Start issues with in-progress and gate optional SDD before branching

.copilot/AGENT_GUIDE.md

@@ -25,11 +25,13 @@ Create managed work with the exact installed Issue Form listed below. Do not use
 
 The GitHub Action exclusively owns creation, naming, base selection, rename, synchronization, and deletion of managed remote branches. Work like a human contributor: fetch and check out the exact branch linked by the Action, make focused changes, test, commit, and push normal commits to that same remote ref. Never invent a replacement branch, create a differently named remote branch, force-push, or delete a managed branch.
 
-Implementation is launched by the `branched` label. Apply or request that label only when the user has authorized starting implementation.
+An authorized maintainer starts every admitted issue by adding `in-progress`. The Action applies `branched` only after its linked branch and any required SDD commit are verified.
+
+The pre-branch SDD gate is disabled in this repository.
 
 If the expected branch is absent or delayed, inspect the Action result and wait or ask a maintainer. Exceptional recovery requires all of: an explicit Action branch-management error, explicit maintainer authorization, the exact expected ref and base from diagnostics, and a recorded reconciliation plan.
 
-Help issues are branchless even when branch management is configured as always-on. Code changes require a branch-bearing enabled kind.
+Help issues are branchless. Code changes require a branch-bearing enabled kind and Action-managed branches.
 
 ## Pull requests and deployment
 

.copilot/repository-profile.json

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {
-  "schemaVersion": 1,
+  "schemaVersion": 2,
   "generator": {
     "name": "@vypdev/copilot",
-    "contractVersion": 1
+    "contractVersion": 2
   },
   "issueWorkflows": {
     "enabled": [
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@
         ],
         "formLabels": [
           "hotfix",
-          "branched",
           "priority: high"
         ],
         "nativeIssueType": "Hotfix",
@@ -147,7 +146,6 @@
         ],
         "formLabels": [
           "release",
-          "branched",
           "priority: medium"
         ],
         "nativeIssueType": "Release",
@@ -165,10 +163,10 @@
   },
   "branches": {
     "remoteLifecycleOwner": "github-action",
-    "launcher": {
-      "mode": "label",
-      "label": "branched"
-    },
+    "issueManagedBranches": true,
+    "preBranchSdd": false,
+    "startLabel": "in-progress",
+    "readyLabel": "branched",
     "helpCreatesBranch": false
   },
   "pullRequests": {

.copilot/setup-manifest.json

@@ -4,19 +4,19 @@
     "name": "@vypdev/copilot",
     "contractVersion": 1
   },
-  "profileDigest": "7f6b66865eba848b06f5b2cde8fa549ee0a6b65c9714552cfece7d02c6b8f955",
+  "profileDigest": "d686ee71939ddd8d5ec331cd12f562f9e5fedd20f6c54873422268d324b265df",
   "artifacts": {
     ".agents/skills/copilot-repository-workflow/SKILL.md": {
       "role": "skill",
       "sha256": "063d5952e0977a792d1f75ea1c786a72857a97b84ff5689dd8f96a8a867202a0"
     },
     ".copilot/AGENT_GUIDE.md": {
       "role": "guide",
-      "sha256": "b3b6d858dba853b563ea40e705a69553fc5aa7aeb5f92c23095d8f9b54d61418"
+      "sha256": "081a9797237d14e225c0b9b96aac843d4c3da523389d70c7845f3e1524117095"
     },
     ".copilot/repository-profile.json": {
       "role": "profile",
-      "sha256": "7f6b66865eba848b06f5b2cde8fa549ee0a6b65c9714552cfece7d02c6b8f955"
+      "sha256": "d686ee71939ddd8d5ec331cd12f562f9e5fedd20f6c54873422268d324b265df"
     },
     "AGENTS.md": {
       "role": "pointer",

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/hotfix.yml

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ name: 🔥 Hotfix Issue
 
 description: Request a new hotfix for copilot (only team members)
 title: "<YOUR TITLE HERE>"
-labels: [ "hotfix", "branched", "priority: high" ]
+labels: [ "hotfix", "priority: high" ]
 body:
   - type: markdown
     attributes:

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/release.yml

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name: 🚀 Release Issue
 description: Request a new release for copilot (only team members)
 title: "<YOUR TITLE HERE>"
-labels: ["release", "branched", "priority: medium"]
+labels: ["release", "priority: medium"]
 body:
   - type: markdown
     attributes:

action.yml

@@ -38,14 +38,14 @@ inputs:
   emoji-labeled-title:
     description: "Enable titles with emojis based on issue labels."
     default: "true"
-  branch-management-launcher-label:
-    description: "Label to trigger branch management actions."
-    default: "branched"
-  branch-management-always:
-    description: "If true, ignores the branch-management-launcher-label requirement for running Git Board."
+  issue-managed-branches:
+    description: "Let the Action create linked branches after an authorized in-progress start."
+    default: "true"
+  pre-branch-sdd:
+    description: "Require a validated SDD first commit for started feature and contract-change issues. Requires issue-managed-branches."
     default: "false"
   issue-workflow-profile:
-    description: "JSON profile of enabled issue workflows. Empty preserves legacy behavior; setup writes schemaVersion 1 with an enabled array."
+    description: "JSON profile of enabled issue workflows."
     default: ""
   branch-management-emoji:
     description: "Emoji to indicate branched issues. It will be ignored if emoji-labeled-title is false."
@@ -128,9 +128,12 @@ inputs:
   state-planned-label:
     description: "Label for the Copilot lifecycle state: planned."
     default: "state:planned"
-  state-in-progress-label:
-    description: "Label for the Copilot lifecycle state: implementation in progress."
-    default: "state:in-progress"
+  state-working-label:
+    description: "Label for work ready on a branch or branchless help."
+    default: "state:working"
+  state-specifying-label:
+    description: "Label for active SDD clarification and drafting."
+    default: "state:specifying"
   state-reviewing-label:
     description: "Label for the Copilot lifecycle state: reviewing."
     default: "state:reviewing"