🌟 Delight Audit Report - January 17, 2026 #10431

2026-01-17T08:40:52Z

github-actions[bot]
bot Jan 17, 2026

Delight Audit Report - 2026-01-17

Executive Summary

Today's random sampling focused on:

4 documentation files (setup, guides, reference, troubleshooting)
2 validation source files (engine, MCP configuration)
3 workflow message configurations (ai-moderator, brave, audit-workflows)

Overall Delight Score: 3.8 / 5 ⭐

Key Finding: GitHub Agentic Workflows has excellent conversational documentation and personality-rich workflow messages, but validation error messages need friendlier, more actionable guidance to match the delightful tone established elsewhere.

Delight Highlights 😍

1. Quick Start Documentation - Conversational Excellence

What: The quick-start.md guide uses inviting, conversational language throughout.

Why it's delightful:

Uses "you" and second-person perspective consistently
Provides helpful TIP callouts for Codespaces users
Breaks complex setup into digestible numbered steps
Includes verification commands with expected output
Natural flow from installation → configuration → first run

Quote:

"Ready to supercharge your workflow with tools? Add them to your workflow like this..."

AirBnB Principles: ✅ Conversational, ✅ Attention to Detail, ✅ Unified

Rating: 😍 Delightful

2. Error Documentation - Typo Suggestions

What: The troubleshooting/errors.md page includes automatic typo detection with "Did you mean" suggestions.

Why it's delightful:

Anticipates user mistakes (Hick's Law - reduces decision fatigue)
Provides instant, actionable corrections
Friendly tone: "Did you mean 'permissions'?"
Shows specific examples of common typos

Quote:

"Unknown property: permisions. Did you mean 'permissions'?"

AirBnB Principles: ✅ Trust and Safety, ✅ Personalization and Surprise

Rating: 😍 Delightful

3. Workflow Messages - Personality and Fun

What: The brave.md workflow includes emoji-rich, personality-driven status messages.

Why it's delightful:

Emoji use is purposeful and fun (🦁, 🔍, 🏆)
Messages have character: "venturing into the web"
Success messages celebrate: "Mission accomplished!"
Consistent theme (Brave = exploration/adventure)

Quote:

"🦁 Mission accomplished! {workflow_name} has returned with the findings. Knowledge acquired! 🏆"

AirBnB Principles: ✅ Conversational, ✅ Personalization and Surprise, ✅ Iconic

Rating: 😍 Delightful

Delight Opportunities 💡

High Priority

Opportunity 1: Transform Security Warning Into Welcoming Guidance

Current State: The Quick Start guide opens with a stark WARNING block that may discourage new users.

Current Text:

> [!WARNING]
> Using agentic workflows means giving AI agents the ability to make decisions and take actions in your repository. This requires careful attention to security considerations and human supervision.
> Review all outputs carefully and use time-limited trials to evaluate effectiveness for your team.

Why it matters:

First impression: This is one of the first things users see
User impact: Warning blocks create fear/uncertainty instead of excitement
Frequency: Every new user encounters this

Delight Gap:

AirBnB Principle Violated: Conversational, Trust and Safety
Current tone is legalistic and defensive
Creates anxiety rather than building confidence
Doesn't guide users to safe exploration patterns

Suggestion: Transform the warning into an inviting, confidence-building callout.

Before:

> [!WARNING]
> Using agentic workflows means giving AI agents the ability to make decisions and take actions in your repository. This requires careful attention to security considerations and human supervision.
> Review all outputs carefully and use time-limited trials to evaluate effectiveness for your team.

After:

> [!TIP]
> **New to AI Agents?** Welcome! 🎉
>
> Agentic workflows let AI help with tasks like code reviews, issue triage, and documentation. You're in control:
> - ✅ Start with read-only workflows (the examples below are safe!)
> - ✅ Review AI suggestions before applying changes
> - ✅ Use time-limited trials to test what works for your team
>
> Ready to explore? Let's get started! 👇

Why This Matters:

User Impact: Reduces anxiety, builds confidence, encourages exploration
Delight Factor: Conversational, welcoming, empowering tone
Frequency: High - every new user's first touchpoint

Success Criteria:

Warning replaced with inviting TIP callout
Tone is encouraging rather than cautionary
Specific, actionable safety guidance provided
Delight rating improves from 🙂 to 😍

AirBnB Principles Applied: Conversational, Trust and Safety, Personalization

Context:

Files affected: docs/src/content/docs/setup/quick-start.md (lines 8-10)
Priority: High

Opportunity 2: Make Validation Error Messages Friendly and Actionable

Current State: Validation error messages in Go code use technical, formal language without empathy or clear guidance.

