docs: add beta blocker contributor guidance (#55199)

* docs: add beta blocker contributor guidance

* fix: tighten beta blocker labeling and flaky config test

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ body:
       value: |
         Thanks for filing this report. Keep every answer concise, reproducible, and grounded in observed evidence.
         Do not speculate or infer beyond the evidence. If a narrative section cannot be answered from the available evidence, respond with exactly `NOT_ENOUGH_INFO`.
+
+        If this is a plugin beta-release blocker, rename the issue title to `Beta blocker: <plugin-name> - <summary>` and apply the `beta-blocker` label after filing.
   - type: dropdown
     id: bug_type
     attributes:
@@ -20,6 +22,19 @@ body:
         - Behavior bug (incorrect output/state without crash)
     validations:
       required: true
+  - type: dropdown
+    id: beta_blocker
+    attributes:
+      label: Beta release blocker
+      description: >
+        Choose `Yes` only if this blocks plugin compatibility during the current beta release window.
+        Selecting `Yes` does not apply the label automatically. You must also rename the issue title
+        to `Beta blocker: <plugin-name> - <summary>` for the automation to apply the `beta-blocker` label.
+      options:
+        - "No"
+        - "Yes"
+    validations:
+      required: true
   - type: textarea
     id: summary
     attributes:

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 Describe the problem and fix in 2–5 bullets:
 
+If this PR fixes a plugin beta-release blocker, title it `fix(<plugin-id>): beta blocker - <summary>` and link the matching `Beta blocker: <plugin-name> - <summary>` issue labeled `beta-blocker`. Contributors cannot label PRs, so the title is the PR-side signal for maintainers and automation.
+
 - Problem:
 - Why it matters:
 - What changed:

.github/workflows/labeler.yml

@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ name: Labeler
 
 on:
   pull_request_target: # zizmor: ignore[dangerous-triggers] maintainer-owned triage workflow; no untrusted checkout or PR code execution
-    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]
+    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened, edited]
   issues:
-    types: [opened]
+    types: [opened, edited]
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       max_prs:
@@ -209,6 +209,59 @@ jobs:
             //     labels: [trustedLabel],
             //   });
             // }
+      - name: Apply beta-blocker title label
+        uses: actions/github-script@v8
+        with:
+          github-token: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token || steps.app-token-fallback.outputs.token }}
+          script: |
+            const pullRequest = context.payload.pull_request;
+            if (!pullRequest) {
+              return;
+            }
+
+            const labelName = "beta-blocker";
+            const matchesBetaBlocker = /\bbeta blocker\b/i.test(pullRequest.title ?? "");
+
+            try {
+              await github.rest.issues.getLabel({
+                owner: context.repo.owner,
+                repo: context.repo.repo,
+                name: labelName,
+              });
+            } catch (error) {
+              if (error?.status !== 404) {
+                throw error;
+              }
+              core.info(`Skipping ${labelName} labeling because the label does not exist in the repository.`);
+              return;
+            }
+
+            const currentLabels = await github.paginate(github.rest.issues.listLabelsOnIssue, {
+              owner: context.repo.owner,
+              repo: context.repo.repo,
+              issue_number: pullRequest.number,
+              per_page: 100,
+            });
+            const hasLabel = currentLabels.some((label) => label.name === labelName);
+
+            if (matchesBetaBlocker && !hasLabel) {
+              await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
+                owner: context.repo.owner,
+                repo: context.repo.repo,
+                issue_number: pullRequest.number,
+                labels: [labelName],
+              });
+              return;
+            }
+
+            if (!matchesBetaBlocker && hasLabel) {
+              await github.rest.issues.removeLabel({
+                owner: context.repo.owner,
+                repo: context.repo.repo,
+                issue_number: pullRequest.number,
+                name: labelName,
+              });
+            }
       - name: Apply too-many-prs label
         uses: actions/github-script@v8
         with:
@@ -419,6 +472,7 @@ jobs:
             const maxCount = processAll ? Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY : Math.max(1, maxPrs);
 
             const sizeLabels = ["size: XS", "size: S", "size: M", "size: L", "size: XL"];
+            const betaBlockerLabel = "beta-blocker";
             const labelColor = "b76e79";
             // const trustedLabel = "trusted-contributor";
             // const experiencedLabel = "experienced-contributor";
@@ -449,6 +503,22 @@ jobs:
               }
             }
 
