aaronpowell · Oct 27, 2026 · Oct 27, 2026 · Oct 27, 2026 · Oct 27, 2026 · Oct 27, 2026
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ Open it by asking Copilot to "open the plugin review board" (canvas id `external
   `requires-submitter-fixes` states. Pending intake cards stay on the board so their AI reviews,
   manual buckets, queued re-reviews, and fast-track dismissal state are preserved. Approval and
   first-party fast-track are unavailable until intake is ready.
+  The same read-only refresh runs automatically every 15 minutes while the canvas is open;
+  concurrent fetches are shared and closing the canvas stops its timer. Selection, staged feedback,
+  reviews, queue tokens, and local decisions remain intact for submissions still on the board.
+  Polling never starts AI reviews or writes to GitHub. Failures show an error without clearing
+  the board; the next scheduled or manual refresh can retry.
 - **Blocked intake status** keeps submissions visible in their existing buckets with a
   *Blocked by intake* badge and a reason (submitter fixes required, automated intake pending, or
   missing `ready-for-review`). The toolbar shows how many submissions can actually be queued and
@@ -37,6 +42,10 @@ Open it by asking Copilot to "open the plugin review board" (canvas id `external
   Fast-track never overrides an existing review or a bucket you chose; drag a card to *Unreviewed* to opt it
   out and have it reviewed normally. Cards show *First party* / *Third party* pills from the intake labels.
 - **Details panel** shows the AI review, the rendered issue body, and all comments.
+  Successful refreshes invalidate cached issue details and reload the selected body/comments
+  tab without changing staged feedback.
+  When detail requests overlap, only the latest request for each issue can update its
+  cache, so an older poll cannot overwrite comments loaded after posting feedback.
   Clicking outside the panel or successfully submitting an item action closes it;
   failed actions leave it open so you can correct or retry them.
 - **Quick actions** post `/approve` (with an optional note) or `/reject <reason>` straight to the issue
@@ -78,6 +87,8 @@ not imported; boards start fresh.
 
 ## Regression tests
 
+Run `node --experimental-vm-modules --test eng/board-periodic-refresh.test.mjs` to check
+automatic refresh cadence, concurrent/manual refreshes, state preservation, errors, and disposal.
 Run `node --test eng/board-column-order.test.mjs` to check oldest-first column ordering.
 Run `node --experimental-vm-modules --test eng/board-state-storage.test.mjs` from the repository root
 to check both canvases' session-scoped persistence without accessing GitHub.

@@ -81,10 +81,16 @@ async function refresh() {
 
 async function getIssue(number, { force = false } = {}) {
     const cached = detailCache.get(number);
-    if (!force && cached && Date.now() - cached.at < DETAIL_TTL_MS) return cached.data;
-    const data = await gh.getIssueDetail(store.state.repo, number);
-    detailCache.set(number, { at: Date.now(), data });
-    return data;
+    if (!force && cached?.data && Date.now() - cached.at < DETAIL_TTL_MS) return cached.data;
+    const request = {};
+    detailCache.set(number, request);
+    try {
+        const data = await gh.getIssueDetail(store.state.repo, number);
+        if (detailCache.get(number) === request) detailCache.set(number, { at: Date.now(), data });
+        return data;
+    } finally {
+        if (detailCache.get(number) === request) detailCache.delete(number);
+    }
 }
 
 async function startReview({ numbers, instanceId, send }) {

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const CSP = [
 ].join("; ");
 
 const MAX_BODY = 64 * 1024;
+const REFRESH_INTERVAL_MS = 15 * 60 * 1000;
 
 export function expectedError(message, status) {
     return Object.assign(new Error(message), { publicMessage: message, status });
@@ -168,9 +169,26 @@ export async function startBoardServer({ publicDir, api }) {
     await new Promise((resolve) => server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", resolve));
     port = server.address().port;
 
+    let refreshing = false;
+    const refreshTimer = setInterval(async () => {
+        if (refreshing) return;
+        refreshing = true;
+        try {
+            await api.routes["POST /api/refresh"]({});
+        } catch (error) {
+            if (!Number.isInteger(error?.status) || error.status >= 500) reportError(api, error);
+            const frame = `event: refresh-error\ndata: ${JSON.stringify({ error: clientErrorMessage(error) })}\n\n`;
+            for (const client of sseClients) client.write(frame);
+        } finally {
+            refreshing = false;
+        }
+    }, REFRESH_INTERVAL_MS);
+    refreshTimer.unref();
+
     return {
         url: `http://127.0.0.1:${port}/`,
         async close() {
+            clearInterval(refreshTimer);
             unsubscribe();
             for (const client of sseClients) client.end();
             sseClients.clear();