Current Examples:

From pkg/workflow/engine_validation.go (line 68):

return fmt.Errorf("invalid engine: %s. Valid engines are: copilot, claude, codex, custom. Example: engine: copilot", engineID)

From pkg/workflow/mcp_config_validation.go:

return fmt.Errorf("tool '%s' mcp configuration cannot specify both 'container' and 'command'", toolName)

Why it matters:

User Impact: Error messages are a critical delight touchpoint - users are already frustrated
Frequency: High - every compilation error encounter
Opportunity: Turn frustrating moments into helpful, trust-building experiences

Delight Gap:

AirBnB Principle Violated: Conversational, Trust and Safety
Formal, technical language lacks empathy
No acknowledgment of user frustration
Missing contextual help or suggestions
Doesn't guide users to resolution

Suggestion: Add friendly, empathetic error message wrappers.

Before:

return fmt.Errorf("invalid engine: %s. Valid engines are: copilot, claude, codex, custom. Example: engine: copilot", engineID)

After:

return fmt.Errorf("Hmm, we don't recognize the engine '%s' 🤔\n\n"+
    "✨ Try one of these instead:\n"+
    "  • copilot - GitHub Copilot (recommended)\n"+
    "  • claude - Anthropic Claude\n"+
    "  • codex - OpenAI Codex\n"+
    "  • custom - Custom engine\n\n"+
    "💡 Example:\n"+
    "   engine: copilot", engineID)

Implementation Pattern:

Create a new error formatting helper in pkg/console/errors.go:

// FormatValidationError formats validation errors with friendly, actionable guidance
func FormatValidationError(problem, suggestion, example string) string {
    return fmt.Sprintf("Hmm, %s 🤔\n\n✨ %s\n\n💡 Example:\n   %s", problem, suggestion, example)
}

Update validation functions to use the helper:

problem := fmt.Sprintf("we don't recognize the engine '%s'", engineID)
suggestion := "Try one of these instead:\n  • copilot - GitHub Copilot (recommended)\n  • claude - Anthropic Claude\n  • codex - OpenAI Codex\n  • custom - Custom engine"
example := "engine: copilot"
return fmt.Errorf(console.FormatValidationError(problem, suggestion, example))

Why This Matters:

User Impact: Turns frustrating errors into helpful guidance moments
Delight Factor: Empathetic, conversational, actionable
Frequency: High - every compilation error

Success Criteria:

Create FormatValidationError helper in pkg/console/errors.go
Update 5+ high-frequency validation errors to use friendly formatting
All error messages include: acknowledgment, suggestion, example
Emoji use is moderate and purposeful
Delight rating improves from 😐 to 😍

AirBnB Principles Applied: Conversational, Trust and Safety, Attention to Detail

Context:

Files affected:
- New: pkg/console/errors.go (create)
- Update: pkg/workflow/engine_validation.go (line 68)
- Update: pkg/workflow/mcp_config_validation.go (multiple locations)
Priority: High

Medium Priority

Opportunity 3: Add "What's Next?" Sections to Documentation Pages

Current State: Documentation pages end abruptly without clear guidance on next steps.

Why it matters:

User Impact: Users finish reading but don't know where to go next
Frequency: Medium - affects all documentation pages
Opportunity: Create a breadcrumb trail of discovery

Delight Gap:

AirBnB Principle Violated: Personalization and Surprise (anticipate needs)
Pages lack journey completion
No contextual suggestions for related topics
Misses opportunity to create "aha!" moments

Suggestion: Add "What's Next?" sections to key documentation pages.

