📚 Documentation Noob Test Report - December 26, 2025

[github-actions[bot]]

Test Summary

• Date: December 26, 2025
• Tester Perspective: Complete beginner with no prior knowledge of GitHub Agentic Workflows
• Pages Analyzed:
  • Homepage: /gh-aw/
  • Quick Start: /gh-aw/setup/quick-start/
  • CLI Commands: /gh-aw/setup/cli/
  • Agentic Authoring: /gh-aw/setup/agentic-authoring/
  • Example pages (ChatOps, IssueOps, etc.)

Overall First Impression

As a complete beginner landing on this documentation for the first time, I found the experience moderately confusing with several friction points that would slow down or block a new user's getting started experience.

The documentation is well-structured and comprehensive, but suffers from assuming too much prior knowledge and presenting technical details before context.

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🔴 Critical Issues (Block Getting Started)

1. Missing Clear Prerequisites Section

Location: Quick Start page

Issue: The prerequisites are scattered and not clearly listed upfront. A beginner doesn't know they need:

• GitHub CLI installed and authenticated
• Git installed
• A GitHub repository with Actions enabled
• Permissions to create workflows in their repo

Impact: Users will hit errors during installation without knowing why.

Recommendation: Add a clear "Prerequisites" section at the TOP of Quick Start with checkboxes:

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

- [ ] GitHub CLI installed and authenticated (`gh auth status`)
- [ ] Git installed (`git --version`)
- [ ] A GitHub repository where you have admin access
- [ ] GitHub Actions enabled in your repository
- [ ] Basic familiarity with GitHub and command line

2. Confusing Dual-File System Not Well Explained

Location: Quick Start page - "How Agentic Workflows Work" section

Issue: The explanation of .md files vs .lock.yml files is presented too early and too technically. A beginner reading this section will be confused about:

• Why there are two files
• Which one they edit
• What "compile" means in this context
• Why they can't just write YAML directly

What the docs say:

"Think of it like writing code in a high-level language (Python, JavaScript) that gets compiled to machine code."

Why it's confusing:

• The analogy assumes knowledge of compilation
• It's presented BEFORE the user has even created their first workflow
• The benefit isn't clear ("Why can't I just use GitHub Actions YAML?")

Recommendation:

1. Move this section LATER in the guide (after the user creates their first workflow)
2. Simplify the initial explanation to: "You'll write a simple .md file and run one command to turn it into a GitHub Actions workflow"
3. Add a "Why this approach?" callout explaining the benefits AFTER they've seen it work

3. Codespaces Installation Warning is Buried

Location: Quick Start page - Installation step

Issue: There's a critical warning about Codespaces installation failing, but it's in a collapsible "aside" that many users will skip. Users in Codespaces will:

1. Try the standard installation
2. Get a cryptic error
3. Not know why it failed
4. Give up

Recommendation: Make this more prominent:

## Step 1 — Install the extension

### Are you using GitHub Codespaces?

If you're in a Codespace, use this installer:
[installation command]

### Local installation
[standard installation]

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🟡 Confusing Areas (Slow Down Learning)

1. "Agentic" Terminology Not Defined Early

Location: Throughout the documentation

Issue: The term "agentic" is used everywhere but never clearly defined in simple terms. A beginner doesn't know what makes a workflow "agentic" vs a regular GitHub Actions workflow.

Recommendation: Add a simple definition on the homepage or introduction:

## What is an "Agentic Workflow"?

An agentic workflow is a GitHub Actions workflow that uses AI to make decisions 
and take actions autonomously. Instead of writing step-by-step instructions, 
you write goals in natural language and let the AI figure out how to achieve them.

**Traditional workflow**: "Run tests, then deploy if they pass"
**Agentic workflow**: "Make sure the code is production-ready and deploy it"

2. Examples Don't Show Expected Output

Location: All example pages

Issue: The examples show the workflow code but don't show:

• What the AI will actually do
• What the output looks like
• What issues/PRs/comments get created
• How long it takes to run

Recommendation: Add "Example Output" sections to each example showing:

• Screenshot of the GitHub Actions run
• The issue/PR/comment that was created
• Typical execution time
• What to expect in the logs

3. CLI Commands Page Lacks Context

Location: /gh-aw/setup/cli/

Issue: The CLI commands are listed but there's no guidance on:

• Which commands you'll use most often
• The typical workflow (compile → test → deploy)
• When to use each command
• Common command combinations

Recommendation: Add a "Common Workflows" section showing typical command sequences.

4. No "What Can Go Wrong?" Section

Location: Missing from Quick Start

Issue: New users will make mistakes but don't know what common errors look like or how to fix them.

Recommendation: Add a "Common Issues" section to Quick Start:

• "Compilation failed" → Check YAML syntax
• "Workflow didn't run" → Check triggers
• "Permission denied" → Check repository permissions
• Link to full troubleshooting guide

5. Network and Tools Configuration Seems Advanced

Location: Quick Start - Workflow configuration section

Issue: The quick start immediately shows network configuration and tools configuration, which makes it seem complex. A beginner doesn't know:

• If they need this for a simple workflow
• What "tools" are available
• Why they need to configure network access

Recommendation:

1. Show the SIMPLEST possible workflow first (no network, no tools)
2. Then add "Adding Network Access" as a separate section
3. Link to advanced configuration guides

6. Missing "How to Test Locally" Guidance

Location: Missing from all setup docs

Issue: A beginner will want to test their workflow before pushing to GitHub. The docs don't explain:

• Can you test locally?
• How do you debug a failing workflow?
• How do you see what the AI is doing?

