version: "1.0.0" name: "ralph-two-pass-scan" description: "Cuts GitHub API calls by separating lightweight list scanning from full hydration" domain: "work-monitoring" confidence: "high" source: "extracted"
Skill: Ralph — Two-Pass Issue Scanning
Confidence: high Domain: work-monitoring Last validated: 2026-03-24
Context
Cuts GitHub API calls from N+1 to ~7 per round (~72% reduction) by separating list scanning from full hydration. Addresses the scanning inefficiency described in issue #596.
Pattern
Pass 1 — Lightweight Scan
gh issue list --state open --json number,title,labels,assignees --limit 100
Skip hydration if ANY of these match:
| Condition | Skip reason | |
|---|
assignees non-empty AND no status:needs-review | Already owned | |
Labels contain status:blocked or status:waiting-external | Externally gated | |
Labels contain status:done or status:postponed | Closed loop | |
Title matches stale/noisy pattern ([chore], [auto]) | Low-signal | |
Pass 2 — Selective Hydration
For each issue surviving Pass 1:
gh issue view <number> --json number,title,body,labels,assignees,comments,state
Then apply normal Ralph triage logic. Rule of thumb: hydrate ≤ 30% of scanned list. If more than 30% survive Pass 1, tighten filter rules.