fix(workflow): tip-unchanged / open-PR must early-end so Claim↔Verify cannot burn loop/onFail max #1570

Written-by: Grok Bot (box-local)

Symptom

LIVE tip 62023599 (2026-10-28 Asia/Shanghai): Claim↔Verify (and review/enqueue→claim) re-loop when the tip SHA is unchanged — e.g. Verify red×3 on the same tip; Claim re-runs when an open PR already exists. Loop / onFail edges with max=3 amplify the burn.

#1539 added checkEarlyEnd for needs-human / already-claimed, but tip-unchanged and open-PR cases still need engine enforcement so loops/onFail cannot soft-lock on the same tip when a Bot forgets a structured marker.

Expected

• Completing or failing a step with tip-unchanged / open-PR signals ends the run (earlyEnd set), skips success-path loops, and does not take onFail recovery.
• Preferred: OUTPUT marker or whole-line EARLY-END <reason>; also honor common phrases.
• Factory / docs prompt Claim/Verify/Triage to emit markers; Verify escalates once on unchanged tip.

Related

• fix(workflow): Claim must skip when issue already claimed / labeled claimed #1537 / fix(workflow): needs-human (or any step marking needs-human) must end the Workflow run #1538 / fix(workflow): Detect needs-human and already-claimed to end runs early #1539 lineage
• LIVE Settings graphs may still need operator prompt updates after deploy

Acceptance

• Unit: tip-unchanged ends before loop; fail+tip-unchanged skips onFail
• Unit: open-PR / has open PR text ends Claim without already-claimed OUTPUT
• changelog + docs; npm test in plugins/workflow green