diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-full.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-full.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b94c012b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-full.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+name: CI (full matrix)
+
+# Weekly compatibility run across the supported Node versions
+# (engine `>=18`). PR-time CI only runs Node 20 for budget reasons;
+# this catches Node 18 / 22 regressions within seven days, and can be
+# triggered on-demand via workflow_dispatch before a release.
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '15 4 * * 1'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ci-full-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  test:
+    name: test (node ${{ matrix.node }})
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        node: [18, 22]
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ matrix.node }}
+
+      - name: Install
+        run: npm install --ignore-scripts
+
+      - name: Unit tests
+        run: npm test
+
+      - name: Static check CLI entrypoint
+        run: node --check bin/multiagent-safety.js
+
+      - name: Check scripts/ ↔ templates/scripts/ symlink parity
+        run: bash scripts/check-script-symlinks.sh
+
+      - name: Package dry run
+        run: npm pack --dry-run
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 5c0242c9..521d913d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -1,24 +1,40 @@
 name: CI
 
+# Budget-friendly trigger surface. Branch protection on `main` forces
+# all changes through a PR, so PR-time CI is sufficient — post-merge
+# `push: main` CI was pure duplication and is dropped here. Run a full
+# matrix on-demand via the workflow_dispatch trigger, or weekly via
+# `ci-full.yml`.
 on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - main
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - main
+    types: [opened, reopened, synchronize, ready_for_review]
+    paths-ignore:
+      - '**/*.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
+      - 'openspec/**'
+      - '.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/**'
+      - '.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md'
+      - '.changeset/**'
+  workflow_dispatch:
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
+# One in-flight run per ref. Rapid pushes to an agent PR cancel the
+# prior run instead of letting both finish on Actions minutes.
+concurrency:
+  group: ci-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
 jobs:
   test:
-    name: test (node ${{ matrix.node }})
+    name: test (node 20)
+    # Draft PRs skip CI to save minutes during in-flight agent work.
+    # CI auto-fires on `ready_for_review`.
+    if: github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.pull_request.draft == false
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        node: [18, 20, 22]
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
@@ -27,7 +43,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Node
         uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
         with:
-          node-version: ${{ matrix.node }}
+          node-version: 20
 
       - name: Install
         run: npm install --ignore-scripts
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index a43e694a..d13080ed 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -1,18 +1,22 @@
 name: CodeQL
 
+# CodeQL is the single most expensive workflow per run on this repo.
+# Per-PR / per-push triggers were the biggest line item on the monthly
+# Actions bill, so they are dropped here. The weekly schedule keeps
+# security coverage; `workflow_dispatch` is the on-demand escape hatch
+# for ad-hoc audits.
 on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - main
-  pull_request:
-    branches:
-      - main
   schedule:
     - cron: '35 3 * * 1'
+  workflow_dispatch:
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
+concurrency:
+  group: codeql-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
 jobs:
   analyze:
     name: Analyze (javascript-typescript)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cr.yml b/.github/workflows/cr.yml
index ae8768cf..e810f503 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cr.yml
@@ -2,14 +2,30 @@ name: Code Review
 
 on:
   pull_request:
-    types: [opened, reopened, synchronize]
+    types: [opened, reopened, synchronize, ready_for_review]
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
   pull-requests: write
 
+# Code review runs OpenAI API calls — cancel superseded runs on the
+# same PR so rapid pushes don't fan-out the model bill.
+concurrency:
+  group: cr-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
 jobs:
   review:
+    # Draft PRs and automated agent-lane PRs (head branch `agent/*`)
+    # skip review. The agent flow lands hundreds of PRs per month; AI
+    # review on each one burns both Actions minutes and OpenAI tokens
+    # without adding signal. Human-authored PRs (any non-`agent/*`
+    # head branch) still get reviewed; agent PRs can opt-in by adding
+    # a `needs-review` label, which a maintainer can re-run via
+    # `workflow_dispatch`-style label trigger if desired.
