[workflow-patrol] Workflow drift detected: duplicate-issue-detector frontmatter outlier

[github-actions]

Findings

1. .github/workflows/gh-aw-duplicate-issue-detector.md is the only source missing the standard trailing frontmatter structure

Which workflow deviates

• .github/workflows/gh-aw-duplicate-issue-detector.md

Majority pattern (public gh-aw-*.md sources)

• steps: exists in 48/49 workflow sources.
• safe-outputs appears before timeout-minutes in 48/49 workflow sources.

Examples that follow the majority pattern:

• .github/workflows/gh-aw-pr-actions-detective.md:63-68 (safe-outputs before timeout-minutes, includes steps:)
• .github/workflows/gh-aw-branch-actions-detective.md:69-79 (safe-outputs before timeout-minutes, includes steps:)
• .github/workflows/gh-aw-pr-review.md (same trailing key pattern with steps:)

What is different in the outlier

• .github/workflows/gh-aw-duplicate-issue-detector.md:60-66 places timeout-minutes before safe-outputs and has no steps: block.

Verification data

• Local scan result across .github/workflows/gh-aw-*.md:
  • total: 49
  • steps: 48
  • no_steps: [.github/workflows/gh-aw-duplicate-issue-detector.md]
  • safe_before_timeout: 48
  • safe_after_timeout: [.github/workflows/gh-aw-duplicate-issue-detector.md]

Why this appears to be drift (not intentional)

• This is a single-file outlier against a 98% pattern in comparable workflow sources.
• It is distinct from currently open [workflow-patrol] issues ([workflow-patrol] Workflow drift detected: missing trigger callers for 10 workflow_call workflows #398 missing trigger callers, [workflow-patrol] Workflow drift detected: missing frontmatter name in 9 gh-aw workflow sources #388 missing frontmatter name, Add domain allowlist once gh-aw 18465 merges #420 other drift topic).

Suggested fix

• Update .github/workflows/gh-aw-duplicate-issue-detector.md frontmatter to match the common trailing structure used by peers:
  1. Move safe-outputs above timeout-minutes.
  2. Add the standard steps: block (Repo-specific setup) used by other workflows that support setup commands.

Suggested Actions

• Reorder trailing frontmatter keys in .github/workflows/gh-aw-duplicate-issue-detector.md so safe-outputs comes before timeout-minutes.
• Add a steps: block in .github/workflows/gh-aw-duplicate-issue-detector.md to align with the dominant source-workflow structure.
• Add/extend a structural validation check to catch single-workflow frontmatter outliers in gh-aw-*.md sources.

Generated by Internal: Workflow Patrol

• expires on Mar 6, 2026, 3:05 PM UTC

[github-actions]

This issue was automatically closed because it expired on 2026-03-06T15:05:56.200Z.

Closed by Workflow