that affect operational quality but do not cause failures. Both issues have clear root causes and straightforward remediation paths.

Key Strengths:

• Robust error handling in safe output handlers
• Graceful degradation when permissions are insufficient
• Clear warning messages with actionable guidance
• No data loss or failed operations

Areas for Improvement:

• Token permission configuration
• Project field type consistency
• Pre-flight validation for earlier issue detection

Overall Assessment: ✅ HEALTHY - System is stable and reliable, with minor configuration issues to address.

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References:

• Dependabot Burner Run §21496931510
• GitHub Project #144

AI generated by Safe Output Health Monitor

• expires on Feb 5, 2026, 11:32 PM UTC