Report agent assignment errors in workflow failure tracking

actions/setup/js/assign_to_agent.cjs

@@ -335,6 +335,18 @@ async function main() {
     .join("\n");
   core.setOutput("assigned_agents", assignedAgents);
 
+  // Set assignment error output for failed assignments
+  const assignmentErrors = results
+    .filter(r => !r.success)
+    .map(r => {
+      const number = r.issue_number || r.pull_number;
+      const prefix = r.issue_number ? "issue" : "pr";
+      return `${prefix}:${number}:${r.agent}:${r.error}`;
+    })
+    .join("\n");
+  core.setOutput("assignment_errors", assignmentErrors);
+  core.setOutput("assignment_error_count", failureCount.toString());
+
   // Fail if any assignments failed
   if (failureCount > 0) {
     core.setFailed(`Failed to assign ${failureCount} agent(s)`);

actions/setup/js/handle_agent_failure.cjs

@@ -249,14 +249,20 @@ async function main() {
     const workflowSource = process.env.GH_AW_WORKFLOW_SOURCE || "";
     const workflowSourceURL = process.env.GH_AW_WORKFLOW_SOURCE_URL || "";
     const secretVerificationResult = process.env.GH_AW_SECRET_VERIFICATION_RESULT || "";
+    const assignmentErrors = process.env.GH_AW_ASSIGNMENT_ERRORS || "";
+    const assignmentErrorCount = process.env.GH_AW_ASSIGNMENT_ERROR_COUNT || "0";
 
     core.info(`Agent conclusion: ${agentConclusion}`);
     core.info(`Workflow name: ${workflowName}`);
     core.info(`Secret verification result: ${secretVerificationResult}`);
+    core.info(`Assignment error count: ${assignmentErrorCount}`);
 
-    // Only proceed if the agent job actually failed
-    if (agentConclusion !== "failure") {
-      core.info(`Agent job did not fail (conclusion: ${agentConclusion}), skipping failure handling`);
+    // Check if there are assignment errors (regardless of agent job status)
+    const hasAssignmentErrors = parseInt(assignmentErrorCount, 10) > 0;
+
+    // Only proceed if the agent job actually failed OR there are assignment errors
+    if (agentConclusion !== "failure" && !hasAssignmentErrors) {
+      core.info(`Agent job did not fail and no assignment errors (conclusion: ${agentConclusion}), skipping failure handling`);
       return;
     }
 
@@ -305,6 +311,24 @@ async function main() {
           runId = runIdMatch[1];
         }
 
+        // Build assignment errors context
+        let assignmentErrorsContext = "";
+        if (hasAssignmentErrors && assignmentErrors) {
+          assignmentErrorsContext = "\n**⚠️ Agent Assignment Failed**: Failed to assign agent to issues due to insufficient permissions or missing token.\n\n**Assignment Errors:**\n";
+          const errorLines = assignmentErrors.split("\n").filter(line => line.trim());
+          for (const errorLine of errorLines) {
+            const parts = errorLine.split(":");
+            if (parts.length >= 4) {
+              const type = parts[0]; // "issue" or "pr"
+              const number = parts[1];
+              const agent = parts[2];
+              const error = parts.slice(3).join(":"); // Rest is the error message
+              assignmentErrorsContext += `- ${type === "issue" ? "Issue" : "PR"} #${number} (agent: ${agent}): ${error}\n`;
+            }
+          }
+          assignmentErrorsContext += "\n";
+        }
+
         // Create template context
         const templateContext = {
           run_url: runUrl,
@@ -315,6 +339,7 @@ async function main() {
           secret_verification_failed: String(secretVerificationResult === "failed"),
           secret_verification_context:
             secretVerificationResult === "failed" ? "\n**⚠️ Secret Verification Failed**: The workflow's secret validation step failed. Please check that the required secrets are configured in your repository settings.\n" : "",
+          assignment_errors_context: assignmentErrorsContext,
         };
 