@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ let filter = "";
 let selected = null;
 let activeTab = "review";
 const details = new Map();
+let detailGeneration = 0;
+const detailRequests = new Map();
 const pendingConfirm = { kind: null, timer: null };
 const stagedComments = new Map();
 let bulkBusy = false;
@@ -435,7 +437,7 @@ function renderDrawer() {
     for (const tab of ui.tabs) {
         tab.setAttribute("aria-selected", String(tab.dataset.tab === activeTab));
         if (tab.dataset.tab === "comments") {
-            const count = details.get(item.number)?.comments.length;
+            const count = details.get(item.number)?.comments?.length;
             tab.textContent = count != null ? `Comments (${count})` : "Comments";
         }
     }
@@ -571,13 +573,20 @@ function renderComment(comment) {
 
 async function loadDetail(number, { force = false } = {}) {
     if (!force && details.has(number) && !details.get(number).error) return;
+    const generation = detailGeneration;
+    const request = {};
+    detailRequests.set(number, request);
     details.delete(number);
     if (selected === number) renderDrawer();
     try {
         const data = await api(force ? "POST" : "GET", `/api/issue/${number}`);
+        if (generation !== detailGeneration || detailRequests.get(number) !== request) return;
         details.set(number, data);
     } catch (error) {
+        if (generation !== detailGeneration || detailRequests.get(number) !== request) return;
         details.set(number, { error: error.message });
+    } finally {
+        if (detailRequests.get(number) === request) detailRequests.delete(number);
     }
     if (selected === number) renderDrawer();
 }
@@ -773,6 +782,7 @@ ui.refresh.addEventListener("click", () =>
     withBusy(ui.refresh, "Refreshing…", async () => {
         try {
             const result = await api("POST", "/api/refresh");
+            ++detailGeneration;
             details.clear();
             const parts = [`${result.total} open`];
             if (result.added.length) parts.push(`${result.added.length} new`);
@@ -883,10 +893,18 @@ document.addEventListener("keydown", (event) => {
 function connect() {
     const events = new EventSource(`/events?token=${encodeURIComponent(token)}`);
     events.addEventListener("board", (event) => {
-        board = JSON.parse(event.data);
+        const snapshot = JSON.parse(event.data);
+        const refreshed = board?.lastRefreshedAt !== snapshot.lastRefreshedAt;
+        board = snapshot;
+        if (refreshed) {
+            ++detailGeneration;
+            details.clear();
+        }
         renderBoard();
         if (selected != null) renderDrawer();
+        if (refreshed && selected != null && activeTab !== "review") loadDetail(selected, { force: true });
     });
+    events.addEventListener("refresh-error", (event) => toast(JSON.parse(event.data).error, { error: true }));
     events.addEventListener("error", () => {
         ui.meta.textContent = "Reconnecting…";
     });

@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ authenticated `gh` CLI.
 
 ## What it does
 
+- **Automatic refresh** — fetches open PRs every 15 minutes while the canvas is open,
+  using the same read-only path as manual Refresh. Concurrent fetches are shared;
+  closing the canvas stops its timer. Existing reviews, queue tokens, manual buckets,
+  decisions, selection, and staged feedback are retained for PRs still on the board.
+  Refresh does not start AI reviews or write to GitHub. Failures show an error without
+  clearing the board, and the next scheduled or manual refresh can retry.
 - **Buckets** — `Unreviewed`, `Reviewing`, `Close`, `Request changes`,
   `Needs insight`, `Approve`, `Actioned`. The AI recommendation picks the bucket;
   dragging a card overrides it. Cards in each bucket are sorted oldest to newest
@@ -40,8 +46,21 @@ authenticated `gh` CLI.
 - **GitHub actions** — submit feedback, request changes, close a PR, or approve it and
   enable auto-merge with a merge commit. Each action needs two clicks to confirm and
   is also recorded in local board history. Approval is pinned to the board's commit
-  SHA, and auto-merge requires that same head commit. If the head changes, refresh
-  and review the new commit before approving again.
+  SHA displayed by the client, and auto-merge requires that same head commit.
+  A changed head automatically reloads an open preview; approval is unavailable until
+  that preview has loaded. Bulk approval skips stale AI reviews. If the head changes,
+  review the new commit before approving again.
+  Queued reviews and manual approval moves retain their original commit SHA, so a
+  refresh cannot carry those approval choices onto newer commits. Legacy reviews or
+  approval moves without a recorded SHA must be reviewed or explicitly moved again.
+  Moves carry the client's displayed SHA even if polling updates the board before the
+  request arrives. Delayed feedback actions retain their original SHA so new commits
+  still return to Unreviewed. A successful refresh retries a failed open preview.
+  Feedback completed for an older head is recorded only in history, preserving any
+  review queue, completed review, or manual bucket already created for the newer head.
+  Any retained review, queue, or manual bucket belonging to the older head is cleared.
+  Feedback requests also carry the displayed SHA and are rejected if polling has
+  already discovered a newer head before dispatch.
   Only one GitHub action can run per PR at a time.
 - **Reset board** — after a second click to confirm, clear every local AI review,
   queued review, manual move, recorded action, and history entry, then reload open PRs.
@@ -72,7 +91,7 @@ touching GitHub.
 