+            async function hasBetaBlockerLabel() {
+              try {
+                await github.rest.issues.getLabel({
+                  owner,
+                  repo,
+                  name: betaBlockerLabel,
+                });
+                return true;
+              } catch (error) {
+                if (error?.status !== 404) {
+                  throw error;
+                }
+                return false;
+              }
+            }
+
             async function resolveContributorLabel(login) {
               if (contributorCache.has(login)) {
                 return contributorCache.get(login);
@@ -580,7 +650,37 @@ jobs:
               labelNames.add(label);
             }
 
+            async function applyBetaBlockerTitleLabel(pullRequest, labelNames) {
+              const matchesBetaBlocker = /\bbeta blocker\b/i.test(pullRequest.title ?? "");
+
+              if (matchesBetaBlocker) {
+                if (!labelNames.has(betaBlockerLabel)) {
+                  await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
+                    owner,
+                    repo,
+                    issue_number: pullRequest.number,
+                    labels: [betaBlockerLabel],
+                  });
+                  labelNames.add(betaBlockerLabel);
+                }
+                return;
+              }
+
+              if (!labelNames.has(betaBlockerLabel)) {
+                return;
+              }
+
+              await github.rest.issues.removeLabel({
+                owner,
+                repo,
+                issue_number: pullRequest.number,
+                name: betaBlockerLabel,
+              });
+              labelNames.delete(betaBlockerLabel);
+            }
+
             await ensureSizeLabels();
+            const betaBlockerLabelExists = await hasBetaBlockerLabel();
 
             let page = 1;
             let processed = 0;
@@ -618,6 +718,9 @@ jobs:
 
                 await applySizeLabel(pullRequest, currentLabels, labelNames);
                 await applyContributorLabel(pullRequest, labelNames);
+                if (betaBlockerLabelExists) {
+                  await applyBetaBlockerTitleLabel(pullRequest, labelNames);
+                }
 
                 processed += 1;
               }
@@ -719,3 +822,56 @@ jobs:
             //     labels: [trustedLabel],
             //   });
             // }
+      - name: Apply beta-blocker title label
+        uses: actions/github-script@v8
+        with:
+          github-token: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token || steps.app-token-fallback.outputs.token }}
+          script: |
+            const issue = context.payload.issue;
+            if (!issue || issue.pull_request) {
+              return;
+            }
+
+            const labelName = "beta-blocker";
+            const matchesBetaBlocker = /^beta blocker:/i.test(issue.title ?? "");
+
+            try {
+              await github.rest.issues.getLabel({
+                owner: context.repo.owner,
+                repo: context.repo.repo,
+                name: labelName,
+              });
+            } catch (error) {
+              if (error?.status !== 404) {
+                throw error;
+              }
+              core.info(`Skipping ${labelName} labeling because the label does not exist in the repository.`);
+              return;
+            }
+
+            const currentLabels = await github.paginate(github.rest.issues.listLabelsOnIssue, {
+              owner: context.repo.owner,
+              repo: context.repo.repo,
+              issue_number: issue.number,
+              per_page: 100,
+            });
+            const hasLabel = currentLabels.some((label) => label.name === labelName);
+
+            if (matchesBetaBlocker && !hasLabel) {
+              await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
+                owner: context.repo.owner,
+                repo: context.repo.repo,
+                issue_number: issue.number,
+                labels: [labelName],
+              });
+              return;
+            }
+
+            if (!matchesBetaBlocker && hasLabel) {
+              await github.rest.issues.removeLabel({
+                owner: context.repo.owner,
+                repo: context.repo.repo,
+                issue_number: issue.number,
+                name: labelName,
+              });
+            }