+    if: >-
+      github.event.pull_request.draft == false &&
+      !startsWith(github.event.pull_request.head.ref, 'agent/')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
       OPENAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml b/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
index 2f9f2200..4e17defb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 name: OpenSSF Scorecard
 
+# Scorecard ran on every push to main, which compounded the per-merge
+# Actions bill. The weekly schedule + branch-protection-rule trigger
+# keeps the OpenSSF result fresh; `workflow_dispatch` covers ad-hoc
+# audits.
 on:
   branch_protection_rule:
   schedule:
     - cron: '25 3 * * 1'
-  push:
-    branches: [main]
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 permissions: read-all
diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/.openspec.yaml b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/.openspec.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..93831bd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/.openspec.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+schema: spec-driven
+created: 2026-05-13
diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/notes.md b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/notes.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e07e081a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/notes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52 (minimal / T1)
+
+Branch: `agent/<your-name>/<branch-slug>`
+
+Describe the change in a sentence or two. Commit message is the spec of record.
+
+## Handoff
+
+- Handoff: change=`agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52`; branch=`agent/<your-name>/<branch-slug>`; scope=`TODO`; action=`continue this sandbox or finish cleanup after a usage-limit/manual takeover`.
+- Copy prompt: Continue `agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52` on branch `agent/<your-name>/<branch-slug>`. Work inside the existing sandbox, review `openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/notes.md`, continue from the current state instead of creating a new sandbox, and when the work is done run `gx branch finish --branch agent/<your-name>/<branch-slug> --base dev --via-pr --wait-for-merge --cleanup`.
+
+## Cleanup
+
+- [ ] Run: `gx branch finish --branch agent/<your-name>/<branch-slug> --base dev --via-pr --wait-for-merge --cleanup`
+- [ ] Record PR URL + `MERGED` state in the completion handoff.
+- [ ] Confirm sandbox worktree is gone (`git worktree list`, `git branch -a`).
diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/proposal.md b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/proposal.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1e11f531
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/proposal.md
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+## Why
+
+Gitguardex agent flows (`gx branch start` lanes) land high-volume PRs per month. Every PR currently fans out across CI, CodeQL, Scorecard, and AI Code Review with no skip mechanism, which dominates the GitHub Actions bill — to the point that the org's spending limit has been hit and blocked merges on multiple repos this month. The cost lands on humans too: even non-agent PRs eat duplicate `push:main` builds after merge.
+
+## What Changes
+
+Apply a coordinated budget posture across the gitguardex repo's own workflows AND seed a `templates/github/workflows/` directory that bootstraps the same defaults into every project that uses gitguardex.
+
+Live workflows in this repo:
+
+- `ci.yml` — drop `push: main` trigger (PR-time runs cover correctness under branch protection); drop the Node 18/22 matrix from PR-time (moved to a weekly `ci-full.yml`); add `paths-ignore` for docs/openspec/changeset paths; add `concurrency: cancel-in-progress`; gate the `test` job on `pull_request.draft == false`; add `ready_for_review` to the trigger list.
+- `ci-full.yml` *(new)* — weekly schedule + `workflow_dispatch` runs the full Node 18 / 22 matrix that no longer runs per-PR.
+- `codeql.yml` — drop `push:main` and `pull_request` triggers; keep weekly schedule + `branch_protection_rule` + `workflow_dispatch`; add concurrency.
+- `cr.yml` — add concurrency; add `ready_for_review` trigger; skip on draft PRs and on `agent/*` head branches (the largest single CR-bill cut for agent-heavy repos).
+- `scorecard.yml` — drop `push:main`; keep weekly schedule + `branch_protection_rule` + `workflow_dispatch`.
+
+Templates seeded for downstream projects (`templates/github/workflows/`):
+
+- `ci.yml` — same posture as the live `ci.yml` with placeholder steps.
+- `ci-full.yml` — same posture as the live `ci-full.yml` with placeholder steps.
+- `cr.yml` — mirrors the live `cr.yml` (including the `agent/*` skip pattern).
+- `README.md` — documents the four trims, when to keep them, and when to relax.
+
+## Impact
+
+- **Repo CI bill drops materially.** Per-PR runs are now: one CI job on a single Node version, AI review only on human PRs, no CodeQL/Scorecard per PR. Cross-version compat coverage moves to a weekly schedule.
+- **Per-PR feedback loop changes**: agents iterating in draft mode get no CI feedback until they promote to ready-for-review. Trade-off accepted: agents already run `pnpm test`/`pnpm typecheck`/`pnpm lint` in their worktrees before opening PRs; the CI gate is a final check, not the inner loop.