Example Addition (for mcps.md):

## What's Next? 🚀

Now that you understand MCP servers, explore these related topics:

- **[Safe Inputs](/gh-aw/reference/safe-inputs/)** - Create custom inline tools without external MCP servers
- **[Network Configuration](/gh-aw/reference/network/)** - Control network access for MCP containers
- **[MCP Inspector](/gh-aw/setup/cli/#mcp-commands)** - Debug MCP configurations with `gh aw mcp inspect`

**Pro tip**: Try adding a simple MCP server like `microsoftdocs` to test your setup! 💡

Why This Matters:

User Impact: Reduces "what now?" moments, creates learning momentum
Delight Factor: Anticipates user needs, provides discovery
Frequency: Medium - every doc page visit

Success Criteria:

Add "What's Next?" sections to 10+ high-traffic documentation pages
Each section has 3-5 contextually relevant links
Include at least one "Pro tip" per section
Delight rating improves from 🙂 to 😍

AirBnB Principles Applied: Personalization and Surprise, Law of Proximity

Context:

Files affected: Multiple documentation files in docs/src/content/docs/
Priority: Medium

Thematic Patterns

Pattern 1: Tone Inconsistency Between Documentation and Code

Observed in: 4/6 samples

Pattern: Documentation uses warm, conversational language while error messages in code use formal, technical language.

Impact: Creates cognitive dissonance - users expect friendly guidance everywhere after reading docs.

Recommendation:

Create error formatting standards in pkg/console/errors.go
Migrate high-frequency error messages to use friendly formatting
Add validation error guidelines to AGENTS.md

Pattern 2: Excellent Use of Callouts and Tips

Observed in: 3/4 documentation samples

Pattern: Documentation effectively uses TIP, CAUTION, and NOTE callouts to provide contextual guidance.

Impact: Users feel supported and guided through complex topics.

Recommendation:

Maintain this pattern across all documentation
Prefer TIP over WARNING for first-time user guidance
Use CAUTION only for actual security risks, not general advice

Pattern 3: Personality-Rich Workflow Messages

Observed in: 3/3 workflow samples

Pattern: Workflows use emoji, conversational language, and thematic consistency in status messages.

Impact: Users feel delighted when workflows execute - turns automation into personality.

Recommendation:

Document message personality guidelines in workflow documentation
Create message templates for common workflow types
Encourage emoji use for status clarity (🔍=searching, ✅=success, ⚠️=warning)

Random Samples Reviewed

Documentation

docs/src/content/docs/setup/quick-start.md - Rating: 🙂 Good (would be 😍 with friendlier warning)
docs/src/content/docs/guides/mcps.md - Rating: 😍 Delightful
docs/src/content/docs/reference/frontmatter.md - Rating: 🙂 Good
docs/src/content/docs/troubleshooting/errors.md - Rating: 😍 Delightful

Validation Code

pkg/workflow/engine_validation.go - Rating: 😐 Neutral
pkg/workflow/mcp_config_validation.go - Rating: 😐 Neutral

Workflow Messages

.github/workflows/ai-moderator.md - Rating: 🙂 Good
.github/workflows/brave.md - Rating: 😍 Delightful
.github/workflows/audit-workflows.md - Rating: 🙂 Good

Metrics

Files Scanned: 9
Delight Score Distribution:
- 😍 Delightful: 3
- 🙂 Good: 4
- 😐 Neutral: 2
- 😕 Needs Work: 0
- 😫 Painful: 0

Historical Comparison

First Audit - No previous data for comparison. This establishes the baseline delight score of 3.8/5.0.

New Patterns Identified: 3

Tone inconsistency between docs and code
Excellent callout usage in documentation
Personality-rich workflow messages

🎯 Agentic Tasks

Here are 3 actionable improvement tasks that can be addressed by agents:

Task 1: Transform Security Warning Into Welcoming Guidance

Current Experience

The Quick Start guide (docs/src/content/docs/setup/quick-start.md, lines 8-10) opens with a stark WARNING block that creates anxiety for new users:

> [!WARNING]
> Using agentic workflows means giving AI agents the ability to make decisions and take actions in your repository. This requires careful attention to security considerations and human supervision.
> Review all outputs carefully and use time-limited trials to evaluate effectiveness for your team.

Delight Gap

AirBnB Principle: Conversational, Trust and Safety

The current warning:

Uses legalistic, defensive language
Creates fear and uncertainty as the first impression
Focuses on risks without celebrating opportunities
Doesn't provide actionable safety patterns
Misses opportunity to build user confidence

Proposed Improvement

Replace the warning with an inviting, confidence-building TIP callout that emphasizes exploration and safety patterns.

Before:

> [!WARNING]
> Using agentic workflows means giving AI agents the ability to make decisions and take actions in your repository. This requires careful attention to security considerations and human supervision.
> Review all outputs carefully and use time-limited trials to evaluate effectiveness for your team.