         // Render the comment template
@@ -351,6 +376,24 @@ async function main() {
         // Get current branch information
         const currentBranch = getCurrentBranch();
 
+        // Build assignment errors context
+        let assignmentErrorsContext = "";
+        if (hasAssignmentErrors && assignmentErrors) {
+          assignmentErrorsContext = "\n**⚠️ Agent Assignment Failed**: Failed to assign agent to issues due to insufficient permissions or missing token.\n\n**Assignment Errors:**\n";
+          const errorLines = assignmentErrors.split("\n").filter(line => line.trim());
+          for (const errorLine of errorLines) {
+            const parts = errorLine.split(":");
+            if (parts.length >= 4) {
+              const type = parts[0]; // "issue" or "pr"
+              const number = parts[1];
+              const agent = parts[2];
+              const error = parts.slice(3).join(":"); // Rest is the error message
+              assignmentErrorsContext += `- ${type === "issue" ? "Issue" : "PR"} #${number} (agent: ${agent}): ${error}\n`;
+            }
+          }
+          assignmentErrorsContext += "\n";
+        }
+
         // Create template context with sanitized workflow name
         const templateContext = {
           workflow_name: sanitizedWorkflowName,
@@ -361,6 +404,7 @@ async function main() {
           secret_verification_failed: String(secretVerificationResult === "failed"),
           secret_verification_context:
             secretVerificationResult === "failed" ? "\n**⚠️ Secret Verification Failed**: The workflow's secret validation step failed. Please check that the required secrets are configured in your repository settings.\n" : "",
+          assignment_errors_context: assignmentErrorsContext,
         };
 
         // Render the issue template

actions/setup/md/agent_failure_comment.md

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 Agent job [{run_id}]({run_url}) failed.
 
-{secret_verification_context}
+{secret_verification_context}{assignment_errors_context}

actions/setup/md/agent_failure_issue.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 **Branch:** {branch}  
 **Run URL:** {run_url}{pull_request_info}
 
-{secret_verification_context}
+{secret_verification_context}{assignment_errors_context}
 
 ### Action Required
 

pkg/workflow/compiler_safe_outputs_config.go

@@ -7,21 +7,21 @@ import (
 	"github.com/githubnext/gh-aw/pkg/logger"
 )
 
-var compilerSafeOutputsLog = logger.New("workflow:compiler_safe_outputs_config")
+var compilerSafeOutputsConfigLog = logger.New("workflow:compiler_safe_outputs_config")
 
 func (c *Compiler) addHandlerManagerConfigEnvVar(steps *[]string, data *WorkflowData) {
 	if data.SafeOutputs == nil {
-		compilerSafeOutputsLog.Print("No safe-outputs configuration, skipping handler manager config")
+		compilerSafeOutputsConfigLog.Print("No safe-outputs configuration, skipping handler manager config")
 		return
 	}
 
-	compilerSafeOutputsLog.Print("Building handler manager configuration for safe-outputs")
+	compilerSafeOutputsConfigLog.Print("Building handler manager configuration for safe-outputs")
 	config := make(map[string]map[string]any)
 
 	// Add config for each enabled safe output type with their options
 	// Presence in config = enabled, so no need for "enabled": true field
 	if data.SafeOutputs.CreateIssues != nil {
-		compilerSafeOutputsLog.Print("Adding create_issue handler configuration")
+		compilerSafeOutputsConfigLog.Print("Adding create_issue handler configuration")
 		cfg := data.SafeOutputs.CreateIssues
 		handlerConfig := make(map[string]any)
 		if cfg.Max > 0 {
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ func (c *Compiler) addHandlerManagerConfigEnvVar(steps *[]string, data *Workflow
 
