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+---
+---
+
+Add ralph-two-pass-scan skill — lightweight issue list scan before selective hydration, cutting Ralph's GitHub API calls by ~72% per round (resolves #596)
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+# Skill: Ralph — Two-Pass Issue Scanning
+**Confidence:** high
+**Domain:** work-monitoring
+**Last validated:** 2026-03-24
+
+## Context
+Cuts GitHub API calls from N+1 to ~7 per round (~72% reduction) by separating list scanning from full hydration.
+Addresses the scanning inefficiency described in issue #596.
+
+## Pattern
+
+### Pass 1 — Lightweight Scan
+
+```
+gh issue list --state open --json number,title,labels,assignees --limit 100
+```
+
+**Skip hydration if ANY of these match:**
+
+| Condition | Skip reason |
+|-----------|-------------|
+| `assignees` non-empty AND no `status:needs-review` | Already owned |
+| Labels contain `status:blocked` or `status:waiting-external` | Externally gated |
+| Labels contain `status:done` or `status:postponed` | Closed loop |
+| Title matches stale/noisy pattern (`[chore]`, `[auto]`) | Low-signal |
+
+### Pass 2 — Selective Hydration
+
+For each issue surviving Pass 1:
+
+```
+gh issue view <number> --json number,title,body,labels,assignees,comments,state
+```
+
+Then apply normal Ralph triage logic. Rule of thumb: hydrate ≤ 30% of scanned list. If more than 30% survive Pass 1, tighten filter rules.