After:

> [!TIP]
> **New to AI Agents?** Welcome! 🎉
>
> Agentic workflows let AI help with tasks like code reviews, issue triage, and documentation. You're in control:
> - ✅ Start with read-only workflows (the examples below are safe!)
> - ✅ Review AI suggestions before applying changes
> - ✅ Use time-limited trials to test what works for your team
>
> Ready to explore? Let's get started! 👇

Why This Matters

User Impact: Reduces anxiety, builds confidence, encourages safe exploration
Delight Factor: Conversational, welcoming, empowering tone
Frequency: High - every new user's first touchpoint

Success Criteria

WARNING callout replaced with TIP callout
Tone is encouraging rather than cautionary
Specific, actionable safety guidance provided
Emoji use is moderate and purposeful (1-2 max)
Delight rating improves from 🙂 Good to 😍 Delightful

Context

Files affected: docs/src/content/docs/setup/quick-start.md (lines 8-10)
Priority: High
Impact: First impression for all new users

Task 2: Make Validation Error Messages Friendly and Actionable

Current Experience

Validation error messages in Go code (pkg/workflow/engine_validation.go, pkg/workflow/mcp_config_validation.go) use technical, formal language without empathy or clear guidance:

// Example 1: Engine validation
return fmt.Errorf("invalid engine: %s. Valid engines are: copilot, claude, codex, custom. Example: engine: copilot", engineID)

// Example 2: MCP configuration validation
return fmt.Errorf("tool '%s' mcp configuration cannot specify both 'container' and 'command'", toolName)

Delight Gap

AirBnB Principle: Conversational, Trust and Safety

Current error messages:

Use formal, technical language without empathy
Don't acknowledge user frustration
Lack visual hierarchy (all text, no formatting)
Miss opportunity to turn frustrating moments into helpful experiences
Create cognitive dissonance with the friendly documentation tone

Proposed Improvement

Create a friendly error formatting system that transforms technical errors into empathetic, actionable guidance.

Implementation Steps:

Create pkg/console/errors.go with error formatting helpers:

package console

import "fmt"

// FormatValidationError formats validation errors with friendly, actionable guidance
func FormatValidationError(problem, suggestion, example string) string {
    return fmt.Sprintf("Hmm, %s 🤔\n\n✨ %s\n\n💡 Example:\n   %s", 
        problem, suggestion, example)
}

// FormatMultipleChoiceError formats errors where user must choose from options
func FormatMultipleChoiceError(item, invalidValue string, validOptions []string, example string) string {
    problem := fmt.Sprintf("we don't recognize the %s '%s'", item, invalidValue)
    
    suggestion := "Try one of these instead:\n"
    for _, opt := range validOptions {
        suggestion += fmt.Sprintf("  • %s\n", opt)
    }
    
    return FormatValidationError(problem, suggestion, example)
}

Update validation functions to use the helpers:

Before (pkg/workflow/engine_validation.go, line 68):

return fmt.Errorf("invalid engine: %s. Valid engines are: copilot, claude, codex, custom. Example: engine: copilot", engineID)

After:

problem := fmt.Sprintf("we don't recognize the engine '%s'", engineID)
suggestion := "Try one of these instead:\n" +
    "  • copilot - GitHub Copilot (recommended)\n" +
    "  • claude - Anthropic Claude\n" +
    "  • codex - OpenAI Codex\n" +
    "  • custom - Custom engine"
example := "engine: copilot"
return fmt.Errorf(console.FormatValidationError(problem, suggestion, example))

Before (pkg/workflow/mcp_config_validation.go):

return fmt.Errorf("tool '%s' mcp configuration cannot specify both 'container' and 'command'", toolName)

After:

problem := fmt.Sprintf("tool '%s' has both 'container' and 'command' fields", toolName)
suggestion := "MCP servers can use either:\n" +
    "  • container - Run in Docker\n" +
    "  • command - Run as local process\n" +
    "But not both! Choose the one that fits your needs."
example := "mcp-servers:\n  my-tool:\n    container: \"mcp/my-tool\"\n    # Remove: command: \"...\""
return fmt.Errorf(console.FormatValidationError(problem, suggestion, example))

Why This Matters

User Impact: Turns frustrating error moments into helpful, trust-building experiences
Delight Factor: Empathetic, conversational, actionable guidance
Frequency: High - every compilation error encounter

Success Criteria

Context

Files affected:
- New: pkg/console/errors.go (create with helpers)
- Update: pkg/workflow/engine_validation.go (line 68+)
- Update: pkg/workflow/mcp_config_validation.go (multiple locations)
- Update: Other validation files as needed
Priority: High
Impact: Every user who encounters compilation errors

Task 3: Add "What's Next?" Sections to High-Traffic Documentation Pages

Current Experience

Documentation pages end abruptly without clear guidance on where to go next. For example, the MCP guide (docs/src/content/docs/guides/mcps.md) ends with "External Resources" links but no contextual suggestions for next steps in the user's learning journey.

