ci: remove CodeRabbit approval gate workflow

[flyingrobots]

Closes #248

Context

• PR Merge Gate / CodeRabbit approval required frequently runs before CodeRabbit has reviewed a PR, producing an expected failure and leaving a noisy/stale red check even when the bot later approves.

Change

• Remove the CodeRabbit approval-gate workflow from .github/workflows/.
• Update docs/execution-plan.md to deprecate the merge-gate thread.
• Update docs/decision-log.md with the rationale and replacement policy.

Notes

• This does not change the human/bot review policy: we still wait for CodeRabbit approval before merging, but we stop encoding it as a racing status check.

[coderabbitai]

Summary by CodeRabbit

• Chores
  • Removed automated CodeRabbit PR approval gate from CI/CD pipeline. Code review approvals are now managed as a procedural policy requirement instead of an automated merge gate.
  • Updated documentation and decision logs to reflect changes to the pull request approval workflow.

_{✏️ Tip: You can customize this high-level summary in your review settings.}

Walkthrough

Removed the CodeRabbit approval gate GitHub Actions workflow that enforced bot approval as a blocking status check on PRs. Updated decision log and execution plan documentation to record the removal and reframe approval as a policy requirement rather than automated CI check.

Changes

Cohort / File(s)	Summary
GitHub Actions Workflow Removal \.github/workflows/coderabbit-approval-gate.yml	Entire workflow deleted. Eliminated automated gate that blocked PR merges pending CodeRabbit bot review, including pagination logic, state validation, and commit SHA matching.
Documentation Updates docs/decision-log.md, docs/execution-plan.md	Decision log extended with 2026 entries documenting workflow removal decision and rationale. Execution plan updated to replace automated status-check approach with policy-based approval procedure; original gate guidance removed; deprecation note added for Issue #219.

Estimated code review effort

🎯 2 (Simple) | ⏱️ ~8 minutes

Possibly related PRs

• CI: require CodeRabbit approval gate (#219) #220 — Directly removes the .github/workflows/coderabbit-approval-gate.yml workflow; same file touched and related workflow removal.
• Docs: retire Neo4j journaling workflow #3 — Modifies docs/decision-log.md and docs/execution-plan.md alongside this PR; related documentation changes for the same workflow removal initiative.

Suggested labels

tooling

Poem

🚪✂️ The gate is gone, no more the check,
A workflow pruned, no CI-wreck—
Approval flows through process now,
Not through the bot's automated vow. 🤖➡️📋

Pre-merge checks and finishing touches

✅ Passed checks (5 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Title check	✅ Passed	The title 'ci: remove CodeRabbit approval gate workflow' accurately and concisely summarizes the primary change: removal of the approval gate workflow file.
Description check	✅ Passed	The description is directly related to the changeset, clearly explaining the context, changes made, and rationale for removing the CodeRabbit approval gate.
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	The PR meets all coding requirements from issue #248: the approval-gate workflow file is removed, docs are updated to remove references, and the policy shift is documented.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	All changes are scoped to issue #248: workflow removal, execution-plan.md updates, and decision-log.md entries documenting the change rationale.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.

✨ Finishing touches

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests
• Post copyable unit tests in a comment
• Commit unit tests in branch echo/remove-coderabbit-gate-248

---

📜 Recent review details

Configuration used: Organization UI

Review profile: ASSERTIVE

Plan: Pro

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 8082bbb and 7c92ae5.

📒 Files selected for processing (3)

• .github/workflows/coderabbit-approval-gate.yml
• docs/decision-log.md
• docs/execution-plan.md

💤 Files with no reviewable changes (1)

• .github/workflows/coderabbit-approval-gate.yml

🧰 Additional context used

🧠 Learnings (1)

📚 Learning: 2026-01-03T02:01:23.896Z

Learnt from: CR
Repo: flyingrobots/echo PR: 0
File: AGENTS.md:0-0
Timestamp: 2026-01-03T02:01:23.896Z
Learning: Update `docs/execution-plan.md` and `docs/decision-log.md` when a PR touches non-doc code

Applied to files:

• docs/execution-plan.md
• docs/decision-log.md

🔇 Additional comments (3)

docs/decision-log.md (1)

9-9: Entry is well-documented and appropriately positioned.

The new 2026-01-03 decision-log entry clearly explains the removal of the CodeRabbit approval gate, provides concrete rationale (stale red checks / noise), and notes the consequence (approval remains a policy requirement). Format and placement (top of table) are consistent with adjacent entries.

docs/execution-plan.md (2)

93-100: Clear completion criteria and accurate context for Issue #248.

The new entry correctly documents the removal of the approval-gate workflow as DONE, with concrete scope (remove file, treat approval as procedural) and verifiable exit criteria. The rationale matches the PR objectives (gate runs before bot review, causing stale checks). Status and tracking are appropriate.

---

102-105: Deprecation entry verified; referenced file exists.

The #219 entry is properly deprecated with clear rationale for the removal and explicit pointer to the replacement policy. The referenced file docs/procedures/PR-SUBMISSION-REVIEW-LOOP.md exists in the repository—the documentation chain is intact.

---

Thanks for using CodeRabbit! It's free for OSS, and your support helps us grow. If you like it, consider giving us a shout-out.

❤️ Share

• X
• Mastodon
• Reddit
• LinkedIn

_{Comment @coderabbitai help to get the list of available commands and usage tips.}