Explore cross-skill routing when related repository metadata is absent

[opw-code-bot]

Finish Line

Agents reliably discover configured private documentation routes when cross-repository metadata is absent, without exposing private repository identities.

Current Status

State: Exploratory and actionable.

Observed evidence from a live OPW planning session on 2026-09-17:

• The active product repository had no .github/github.json, so no repo-local relatedRepos or docs routing was available.
• The local docs-lookup configuration correctly contained a [docs].local_infra route in ~/.code/local-context.toml.
• The docs-lookup instructions already say to consult that route for private operational context, access paths, and sources of truth.
• The GitHub planning schema documents relatedRepos, but the planning workflow did not cause a handoff to docs-lookup when repo metadata was absent.
• The agent manually searched for related repositories and only followed the configured documentation route after the user pointed out the miss.

This appears primarily to be a cross-skill routing/execution gap rather than a failure of the existing local-context contract.

Relationships

• Related skills: github-plan, docs-lookup, and potentially github repository orientation.
• No private repository names, credentials, account identities, or topology should be added to this public-safe issue.

Acceptance Criteria

• Decide where the handoff belongs: github-plan, docs-lookup, shared orientation guidance, or a combination.
• Define when missing or incomplete relatedRepos should trigger a docs-lookup local-context check.
• Keep relatedRepos authoritative when present; do not turn the docs repository into an unrestricted repository inventory.
• Preserve the rule that local infrastructure routing is private context and must not be copied into public issues or summaries.
• Add a regression fixture or validation scenario covering a repository without .github/github.json but with a configured [docs].local_infra route.
• Ensure the fallback never scans .env files, shell history, credentials, or guessed token locations.
• Document the expected user-facing behavior when neither repo metadata nor local operational context is configured.

Open Questions

• Should repository orientation always consult docs-lookup, or only when the task touches credentials, ownership, infrastructure, or private operational context?
• Should the GitHub snapshot/planning helper report a structured hint when .github/github.json is absent?
• Would a small shared routing contract prevent similar gaps across other skills without coupling planning logic to private infrastructure?