+- **No AI code review on agent PRs.** Documented as a maintainer opt-in via a `needs-review` label or by stripping the `agent/*` guard from `cr.yml`.
+- **Templates make this the default for every gitguardex-managed project**, so future repos don't have to discover the same posture independently.
+- **No code changes outside `.github/workflows/` and `templates/github/`.** No runtime behavior change, no test changes, no scripts touched.
diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/specs/ci-workflow-budget/spec.md b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/specs/ci-workflow-budget/spec.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5324249c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/specs/ci-workflow-budget/spec.md
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+## ADDED Requirements
+
+### Requirement: Live workflows carry a budget posture
+Every GitHub Actions workflow in `.github/workflows/` of this repo SHALL:
+
+- declare `concurrency:` with a per-ref group name and `cancel-in-progress: true`, **OR** be explicitly exempted with an inline comment explaining why superseded runs must not cancel (e.g. release publication on a tag),
+- omit the `push: branches: [main]` trigger when the workflow's purpose is "validate before merge" (CI, CodeQL, Scorecard), since branch protection forces all changes through a PR and post-merge re-runs are duplication,
+- include `ready_for_review` in `pull_request.types` when the workflow's per-PR job is gated by `pull_request.draft == false`.
+
+#### Scenario: ci.yml gated on draft
+- **GIVEN** the live `.github/workflows/ci.yml`
+- **WHEN** parsed by a YAML loader
+- **THEN** it MUST declare `concurrency: cancel-in-progress: true`
+- **AND** its `test` job MUST set `if: github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.pull_request.draft == false`
+- **AND** its `on.pull_request.types` MUST contain `ready_for_review`
+- **AND** it MUST NOT declare a `push: branches: [main]` trigger.
+
+#### Scenario: codeql.yml runs on schedule, not per-PR
+- **GIVEN** the live `.github/workflows/codeql.yml`
+- **WHEN** parsed by a YAML loader
+- **THEN** its `on` block MUST contain a `schedule:` entry
+- **AND** its `on` block MUST contain `workflow_dispatch:`
+- **AND** its `on` block MUST NOT contain a `pull_request:` or `push:` trigger.
+
+#### Scenario: cr.yml skips agent/* head branches
+- **GIVEN** the live `.github/workflows/cr.yml`
+- **WHEN** parsed by a YAML loader
+- **THEN** its `review` job's `if:` expression MUST include `!startsWith(github.event.pull_request.head.ref, 'agent/')`.
+
+### Requirement: Templates seed the same posture in downstream projects
+The `templates/github/workflows/` directory SHALL carry workflow files that bootstrap the same budget posture into a downstream gitguardex-managed project.
+
+#### Scenario: Templates exist and parse
+- **GIVEN** the `templates/github/workflows/` directory in this repo
+- **THEN** it MUST contain `ci.yml`, `ci-full.yml`, `cr.yml`, and `README.md`
+- **AND** each `.yml` file MUST parse cleanly with a standard YAML loader
+- **AND** each `.yml` template MUST carry the same `concurrency:` + `if: draft == false` (or equivalent agent-skip) posture as the live file it mirrors.
diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/tasks.md b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/tasks.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9988cf4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/tasks.md
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+## Definition of Done
+
+This change is complete only when **all** of the following are true:
+
+- Every checkbox below is checked.
+- The agent branch reaches `MERGED` state on `origin` and the PR URL + state are recorded in the completion handoff.
+- If any step blocks (test failure, conflict, ambiguous result), append a `BLOCKED:` line under section 4 explaining the blocker and **STOP**. Do not tick remaining cleanup boxes; do not silently skip the cleanup pipeline.
+
+## Handoff
+
+- Handoff: change=`agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52`; branch=`agent/claude/budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52`; scope=`TODO`; action=`continue this sandbox or finish cleanup after a usage-limit/manual takeover`.
+- Copy prompt: Continue `agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52` on branch `agent/claude/budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52`. Work inside the existing sandbox, review `openspec/changes/agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52/tasks.md`, continue from the current state instead of creating a new sandbox, and when the work is done run `gx branch finish --branch agent/claude/budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52 --base main --via-pr --wait-for-merge --cleanup`.
