Linked issue enforcer workflow closes PRs earlier than documented grace period

[ZainabTravadi]

Description

The linked-issue enforcer workflow currently states that pull requests without linked issues are automatically closed after 3 days, but the workflow configuration passes HOURS_BEFORE_CLOSE: "12" to the enforcement script.

As a result, PRs may be closed after 12 hours instead of the documented 72-hour grace period, creating a contributor-facing inconsistency between the workflow policy and runtime behavior.

Expected behavior:
PRs without linked issues should remain open for the documented 3-day grace period before automatic closure.

Steps to reproduce

1. Open a PR without linking an issue.
2. Inspect .github/workflows/cron-enforcer-pr-linked-issue.yml.
3. Observe:

• workflow/header messaging mentions a 3-day grace period,
• runtime configuration sets HOURS_BEFORE_CLOSE: "12".

Additional context

The enforcement script already supports configurable grace periods via the HOURS_BEFORE_CLOSE environment variable, so this appears to be a workflow configuration mismatch rather than a script logic issue.

Hedera network

No response

Version

v0.2.6

Operating system

None

[exploreriii]

We were having some problems with AI bots mass-creating unlinked issues, so we had to accelerate the closure of unlinked PRs. 12 hours might be too tight now, I can understand moving it to 1 day but 3 days stuff can start to happen.

[ZainabTravadi]

That makes sense, thanks for the context! I wasn’t aware the shorter window was introduced due to AI-generated unlinked PR spam.

I agree that 3 days may now be too long in that case. A 24-hour grace period sounds like a more balanced compromise between contributor experience and moderation overhead.

I can update the PR to align the workflow and messaging around a 1-day window instead if that would be preferable.