 	// Only add the env var if there are handlers to configure
 	if len(config) > 0 {
-		compilerSafeOutputsLog.Printf("Marshaling handler config with %d handlers", len(config))
+		compilerSafeOutputsConfigLog.Printf("Marshaling handler config with %d handlers", len(config))
 		configJSON, err := json.Marshal(config)
 		if err != nil {
 			consolidatedSafeOutputsLog.Printf("Failed to marshal handler config: %v", err)
@@ -535,9 +535,9 @@ func (c *Compiler) addHandlerManagerConfigEnvVar(steps *[]string, data *Workflow
 		// Escape the JSON for YAML (handle quotes and special chars)
 		configStr := string(configJSON)
 		*steps = append(*steps, fmt.Sprintf("          GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_HANDLER_CONFIG: %q\n", configStr))
-		compilerSafeOutputsLog.Printf("Added handler config env var: size=%d bytes", len(configStr))
+		compilerSafeOutputsConfigLog.Printf("Added handler config env var: size=%d bytes", len(configStr))
 	} else {
-		compilerSafeOutputsLog.Print("No handlers configured, skipping config env var")
+		compilerSafeOutputsConfigLog.Print("No handlers configured, skipping config env var")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -546,11 +546,11 @@ func (c *Compiler) addHandlerManagerConfigEnvVar(steps *[]string, data *Workflow
 // These handlers require GH_AW_PROJECT_GITHUB_TOKEN and are processed separately from the main handler manager.
 func (c *Compiler) addProjectHandlerManagerConfigEnvVar(steps *[]string, data *WorkflowData) {
 	if data.SafeOutputs == nil {
-		compilerSafeOutputsLog.Print("No safe-outputs configuration, skipping project handler config")
+		compilerSafeOutputsConfigLog.Print("No safe-outputs configuration, skipping project handler config")
 		return
 	}
 
-	compilerSafeOutputsLog.Print("Building project handler manager configuration")
+	compilerSafeOutputsConfigLog.Print("Building project handler manager configuration")
 	config := make(map[string]map[string]any)
 
 	// Add config for project-related safe output types

pkg/workflow/compiler_safe_outputs_job.go

@@ -261,6 +261,8 @@ func (c *Compiler) buildConsolidatedSafeOutputsJob(data *WorkflowData, mainJobNa
 		safeOutputStepNames = append(safeOutputStepNames, stepConfig.StepID)
 
 		outputs["assign_to_agent_assigned"] = "${{ steps.assign_to_agent.outputs.assigned }}"
+		outputs["assign_to_agent_assignment_errors"] = "${{ steps.assign_to_agent.outputs.assignment_errors }}"
+		outputs["assign_to_agent_assignment_error_count"] = "${{ steps.assign_to_agent.outputs.assignment_error_count }}"
 
 		permissions.Merge(NewPermissionsContentsReadIssuesWrite())
 	}

pkg/workflow/notify_comment.go

@@ -152,6 +152,12 @@ func (c *Compiler) buildConclusionJob(data *WorkflowData, mainJobName string, sa
 	agentFailureEnvVars = append(agentFailureEnvVars, fmt.Sprintf("          GH_AW_AGENT_CONCLUSION: ${{ needs.%s.result }}\n", mainJobName))
 	agentFailureEnvVars = append(agentFailureEnvVars, fmt.Sprintf("          GH_AW_SECRET_VERIFICATION_RESULT: ${{ needs.%s.outputs.secret_verification_result }}\n", mainJobName))
 
+	// Pass assignment error outputs from safe_outputs job if assign-to-agent is configured
+	if data.SafeOutputs != nil && data.SafeOutputs.AssignToAgent != nil {
+		agentFailureEnvVars = append(agentFailureEnvVars, "          GH_AW_ASSIGNMENT_ERRORS: ${{ needs.safe_outputs.outputs.assign_to_agent_assignment_errors }}\n")
+		agentFailureEnvVars = append(agentFailureEnvVars, "          GH_AW_ASSIGNMENT_ERROR_COUNT: ${{ needs.safe_outputs.outputs.assign_to_agent_assignment_error_count }}\n")
+	}
+
 	// Pass custom messages config if present
 	if data.SafeOutputs != nil && data.SafeOutputs.Messages != nil {
 		messagesJSON, err := serializeMessagesConfig(data.SafeOutputs.Messages)