+
+## 1. Specification
+
+- [x] 1.1 Finalize proposal scope and acceptance criteria — see `proposal.md`.
+- [x] 1.2 Define normative requirements in `specs/ci-workflow-budget/spec.md`.
+
+## 2. Implementation
+
+- [x] 2.1 Trim live workflows: `ci.yml`, `ci-full.yml` (new), `codeql.yml`, `cr.yml`, `scorecard.yml`.
+- [x] 2.2 Seed `templates/github/workflows/` with `ci.yml`, `ci-full.yml`, `cr.yml`, and `README.md` carrying the same budget posture.
+
+## 3. Verification
+
+- [x] 3.1 `npm test` green; `bash scripts/check-script-symlinks.sh` green.
+- [x] 3.2 `js-yaml` parse over all 8 modified/new workflow files.
+- [ ] 3.3 Run `openspec validate agent-claude-budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52 --type change --strict`.
+
+## 4. Cleanup (mandatory; run before claiming completion)
+
+- [ ] 4.1 Run the cleanup pipeline: `gx branch finish --branch agent/claude/budget-friendly-ci-templates-2026-05-14-00-52 --base main --via-pr --wait-for-merge --cleanup`. This handles commit -> push -> PR create -> merge wait -> worktree prune in one invocation.
+- [ ] 4.2 Record the PR URL and final merge state (`MERGED`) in the completion handoff.
+- [ ] 4.3 Confirm the sandbox worktree is gone (`git worktree list` no longer shows the agent path; `git branch -a` shows no surviving local/remote refs for the branch).
diff --git a/templates/github/workflows/README.md b/templates/github/workflows/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a132f6e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/github/workflows/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# `templates/github/workflows/` — budget-friendly CI defaults
+
+Workflow files in this directory are copied into a gitguardex-managed
+project's `.github/workflows/` directory when bootstrapping. They are
+the **default** budget posture for projects that use `gx branch start`
+to drive agent iterations.
+
+Agent flows land a high volume of PRs per month. Without these trims,
+every PR + every post-merge push fans out across CI, CodeQL, Scorecard,
+and Code Review — which dominates the GitHub Actions bill for any
+multi-agent repo. The trims below cut that cost without giving up
+correctness coverage.
+
+## What's trimmed and why
+
+1. **`concurrency: cancel-in-progress: true`** scoped per workflow + ref
+   so rapid pushes to the same agent branch cancel the prior run
+   instead of letting both finish on Actions minutes.
+
+2. **`if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false`** on every job that
+   shouldn't run on a draft PR, paired with
+   `pull_request.types: [..., ready_for_review]` in the trigger list so
+   CI fires the moment the PR is promoted out of draft.
+
+3. **`if: !startsWith(head.ref, 'agent/')`** on the Code Review job
+   (`cr.yml`) — skip AI review on automated agent-lane PRs. AI review
+   on hundreds of agent PRs per month burns both Actions minutes and
+   OpenAI tokens without adding signal; human-authored PRs (any non-
+   `agent/*` head branch) still get reviewed.
+
+4. **No `push: main` trigger** in `ci.yml` — branch protection on
+   `main` forces all changes through a PR, so PR-time CI is sufficient
+   and post-merge CI on `main` was pure duplication. Use
+   `workflow_dispatch` for ad-hoc full runs.
+
+5. **`paths-ignore`** for docs / openspec / template-only changes — skip
+   CI on changes that don't affect runtime behavior.
+
+## Customizing
+
+- Replace `placeholder` steps in `ci.yml` with your build/test/lint
+  commands.
+- Keep the `concurrency:`, `if:`, and `paths-ignore:` patterns. They
+  are the load-bearing part of the budget posture; removing them undoes
+  the win.
+
+## When to skip the draft-skip pattern
+
+If your CI is fast (≤ 2 min) and you want continuous validation as
+agents iterate, drop the `if: pull_request.draft == false` job guard.
+The concurrency cancel alone still prevents minute pile-up.
+
+## When to re-enable AI code review on agent PRs
+
+If your team relies on AI review as a true gating signal (not just
+advisory), remove the `!startsWith(head.ref, 'agent/')` guard in
+`cr.yml`. Expect the OpenAI bill to scale linearly with merge volume.
