Source Trace

The evidence chain that keeps requests, source work, releases, and updates connected.

Source trace is the reason Amend exists. It stops public product communication from drifting away from the work that actually shipped.

Trace shape

Every update should be able to show a compact chain:

customer request -> source work -> review decision -> public update -> notification audience

That chain can be shown to operators in the dashboard and collapsed into a cleaner story for customers in the portal.

Inputs

Input	Why it matters
Feedback	Captures the customer ask and who should hear back
Account identity	Helps prioritize impact and target notifications
GitHub issue or PR	Provides source evidence and status
Release or commit	Proves the work shipped
Workspace rules	Decides whether to draft, hold, or require review
Prior updates	Prevents duplicate or contradictory announcements

Confidence levels

Use different behavior based on evidence quality:

Confidence	Example	Suggested action
Strong	Feedback links directly to a merged PR and release	Draft update and queue notification
Medium	Feedback matches an issue label or milestone	Draft for review with source caveat
Weak	Similar wording but no source relation	Suggest investigation, do not publish

Review before publish

The reviewer should see the public copy beside the source chain. That makes it easy to rewrite tone, hold the update, merge duplicate asks, or mark the suggestion as not relevant.

Public output

Customers do not need to see every commit or internal decision. They need a clear answer:

what changed
why it matters to their request
whether action is required
where the roadmap or changelog item now lives

Keep the trace visible to the team, and keep the portal readable for customers.

Source events explains how evidence enters Amend.
Automation explains how source evidence becomes reviewable decisions.
Customer surfaces explains how users, accounts, feedback, and update feeds stay connected.