Prepare the next publishable Guardex npm patch release

README.md

@@ -671,6 +671,11 @@ npm pack --dry-run
 <details>
 <summary><strong>v7.x</strong></summary>
 
+### v7.0.22
+- Bumped `@imdeadpool/guardex` from `7.0.21` to `7.0.22` so npm can publish the next release from the current merged mainline.
+- The shipped `main` payload already includes lower-token prompt slices, SCM-selected lane visibility, truthful merged-cleanup evidence, the Active Agents brand/icon refresh, and the remaining CLI extraction cleanups without changing Guardex behavior.
+- Keep the release scoped to version and release metadata only; the package payload stays the same as the verified `main` branch contents.
+
 ### v7.0.21
 - Bumped `@imdeadpool/guardex` from `7.0.20` to `7.0.21` so npm can publish the next release from the current merged mainline.
 - Keep the release scoped to version and release metadata only; the package payload stays the same as the verified `main` branch contents.

openspec/changes/agent-codex-release-guardex-7-0-22-2026-04-22-16-19/proposal.md

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+## Why
+
+- The npm registry already serves `@imdeadpool/guardex@7.0.21`, so the package metadata needs the next publishable patch version before another release can be cut.
+- `main` now contains post-`7.0.21` operator-facing improvements that are not recorded in the README release history yet, so the release notes would drift again without a matching version bump.
+
+## What Changes
+
+- Bump the package release metadata from `7.0.21` to `7.0.22` in `package.json` and `package-lock.json`.
+- Add a `README.md` release-notes entry for `v7.0.22` that captures the shipped lower-token prompt slices, SCM lane visibility, truthful merged-cleanup evidence, Active Agents branding refresh, and reviewability-only CLI extraction cleanup already merged on `main`.
+
+## Impact
+
+- Unblocks the next npm publish without changing runtime behavior beyond what is already merged on `main`.
+- Keeps the packaged version, lockfile metadata, and README release history aligned so the release state stays trustworthy.

openspec/changes/agent-codex-release-guardex-7-0-22-2026-04-22-16-19/specs/release-version-bump/spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+## ADDED Requirements
+
+### Requirement: Release recovery version alignment
+The release metadata SHALL move to the next publishable package version when maintainers intentionally request the next npm release after the current published Guardex version.
+
+#### Scenario: Prepare the next publishable npm patch release
+- **GIVEN** the current Guardex package version is already the latest published release metadata in the repo and npm registry
+- **WHEN** maintainers request the next npm version bump
+- **THEN** `package.json` and `package-lock.json` SHALL be bumped to the next publishable semver
+- **AND** `README.md` SHALL record the new release version with the newly shipped behavior that the package now contains.

openspec/changes/agent-codex-release-guardex-7-0-22-2026-04-22-16-19/tasks.md

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+## 1. Specification
+
+- [x] 1.1 Finalize proposal scope and acceptance criteria for `agent-codex-release-guardex-7-0-22-2026-04-22-16-19`.
+- [x] 1.2 Define normative requirements in `specs/release-version-bump/spec.md`.
+
+## 2. Implementation
+
+- [x] 2.1 Bump `package.json`, `package-lock.json`, and `README.md` to the next publishable Guardex release version.
+- [x] 2.2 Keep the release scoped to metadata only; no runtime payload changes are introduced in this lane.
+
+## 3. Verification
+
+- [x] 3.1 Run `node --test test/metadata.test.js`, `node --check bin/multiagent-safety.js`, and `npm pack --dry-run` for the release-only change. All three passed in `/tmp/gitguardex-release-7-0-22`; metadata finished with `18/18` passing tests, and `npm pack --dry-run` produced `imdeadpool-guardex-7.0.22.tgz`.
+- [x] 3.2 Run `openspec validate agent-codex-release-guardex-7-0-22-2026-04-22-16-19 --type change --strict`.
+- [x] 3.3 Run `openspec validate --specs`. Current repo baseline reports `No items found to validate.` and exits clean.
+
+## 4. Cleanup
+
+- [ ] 4.1 Run: `gx branch finish --branch agent/codex/release-guardex-7-0-22-2026-04-22-16-19 --base main --via-pr --wait-for-merge --cleanup`
+- [ ] 4.2 Record PR URL + `MERGED` state in the completion handoff.
+- [ ] 4.3 Confirm sandbox worktree is gone (`git worktree list`, `git branch -a`).

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@imdeadpool/guardex",
-  "version": "7.0.21",
+  "version": "7.0.22",
   "description": "Guardian T-Rex for your multi-agent repo. Isolated worktrees, file locks, and PR-only merges stop parallel Codex & Claude agents from overwriting each other's work. Auto-wires Oh My Codex, Oh My Claude, OpenSpec, and Caveman.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "preferGlobal": true,