diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index e7e877f..fdbb047 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 
 Closes #
 
+## Root cause
+
+<!-- Only for a fix. The mechanism, with file::symbol references. Why does the current state produce the wrong or old behaviour? Cite field evidence: reports and issue numbers. -->
+
 ## Kind of change (tick one)
 
 - [ ] Fixes something that does not work
@@ -28,4 +32,18 @@ Closes #
 
 ## How it was checked
 
-<!-- Commands you ran and what they printed. -->
+| Check | Before | After |
+|---|---|---|
+| | | |
+
+Not covered: <!-- Gaps, and which issue covers each. Failures that reproduce identically on the untouched base are recorded limitations, not suppressed tests. -->
+
+## Prior art and claim label
+
+<!-- What did you search, where, what did you find? "Not found" is not "new". Label: PROVEN / VERIFIED (finite check) / KNOWN (cite) / CONJECTURE. -->
+
+## Disclosure
+
+<!-- Delete this section if none. What traffic goes where, what is read or stored, credentials, telemetry. -->
+
+> Automated posting by agentic team with human oversight.