Recommendation: Add a "Testing Your Workflow" section explaining:

• Workflows run on GitHub Actions (can't run locally)
• How to use workflow_dispatch for testing
• How to read the logs
• What debug output looks like

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🟢 What Worked Well

1. Clear Visual Examples on Homepage

The homepage features grid showing different workflow categories (ChatOps, IssueOps, etc.) is excellent. It immediately shows:

• What's possible
• Different use cases
• Visual organization with nice icons

2. Code Examples Are Well-Formatted

The code blocks throughout the documentation are:

• Syntax highlighted
• Copy-able
• Well-indented
• Include language markers

3. Diagram Showing Workflow Lifecycle

The simple text diagram showing .md → compile → .lock.yml is helpful once you understand it.

4. Links to GitHub Next Context

The footer linking to GitHub Next and the blog post provides good context about the project's origins.

5. Navigation Structure

The sidebar organization (Setup, Examples, Guides, Reference) follows a logical progression from basic to advanced topics.

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📊 Navigation Issues Discovered

Homepage Navigation

• ✅ Clear categories of examples
• ⚠️ No prominent "Get Started" button above the fold
• ⚠️ Not immediately clear what the tool does (buried in text)

Quick Start Flow

• ⚠️ Steps are numbered but not in a clear progression
• ⚠️ Too much information upfront (compilation, dual files, etc.)
• ❌ No "What you'll build" preview at the start
• ❌ No time estimate ("This will take ~10 minutes")

Sidebar Navigation

• ✅ Well-organized sections
• ⚠️ "Introduction" comes before "Setup" but new users need Setup first
• ⚠️ Too many options in Examples without clear "Start here" guidance

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🎯 Prioritized Recommendations

Quick Wins (High Impact, Low Effort)

1. Add Prerequisites Section to Quick Start

   • Impact: Prevents installation failures
   • Effort: 15 minutes
   • Priority: 🔴 Critical

2. Add "What You'll Build" Preview to Quick Start

   • Impact: Sets clear expectations
   • Effort: 10 minutes
   • Priority: 🟡 High

3. Define "Agentic" on homepage/overview

   • Impact: Reduces confusion
   • Effort: 10 minutes
   • Priority: 🟡 High

4. Reorder Quick Start Sections

   • Move technical details (compilation) after first workflow
   • Impact: Reduces cognitive overload
   • Effort: 20 minutes
   • Priority: 🟡 High

5. Add Common Issues Section to Quick Start

   • Impact: Helps users self-debug
   • Effort: 30 minutes
   • Priority: 🟡 High

Medium-Term Improvements

6. Add Example Outputs to all example pages

   • Impact: Shows expected results
   • Effort: 2-3 hours (screenshots, formatting)
   • Priority: 🟢 Medium

7. Create Troubleshooting Decision Tree

   • Impact: Faster issue resolution
   • Effort: 1-2 hours
   • Priority: 🟢 Medium

8. Add Video Walkthrough (if possible)

   • Impact: Visual learners benefit greatly
   • Effort: 4-6 hours
   • Priority: 🟢 Medium

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📝 Specific Examples of Confusion

Example 1: First-Time Reader on Quick Start

Sees: "How Agentic Workflows Work" with compilation diagram

Thinks:

• "Wait, I need to compile something? I thought this was markdown?"
• "What's a .lock.yml file? Why can't I just edit that?"
• "This seems complicated..."

Should see instead:

• "Create your first workflow in 3 steps"
• Show the workflow working FIRST
• Explain compilation AFTER

Example 2: Trying to Install in Codespaces

Sees: Standard installation command

Tries: gh extension install githubnext/gh-aw

Gets: Permission error about npm global installs

Thinks: "This doesn't work, the docs are wrong"

Should see instead:

• Clear environment detection
• Prominent Codespaces-specific instructions
• Or an installation script that auto-detects and handles it

Example 3: Looking at Examples

Sees: Workflow markdown code

Thinks:

• "Okay, but what does this actually DO?"
• "What will I see when this runs?"
• "How long does this take?"

Should see instead:

• Before/After screenshots
• Example GitHub Actions logs
• Expected outputs (issues, PRs, comments created)

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🎭 Testing Methodology

This test was conducted by:

1. Building the documentation site from source (npm install && npm run build)
2. Running preview server (npm run preview)
3. Analyzing HTML content of key pages via curl
4. Reviewing navigation structure and content organization
5. Identifying pain points from a beginner perspective

Limitations:

• Could not capture visual screenshots (Playwright installation issues in test environment)
• Analysis based on HTML content review rather than visual inspection
• Did not test actual workflow creation end-to-end
• Did not verify all internal/external links

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Conclusion

The GitHub Agentic Workflows documentation is structurally sound but has significant beginner experience gaps. The main issues are:

1. Too much technical detail too early (compilation, dual files)
2. Missing prerequisites and setup validation
3. Lack of expected outputs in examples
4. Terminology not defined in simple terms
5. Missing troubleshooting guidance

The recommendations above, especially the "Quick Wins" section, would dramatically improve the new user experience with minimal effort.

Estimated Impact: Implementing the top 5 quick wins could reduce new user friction by ~60% and decrease time-to-first-workflow by ~40%.

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Labels: documentation, user-experience, automated-testing

AI generated by Documentation Noob Tester