Delight Gap

AirBnB Principle: Personalization and Surprise (anticipate user needs)

Current documentation:

Ends without suggesting next steps
Doesn't anticipate natural user questions ("What should I learn next?")
Misses opportunity to create a breadcrumb trail of discovery
Lacks contextual suggestions based on page content

Proposed Improvement

Add "What's Next?" sections to 10+ high-traffic documentation pages with contextually relevant suggestions.

Example Addition (for docs/src/content/docs/guides/mcps.md):

## What's Next? 🚀

Now that you understand MCP servers, explore these related topics:

- **[Safe Inputs](/gh-aw/reference/safe-inputs/)** - Create custom inline tools without external MCP servers
- **[Network Configuration](/gh-aw/reference/network/)** - Control network access for MCP containers
- **[MCP Inspector](/gh-aw/setup/cli/#mcp-commands)** - Debug MCP configurations with `gh aw mcp inspect`
- **[Tools Reference](/gh-aw/reference/tools/)** - Complete guide to all available tools

**Pro tip**: Try adding a simple MCP server like `microsoftdocs` to test your setup! 💡

**Common next steps:**
1. Add your first MCP server with `gh aw mcp add`
2. Test the configuration with `gh aw mcp inspect`
3. Run a workflow to see it in action

High-Traffic Pages to Update:

docs/src/content/docs/setup/quick-start.md
docs/src/content/docs/guides/mcps.md
docs/src/content/docs/reference/frontmatter.md
docs/src/content/docs/reference/engines.md
docs/src/content/docs/reference/safe-outputs.md
docs/src/content/docs/reference/tools.md
docs/src/content/docs/guides/security.md
docs/src/content/docs/troubleshooting/errors.md
docs/src/content/docs/reference/triggers.md
docs/src/content/docs/reference/network.md

Guidelines for "What's Next?" Sections:

3-5 contextually relevant links - Based on natural user progression
1 "Pro tip" - Actionable insight or shortcut
Optional "Common next steps" - Numbered list of immediate actions
Tone: Encouraging, enthusiastic, guide-like
Placement: After main content, before "Related Documentation" if present

Why This Matters

User Impact: Reduces "what now?" moments, creates learning momentum
Delight Factor: Anticipates needs, provides discovery, builds confidence
Frequency: Medium - every documentation page visit

Success Criteria

Add "What's Next?" sections to 10+ high-traffic pages
Each section has 3-5 contextually relevant links
Include at least one "Pro tip" per section
Test that all links are valid
Ensure tone is encouraging and enthusiastic
Delight rating improves from 🙂 Good to 😍 Delightful

Context

Files affected: 10+ documentation files in docs/src/content/docs/
Priority: Medium
Impact: Improves learning journey for all documentation readers

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🌟 Delight Audit Report - January 17, 2026 #10431

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🌟 Delight Audit Report - January 17, 2026 #10431

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github-actions[bot] bot Jan 17, 2026

Delight Audit Report - 2026-01-17

Executive Summary

Delight Highlights 😍

1. Quick Start Documentation - Conversational Excellence

2. Error Documentation - Typo Suggestions

3. Workflow Messages - Personality and Fun

Delight Opportunities 💡

High Priority

Opportunity 1: Transform Security Warning Into Welcoming Guidance

Opportunity 2: Make Validation Error Messages Friendly and Actionable

Medium Priority

Opportunity 3: Add "What's Next?" Sections to Documentation Pages

Thematic Patterns

Pattern 1: Tone Inconsistency Between Documentation and Code

Pattern 2: Excellent Use of Callouts and Tips

Pattern 3: Personality-Rich Workflow Messages

Random Samples Reviewed

Documentation

Validation Code

Workflow Messages

Metrics

Historical Comparison

🎯 Agentic Tasks

Task 1: Transform Security Warning Into Welcoming Guidance

Task 2: Make Validation Error Messages Friendly and Actionable

Task 3: Add "What's Next?" Sections to High-Traffic Documentation Pages

Replies: 0 comments

github-actions[bot]
bot Jan 17, 2026