Refresh documentation and policies and simplify releases

docs/internal/validators.md

@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 
 ## Scope
 
-This document describes validator composition, execution order, and decision handling.
+This document describes internal validator composition, execution order, and
+decision handling. These registry keys identify implementation components; they
+are not independently selectable through [configuration](../config.md#pipeline-and-output).
 
 ## Ownership
 
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ Decision cardinality is enforced: each candidate proposal must receive exactly o
 
 LLM validators:
 - build canonical validation request payloads;
-- batch by `validation_max_prompt_tokens`;
+- batch using the [configured prompt budget](../config.md#concurrency);
 - call structured LLM client using response schema registry.
 
 Oversized single proposals are rejected with `validator_input_too_large`.
@@ -57,12 +59,25 @@ Malformed LLM validator responses are downgraded to warnings and rejected batch
 
 ## Decision and Rejection Reporting
 
-Runner records:
-- `validator_decisions`
-- `validator_rejected`
-- warning records (including malformed response warnings)
+Runner collects decisions, rejected candidates, and warning records. Ledger
+assembly groups decisions by deterministic versus LLM-backed execution metadata.
+The serialized names and fields belong to the
+[report and ledger contract](../integrations/output-files.md); implementation mapping
+is covered by [report assembly](diagnostics-reporting.md).
 
-Correction ledger classifies deterministic vs LLM validator decisions using canonical metadata classes.
+## Changing Validators
+
+1. Implement validator behavior under `internal/validators/<validator_key>`;
+   update registry and chain wiring in `internal/validators`.
+2. Put shared runtime mechanics in `internal/framework/validators` only when
+   needed. Keep deterministic versus LLM-backed execution metadata explicit.
+3. Preserve exposed identities and decision semantics under the
+   [architecture policy](../policy/architecture.md#correction-and-concurrency-invariants).
+4. Review validator, registry, chain, batching, malformed-output, diagnostics,
+   and decision-cardinality tests; update meaningful coverage under the
+   [testing policy](../policy/testing.md).
+5. Update implementation guidance here and any affected external contract in its
+   [canonical owner](../policy/documentation.md#canonical-ownership).
 
 ## Key Tests