# Skill Merge Governor > Audit incoming contributor merges that add or modify skills, scripts, references, or workflow assets. Use when Codex needs to review a branch, PR, or local merge for near-duplicate skills, overlapping triggers, ambiguous ownership, redundant helper scripts, or reusable logic that should be unified before merging. - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-sexymonk-agent-capability-core-skill-merge-governor` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [sexymonk](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/sexymonk) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [sexymonk](https://github.com/sexymonk) - **Source:** https://github.com/sexymonk/agent-capability-core/tree/main/skills/skill-merge-governor ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-sexymonk-agent-capability-core-skill-merge-governor ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Skill Merge Governor Prevent contributor merges from silently creating overlapping skills, ambiguous triggers, duplicate scripts, or fragmented ownership. ## Goal Given an incoming branch, PR, or local diff that touches `skills/`, `scripts/`, `references/`, or other workflow assets: 1. find likely overlaps with existing repo content 2. decide whether to merge into an existing skill, keep a distinct boundary, or extract shared helpers 3. leave behind a clear merge decision with minimal ambiguity ## Core rules - Treat overlap detection as a **merge-governance** task, not a portability audit and not a generic Git conflict task. - Prefer updating or extending an existing skill over accepting a near-duplicate skill with fuzzy boundaries. - Keep legitimately distinct skills separate when their trigger, owner, or output contract is materially different. - Prefer extracting shared logic into a script/reference helper when two skills need the same deterministic behavior. - Do not merge two skills just because they use adjacent tools; merge only when the user-facing trigger and workflow contract substantially overlap. - Do not accept a new skill with a vague description that could trigger where an existing skill already owns the request. ## Workflow 1. Identify the review scope. - Prefer a concrete diff such as `base...head`, a PR patch, or a list of changed paths. - Focus first on files under `skills/`, then repo-level `scripts/`, `docs/`, and schemas that support those skills. 2. Run `scripts/audit_merge_overlap.py` in this skill with either: - `--base-ref --head-ref ` for Git diff review, or - `--changed-path ` for explicitly supplied paths. - add `--report-out ` when you want a ready-to-review Markdown merge report 3. Review the overlap report. - Treat the script as triage, not as the final decision-maker. - Read the SKILL.md files for the flagged pairs before deciding. 4. Resolve each finding using [references/review-checklist.md](references/review-checklist.md). - choose one of: **merge into existing**, **keep separate with sharper boundary**, **extract shared helper**, or **reject until clarified** 5. If accepting the contribution, patch the repo so the final state has one clear owner per trigger/workflow. 6. If declining or deferring the merge, report the exact ambiguity or redundancy that blocked acceptance. 7. Update this skill's learning log when the session reveals a reusable governance rule or avoided path. ## Decision standard ### Merge into an existing skill when - the new skill's trigger language substantially overlaps an existing skill - the main workflow is the same with only minor wording or asset differences - the new script duplicates an existing helper with only superficial changes ### Keep a separate skill when - the trigger boundary is clear and narrow - the workflow or output contract is materially different - combining them would make the owner skill too broad or vague ### Extract a shared helper when - two skills need the same script or reference logic - duplication is deterministic rather than purely instructional wording - a shared helper reduces future drift without collapsing distinct skills ## Required checks - Compare incoming skill descriptions against existing skill descriptions. - Compare incoming script names and exact file hashes against existing scripts. - Check whether new references merely restate an existing workflow with different wording. - Verify that `workspace.manifest.yaml` and docs stay consistent if a skill is added, renamed, merged, or removed. - Reject unresolved ambiguity instead of tolerating it. ## Validation checklist Before finishing, verify: - every added or modified skill has a clear owner and trigger boundary - no accepted near-duplicate skill remains without explicit justification - shared scripts are unified or intentionally duplicated with documented reason - manifest/docs were updated if exported skills changed - the final report names the chosen resolution for every flagged overlap ## References - Use [references/review-checklist.md](references/review-checklist.md) for the merge review sequence and resolution matrix. - Use [references/report-template.md](references/report-template.md) for the expected review-report shape. - Use [references/learning-log.md](references/learning-log.md) to preserve durable governance rules and avoided paths. ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [sexymonk](https://github.com/sexymonk) - **Source:** [sexymonk/agent-capability-core](https://github.com/sexymonk/agent-capability-core) - **License:** MIT Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-sexymonk-agent-capability-core-skill-merge-governor - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/sexymonk - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.