How it works
01 /
Bind evidence to the current code
The gate verifies trusted Codex evidence for every open PR sharing the head SHA. A force-push back to an older SHA does not automatically revive an old approval. Base retargets and missing or malformed evidence also keep the gate from passing.
02 /
Wait for the conversation to finish
A clean verdict alone is insufficient when review threads remain unresolved or a newer authorized review request is unanswered. An unanswered request becomes a failure after the review window and the next reconciliation interval, giving a concrete failure state instead of an indefinite green assumption.
03 /
Record deliberate emergency exceptions
A maintainer or administrator can apply codex: bypass-review. The gate verifies the applying actor and records the authorization, with an optional incident reason posted within ten minutes. This bypass covers Codex and thread evidence; other CI, PR policy and strict base freshness still apply.
A concrete example
Workflow example
Current PR head
→ trusted Codex verdict for this activation
→ every review thread resolved
→ no newer unanswered review request
→ codex/review-gate succeedsKnow the boundary
Current limits
The gate enforces review evidence; it cannot guarantee that an AI review finds every defect. The editable Codex summary card is not sufficient evidence by itself. App-authored, verified release PRs have a narrowly checked exception rather than a blanket label exemption.
Common questions
Does an old approval survive a force-push?
Not automatically. The gate checks the current activation and fails closed when the evidence no longer establishes a review of that code.
Does a bypass label skip every merge check?
No. It only bypasses the review and thread evidence after verifying a maintainer or administrator applied it.
Runnerless / early access
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