 | Action           | Purpose                                                                 |
 | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-| `get_board`      | Current buckets, counts, and per-PR state.                              |
+| `get_board`      | Current buckets, counts, per-PR commit SHA, and approval staleness.     |
 | `refresh`        | Re-fetch open pull requests from GitHub.                                |
 | `start_review`   | Queue a review pass and return the review instructions.                 |
 | `start_rereview` | Queue a re-review of one PR with optional guidance.                     |
@@ -94,6 +113,8 @@ Results arriving after a manual move, reset, or replacement review are rejected.
 
 ## Regression tests
 
+Run `node --experimental-vm-modules --test eng/board-periodic-refresh.test.mjs` to check
+automatic refresh cadence, concurrent/manual refreshes, state preservation, errors, and disposal.
 Run `node --test eng/board-column-order.test.mjs` to check oldest-first column ordering.
 Run `node --test eng/open-pr-board.test.mjs` from the repository root. GitHub writes
 are tested with injected in-process fakes, never the authenticated CLI.

@@ -97,10 +97,16 @@ async function resetBoard(store) {
 async function getPullRequest(store, number, { force = false } = {}) {
     const key = cacheKey(store.repo, number);
     const cached = detailCache.get(key);
-    if (!force && cached && Date.now() - cached.at < DETAIL_TTL_MS) return cached.data;
-    const data = await gh.getPullRequestDetail(store.repo, number);
-    detailCache.set(key, { at: Date.now(), data });
-    return data;
+    if (!force && cached?.data && Date.now() - cached.at < DETAIL_TTL_MS) return cached.data;
+    const request = {};
+    detailCache.set(key, request);
+    try {
+        const data = await gh.getPullRequestDetail(store.repo, number);
+        if (detailCache.get(key) === request) detailCache.set(key, { at: Date.now(), data });
+        return data;
+    } finally {
+        if (detailCache.get(key) === request) detailCache.delete(key);
+    }
 }
 
 function requireItem(store, number) {
@@ -182,6 +188,7 @@ function boardSummary(store) {
         counts: snapshot.counts,
         items: snapshot.items.map((item) => ({
             number: item.number,
+            headRefOid: item.headRefOid,
             title: item.title,
             author: item.author,
             url: item.url,
@@ -193,6 +200,7 @@ function boardSummary(store) {
             aiRecommendation: item.review?.recommendation ?? null,
             aiRationale: item.review?.rationale ?? null,
             reviewStale: item.reviewStale,
+            approvalStale: item.approvalStale,
             reviewStatus: item.reviewStatus,
             manualOverride: item.manualColumn ?? null,
             suggestedComment: item.review?.suggestedComment ?? null,
@@ -211,11 +219,14 @@ function routesFor(instanceId, store) {
         "POST /api/review": ({ body }) => startReview({ store, numbers: body.numbers, instanceId, send: true }),
         "POST /api/rereview": ({ body }) =>
             startRereview({ store, number: body.number, guidance: body.guidance, instanceId, send: true }),
-        "POST /api/move": ({ body }) => store.moveItem(Number(body.number), String(body.column)),
+        "POST /api/move": ({ body }) => store.moveItem(Number(body.number), String(body.column), body.headRefOid),
         "GET /api/pr/:number": ({ number }) => getPullRequest(store, number),
         "POST /api/pr/:number": ({ number }) => getPullRequest(store, number, { force: true }),
         "POST /api/decision": ({ body }) =>
-            applyDecisionOnGitHub({ store, number: Number(body.number), kind: body.kind, comment: body.comment, refresh }),
+            applyDecisionOnGitHub({
+                store, number: Number(body.number), kind: body.kind, comment: body.comment,
+                headRefOid: body.headRefOid, refresh,
+            }),
     };
     // Board errors are user-facing messages (gh failures, "already actioned", ...); surface only the
     // message text, never the stack, and log the full error for debugging.
@@ -343,10 +354,11 @@ session = await joinSession({
                             repo: repoProperty,
                             number: { type: "integer" },
                             column: { type: "string", enum: ["unreviewed", ...RECOMMENDATIONS] },
+                            headRefOid: { type: "string", description: "Commit SHA displayed when choosing the bucket; required for a current manual approval choice." },
                         },
                     },
                     handler: wrap(async (ctx) =>
-                        (await storeForContext(ctx)).moveItem(ctx.input.number, ctx.input.column),
+                        (await storeForContext(ctx)).moveItem(ctx.input.number, ctx.input.column, ctx.input.headRefOid),
                     ),
                 },
                 {

