docs(pr-template): owner-qualify cross-repo closing keywords

[LukasWodka]

Summary

GitHub auto-closes an issue in another repository only when the PR body uses an owner-qualified closing keyword. A bare repo#N — or a plain #N aimed at another repo — creates a cross-reference and closes nothing. This template's own hint taught Ref tracebloc/other-repo#456, and Ref is not a closing keyword at all, so the template was part of the problem rather than the fix.

Two lines change in the template: the Related hint now shows the qualified form as the visible example, and one checklist item turns it into a gate.

Plus one line in CONTRIBUTING.md, which was actively teaching the bug. It claimed a Closes #N body line means "GitHub auto-closes the issue on merge." That is wrong here in both directions: this repo's default branch is main while PRs land on develop, and GitHub fires closing keywords only on merges into the default branch — so Closes #N does not auto-close on merge to develop at all, cross-repo or not. The corrected bullet covers owner-qualification and that caveat, and stays one bullet. Evidence that this is real and not theoretical: #393 is an issue in this repo that stayed open behind a merged PR.

Related

Epic: tracebloc/backend#930 (developer feedback loop)

Evidence

Eight code-complete issues with merged PRs sat open for days-to-weeks:

• tracebloc/backend#1171, tracebloc/backend#1172, tracebloc/backend#1173, tracebloc/backend#1174, tracebloc/backend#1175, tracebloc/backend#1176
• Installer: guard against silently adopting existing data (reuse / wipe / new dir) client#376
• status: surface environment conformance (seal check) result #393

Two epics consequently under-reported their progress by a wide margin. Someone had to notice and close all eight by hand.

Type of change

• Docs

Test plan

Markdown-only; no Go code touched, so make ci is unaffected.

One thing worth stating explicitly, since it is the reason the example can be concrete rather than a placeholder: closing keywords inside an HTML comment are inert. This template has carried <!-- Closes #123 --> since it was written and has never once touched issue #123. So the new Fixes tracebloc/<repo>#456 example teaches the shape without ever firing.

Checklist

• Tests added / updated and passing locally — n/a, docs only
• go build ./..., go vet, and the Lint job's checks pass locally — n/a, no Go changes
• Terminal output follows STYLE.md — n/a, no terminal output changed
• No secrets / credentials in the diff
• Cross-repo issues use Fixes tracebloc/<repo>#N — a bare repo#N closes nothing

---

Note

Low Risk
Markdown-only contributor guidance; no runtime, security, or build behavior changes.

Overview
Docs-only update to stop contributors from believing cross-repo or develop merges will auto-close issues.

The PR template replaces the misleading Ref tracebloc/other-repo#456 hint with guidance to use Fixes tracebloc/<repo>#N for cross-repo tickets and to verify closure when PRs merge to develop (not default main). A new checklist item enforces owner-qualified closing keywords.

CONTRIBUTING.md corrects the PR-body bullet: it no longer claims Closes #N always auto-closes on merge. It now documents owner-qualification for other repos and that closing keywords only fire on merges to the default branch, so develop merges may require manual issue closure.

^{Reviewed by Cursor Bugbot for commit 4d1f229. Bugbot is set up for automated code reviews on this repo. Configure here.}

[LukasWodka]

bugbot run

[LukasWodka]

👋 Heads-up — Code review queue is at 34 / 30

Above the WIP limit. The team convention is to review existing PRs before opening new work.

Open PRs currently in Code review (oldest first):

• .github#64 — fix(closure-router): add GH_TOKEN to closing-PR lookup so issues mirror their closing PR's Status · author: @LukasWodka · no reviewer assigned
• .github#65 — feat(quality): shared code-quality reusable workflow + house-rules checker · author: @LukasWodka · no reviewer assigned
• .github#66 — ci(actionlint): lint this repo's own workflows + clear the 29 pre-existing findings · author: @LukasWodka · no reviewer assigned
• averaging-service#207 — Promote develop → staging · author: @shujaatTracebloc · no reviewer assigned
• backend#1201 — docs(rfc): Data spaces & federated dataset composition (draft) · author: @LukasWodka · no reviewer assigned
• backend#1217 — docs(rfc): Dataset integrity & score reproducibility (draft) · author: @LukasWodka · no reviewer assigned
• backend#1228 — Promote develop → staging · author: @shujaatTracebloc · reviewer: @saadqbal
• backend#1244 — fix(experiments): surface save-time failures as 5xx + guard new NOT NULL columns · author: @LukasWodka · reviewer: @saqlainsyed007
• backend#1251 — docs(bugbot): add .cursor/BUGBOT.md project context (#930) · author: @LukasWodka · no reviewer assigned
• backend#1254 — docs(pr-template): owner-qualify cross-repo closing keywords · author: @LukasWodka · no reviewer assigned

Pull from review before opening new work. (This is a nudge from the kanban WIP check, not a block.)

[cursor]

✅ Bugbot reviewed your changes and found no new issues!

Comment @cursor review or bugbot run to trigger another review on this PR

^{Reviewed by Cursor Bugbot for commit 4d1f229. Configure here.}