docs/plugins/building-plugins.md

@@ -229,8 +229,9 @@ internal imports — never import your own plugin through its SDK path.
 1. Watch for GitHub release tags on [openclaw/openclaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases) and subscribe via `Watch` > `Releases`. Beta tags look like `v2026.3.N-beta.1`. You can also turn on notifications for the official OpenClaw X account [@openclaw](https://x.com/openclaw) for release announcements.
 2. Test your plugin against the beta tag as soon as it appears. The window before stable is typically only a few hours.
 3. Post in your plugin's thread in the `plugin-forum` Discord channel after testing with either `all good` or what broke. If you do not have a thread yet, create one.
-4. If something breaks, ship a fix PR to `main` and drop the link in your thread. Blockers with a PR get merged; blockers without one might ship anyway. Maintainers watch these threads during beta testing.
+4. If something breaks, open or update an issue titled `Beta blocker: <plugin-name> - <summary>` and apply the `beta-blocker` label. Put the issue link in your thread.
-5. Silence means green. If you miss the window, your fix likely lands in the next cycle.
+5. Open a PR to `main` titled `fix(<plugin-id>): beta blocker - <summary>` and link the issue in both the PR and your Discord thread. Contributors cannot label PRs, so the title is the PR-side signal for maintainers and automation. Blockers with a PR get merged; blockers without one might ship anyway. Maintainers watch these threads during beta testing.
+6. Silence means green. If you miss the window, your fix likely lands in the next cycle.
 
 ## Next steps
 

scripts/sync-labels.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { resolve } from "node:path";
 type RepoLabel = {
   name: string;
   color?: string;
+  description?: string;
 };
 
 const COLOR_BY_PREFIX = new Map<string, string>([
@@ -17,8 +18,31 @@ const COLOR_BY_PREFIX = new Map<string, string>([
   ["size", "fbca04"],
 ]);
 
+const EXTRA_LABEL_METADATA = new Map<
+  string,
+  {
+    color: string;
+    description?: string;
+  }
+>([
+  [
+    "beta-blocker",
+    {
+      color: "D93F0B",
+      description: "Plugin beta-release blocker pending stable cutoff triage",
+    },
+  ],
+]);
+
 const configPath = resolve(".github/labeler.yml");
-const EXTRA_LABELS = ["size: XS", "size: S", "size: M", "size: L", "size: XL"] as const;
+const EXTRA_LABELS = [
+  "size: XS",
+  "size: S",
+  "size: M",
+  "size: L",
+  "size: XL",
+  "beta-blocker",
+] as const;
 const labelNames = [
   ...new Set([...extractLabelNames(readFileSync(configPath, "utf8")), ...EXTRA_LABELS]),
 ];
@@ -37,12 +61,21 @@ if (!missing.length) {
 }
 
 for (const label of missing) {
-  const color = pickColor(label);
+  const metadata = resolveLabelMetadata(label);
-  execFileSync(
+  const args = [
-    "gh",
+    "api",
-    ["api", "-X", "POST", `repos/${repo}/labels`, "-f", `name=${label}`, "-f", `color=${color}`],
+    "-X",
-    { stdio: "inherit" },
+    "POST",
-  );
+    `repos/${repo}/labels`,
+    "-f",
+    `name=${label}`,
+    "-f",
+    `color=${metadata.color}`,
+  ];
+  if (metadata.description) {
+    args.push("-f", `description=${metadata.description}`);
+  }
+  execFileSync("gh", args, { stdio: "inherit" });
   console.log(`Created label: ${label}`);
 }
 
@@ -66,9 +99,13 @@ function extractLabelNames(contents: string): string[] {
   return labels;
 }
 
-function pickColor(label: string): string {
+function resolveLabelMetadata(label: string): { color: string; description?: string } {
+  const extraMetadata = EXTRA_LABEL_METADATA.get(label);
+  if (extraMetadata) {
+    return extraMetadata;
+  }
   const prefix = label.includes(":") ? label.split(":", 1)[0].trim() : label.trim();
-  return COLOR_BY_PREFIX.get(prefix) ?? "ededed";
+  return { color: COLOR_BY_PREFIX.get(prefix) ?? "ededed" };
 }
 
 function resolveRepo(): string {

src/config/io.owner-display-secret.test.ts

@@ -9,9 +9,17 @@ async function waitForPersistedSecret(configPath: string, expectedSecret: string
   const deadline = Date.now() + 3_000;
   while (Date.now() < deadline) {
     const raw = await fs.readFile(configPath, "utf-8");
-    const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as {
+    let parsed: {
       commands?: { ownerDisplaySecret?: string };
     };
+    try {
+      parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as {
+        commands?: { ownerDisplaySecret?: string };
+      };
+    } catch {
+      await sleep(5);
+      continue;
+    }
     if (parsed.commands?.ownerDisplaySecret === expectedSecret) {
       return;
     }