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const DECISION_KINDS = ["approve", "request-changes", "comment", "close"];
 const MAX_COMMENT_LENGTH = 60000;
 const decisionsInFlight = new Set();
 
-export async function applyDecisionOnGitHub({ store, number, kind, comment, refresh, github = gh }) {
+export async function applyDecisionOnGitHub({ store, number, kind, comment, headRefOid, refresh, github = gh }) {
     if (!DECISION_KINDS.includes(kind)) throw new Error(`Unknown decision "${kind}".`);
     const key = `${store.repo}#${number}`;
     if (decisionsInFlight.has(key)) throw new Error(`#${number} already has a GitHub action in progress.`);
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ export async function applyDecisionOnGitHub({ store, number, kind, comment, refr
         const item = store.getItem(number);
         if (!item) throw new Error(`Pull request #${number} is not on the board. Refresh first.`);
         if (item.decision) throw new Error(`#${number} was already actioned (${item.decision.kind}).`);
+        const actionHeadRefOid = item.headRefOid ?? null;
+        if ((kind === "comment" || kind === "request-changes") &&
+            (!headRefOid || headRefOid !== actionHeadRefOid)) {
+            throw new Error("PR changed since it was displayed; review the current commit before submitting feedback.");
+        }
 
         const body = String(comment ?? "").trim().slice(0, MAX_COMMENT_LENGTH);
         if ((kind === "request-changes" || kind === "comment") && !body) {
@@ -21,7 +26,10 @@ export async function applyDecisionOnGitHub({ store, number, kind, comment, refr
 
         let result;
         if (kind === "approve") {
-            result = await github.approveAndEnableAutoMerge(store.repo, number, { body, headRefOid: item.headRefOid });
+            if (!headRefOid || headRefOid !== item.headRefOid) {
+                throw new Error("PR changed since it was displayed; refresh and review it again before approving.");
+            }
+            result = await github.approveAndEnableAutoMerge(store.repo, number, { body, headRefOid });
         } else if (kind === "close") {
             result = await github.closePullRequest(store.repo, number, { body });
         } else {
@@ -30,7 +38,7 @@ export async function applyDecisionOnGitHub({ store, number, kind, comment, refr
 
         const warnings = result.warning ? [result.warning] : [];
         try {
-            await store.recordDecision(number, { kind, comment: body, status: result.status });
+            await store.recordDecision(number, { kind, comment: body, status: result.status, headRefOid: actionHeadRefOid });
         } catch (error) {
             warnings.push(`GitHub was updated, but the board could not record the action: ${error.message}`);
         }

@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ export async function getPullRequestDetail(repo, number) {
         number: pr.number,
         title: pr.title,
         state: pr.state,
+        headRefOid: pr.head?.sha,
         merged: Boolean(pr.merged),
         mergeableState: pr.mergeable_state ?? null,
         url: pr.html_url,

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const CSP = [
 ].join("; ");
 
 const MAX_BODY = 64 * 1024;
+const REFRESH_INTERVAL_MS = 15 * 60 * 1000;
 
 export function expectedError(message, status) {
     return Object.assign(new Error(message), { publicMessage: message, status });
@@ -168,9 +169,26 @@ export async function startBoardServer({ publicDir, api }) {
     await new Promise((resolve) => server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", resolve));
     port = server.address().port;
 
+    let refreshing = false;
+    const refreshTimer = setInterval(async () => {
+        if (refreshing || typeof api.routes["POST /api/refresh"] !== "function") return;
+        refreshing = true;
+        try {
+            await api.routes["POST /api/refresh"]({});
+        } catch (error) {
+            if (!Number.isInteger(error?.status) || error.status >= 500) reportError(api, error);
+            const frame = `event: refresh-error\ndata: ${JSON.stringify({ error: clientErrorMessage(error) })}\n\n`;
+            for (const client of sseClients) client.write(frame);
+        } finally {
+            refreshing = false;
+        }
+    }, REFRESH_INTERVAL_MS);
+    refreshTimer.unref();
+
     return {
         url: `http://127.0.0.1:${port}/`,
         async close() {
+            clearInterval(refreshTimer);
             unsubscribe();
             for (const client of sseClients) client.end();
             sseClients.clear();