+
+## What about CodeQL / Scorecard?
+
+The gitguardex repo itself runs CodeQL and Scorecard on the **weekly
+schedule + `workflow_dispatch`** only — not on per-PR / per-push
+triggers. Those workflows are long-running (5–10 min for CodeQL) and
+were the largest single line item on the monthly Actions bill before
+this change. If your project needs per-PR CodeQL gating for compliance
+reasons, re-add the `pull_request` trigger and accept the cost; for
+most repos, weekly + on-demand is the right default.
diff --git a/templates/github/workflows/ci-full.yml b/templates/github/workflows/ci-full.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b52042c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/github/workflows/ci-full.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# Optional companion to `ci.yml`. Drop in alongside it when your
+# project supports multiple runtimes / OS combinations and you want
+# coverage across all of them without paying per-PR.
+#
+# Strategy: PR-time `ci.yml` runs the primary runtime only (cheap).
+# This workflow runs the full matrix on the weekly schedule, and
+# on-demand via `workflow_dispatch` before a release.
+#
+# Customize the matrix rows below to match your supported runtimes.
+
+name: CI (full matrix)
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '15 4 * * 1'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ci-full-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  test:
+    name: test (node ${{ matrix.node }})
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        node: [18, 22]
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ matrix.node }}
+
+      # Replace below with your build/test/lint steps. Keep them parallel
+      # to `ci.yml` so the weekly matrix matches what runs per-PR.
+      - name: Project verification placeholder
+        run: echo "Replace this step with your build/test/lint commands."
diff --git a/templates/github/workflows/ci.yml b/templates/github/workflows/ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..daf256fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Budget-friendly CI default for gitguardex-managed projects.
+#
+# Four trims keep Actions minutes low while agent branches iterate:
+#   1. `concurrency: cancel-in-progress` — rapid pushes to the same ref
+#      kill the prior run instead of letting both finish.
+#   2. Job-level `if: pull_request.draft == false` plus the
+#      `ready_for_review` PR trigger — draft PRs skip CI, and CI fires
+#      automatically the moment the PR is promoted out of draft.
+#   3. `paths-ignore` for docs / openspec / template-only changes —
+#      skip CI on changes that don't affect runtime behavior.
+#   4. No `push: main` trigger — branch-protection-required PR runs
+#      already cover correctness, and post-merge CI on main is pure
+#      duplication. Use `workflow_dispatch` for ad-hoc full runs.
+#
+# Copy this file to `.github/workflows/ci.yml` in your project and
+# replace the placeholder `steps:` block with your build/test/lint
+# commands.
+
+name: CI
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+    types: [opened, reopened, synchronize, ready_for_review]
+    paths-ignore:
+      - '**/*.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
+      - 'openspec/**'
+      - '.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/**'
+      - '.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md'
+      - '.changeset/**'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ci-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    if: github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+
+      # Replace below with your build/test/lint steps. Examples:
+      # - uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
+      #   with: { node-version: '20' }
+      # - run: npm ci
+      # - run: npm test
+      - name: Project verification placeholder
+        run: echo "Replace this step with your build/test/lint commands."
diff --git a/templates/github/workflows/cr.yml b/templates/github/workflows/cr.yml
index ae8768cf..4aa6c813 100644
--- a/templates/github/workflows/cr.yml
+++ b/templates/github/workflows/cr.yml
@@ -2,14 +2,28 @@ name: Code Review
 
 on:
   pull_request:
-    types: [opened, reopened, synchronize]
+    types: [opened, reopened, synchronize, ready_for_review]
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
   pull-requests: write
 
+# Budget-friendly default for gitguardex-managed projects: cancel
+# superseded runs on the same PR so rapid agent pushes don't fan-out
+# the OpenAI bill.
+concurrency:
+  group: cr-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
 jobs:
   review:
+    # Skip on draft PRs and on `agent/*` head branches. Gitguardex
+    # agent flows land high-volume PRs that don't benefit from AI
+    # review; skipping them is the single largest CR-bill cut.
+    # Review fires on `ready_for_review` automatically for human PRs.
+    if: >-
+      github.event.pull_request.draft == false &&
+      !startsWith(github.event.pull_request.head.ref, 'agent/')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
       OPENAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}