feat(lint-org): add four structural heading checkers org-lint misses

org-lint validates links, drawers, blocks, and babel, but not heading well-formedness. These four catch hand-edit defects it stays silent on: an indented heading demoted to body text (the task vanishes from the agenda and never archives), bare stars with no title, a malformed priority cookie org rejected, and a level-2 DONE/CANCELLED with no CLOSED line. All judgment-only and regex-based, wired in after the existing dated-header check. The last one pairs with the new aging step, which archives an undated completed task immediately.

I tightened the indented-heading check to two-or-more stars. The proposed one-or-more-stars regex flagged indented single-star lines, but an indented single * is a valid plain-list bullet, not a lost heading, so it false-positived on legitimate lists (confirmed: three valid bullets flagged). A ** is never a bullet, so an indented one is unambiguously a demoted heading. Added a test that a single-star list stays silent.

5 files changed, 437 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/.ai/scripts/lint-org.el b/.ai/scripts/lint-org.el
index 3633dba..5447cb3 100644
--- a/.ai/scripts/lint-org.el
+++ b/.ai/scripts/lint-org.el
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@
 ;;   link-to-local-file                broken file: links
 ;;   invalid-fuzzy-link                broken *Heading refs
 ;;   suspicious-language-in-src-block  unknown source-block language
+;;   org-table-standard                table wider than budget / missing rules
+;;   level-2-dated-header              ** dated header instead of a keyword
+;;   indented-heading                  whitespace before stars (demoted to body)
+;;   empty-heading                     bare stars with no title
+;;   malformed-priority-cookie         [#x]-shaped token org rejected
+;;   level2-done-without-closed        completed level-2 task with no CLOSED
 ;;   (anything else)                   surfaced as judgment with checker name
 ;;
 ;; Output format on stdout:
@@ -393,6 +399,110 @@ Emits one judgment item per offending heading (checker
        "level-2 dated header is a completion defect (todo-format.md): a ** task or VERIFY closes with DONE/CANCELLED + CLOSED:, not a dated heading — convert it so --archive-done can archive it"))))
 
 ;;; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+;;; structural heading checks (mistakes org-lint does not cover)
+;;
+;; org-lint validates links, drawers, blocks, and babel — but not heading
+;; well-formedness.  These four catch hand-edit defects it misses, all
+;; judgment-only (each repair is a human call) and regex-based (no dependence on
+;; which TODO keywords the batch Emacs happens to recognize):
+;;
+;;   indented-heading           leading whitespace before two-or-more stars; org
+;;                              demotes it to body text, so the task vanishes from
+;;                              the agenda and never archives.  The worst case — an
+;;                              invisible task — and silent.  Single `*' is left
+;;                              alone (a valid indented plain-list bullet).
+;;   empty-heading              a line of bare stars with no title.
+;;   malformed-priority-cookie  a `[#x]'-shaped token org rejected (lowercase,
+;;                              multi-char, non-letter) sitting where a cookie
+;;                              would be.
+;;   level2-done-without-closed a level-2 DONE/CANCELLED with no CLOSED line —
+;;                              directly relevant to todo-cleanup's aging step,
+;;                              which archives an undated completed task at once.
+
+(defconst lo-done-keywords '("DONE" "CANCELLED")
+  "Heading keywords treated as completed for `lo--check-level2-done-without-closed'.")
+
+(defun lo--check-indented-headings ()
+  "Flag lines that are whitespace + two-or-more stars + space outside any block.
+Org parses a heading only at column 0, so leading whitespace silently demotes a
+would-be heading to body text.  Two-or-more stars is required: an indented
+single `*' is a valid plain-list bullet, not a lost heading, so flagging it
+false-positives on legitimate lists; `**'+ is never a bullet, so an indented one
+is unambiguously a demoted level-2+ heading turned invisible.  Lines inside
+`#+begin_/#+end_' blocks are skipped — indented asterisks there are legitimate
+content."
+  (save-excursion
+    (goto-char (point-min))
+    (let ((in-block nil))
+      (while (not (eobp))
+        (cond
+         ((looking-at-p "^[ \t]*#\\+begin_") (setq in-block t))
+         ((looking-at-p "^[ \t]*#\\+end_") (setq in-block nil))
+         ((and (not in-block) (looking-at-p "^[ \t]+\\*\\*+[ \t]"))
+          (lo--emit-judgment
+           'indented-heading (line-number-at-pos)
+           "indented heading: leading whitespace before the stars demotes this to body text — org won't treat it as a heading (it vanishes from the agenda and never archives); dedent to column 0")))
+        (forward-line 1)))))
+
+(defun lo--check-empty-headings ()
+  "Flag headings that are bare stars with no title text.
+A line of nothing but stars is an empty heading — a stray heading-star carrying
+no content."
+  (save-excursion
+    (goto-char (point-min))
+    (while (re-search-forward "^\\*+[ \t]*$" nil t)
+      (lo--emit-judgment
+       'empty-heading (line-number-at-pos)
+       "empty heading: a line of stars with no title — delete it or give it a title"))))
+
+(defun lo--check-malformed-priority-cookies ()
+  "Flag a heading whose first cookie-shaped token is not a valid priority.
+A valid cookie is a single uppercase letter in `[#A]' form.  Verbatim-wrapped
+cookies (`=[#D]=' quoted in a dated-log title) are skipped.  Only the first
+token on the line is checked, so a real cookie earlier on the line means a
+later `[#x]' in the title is left alone."
+  (save-excursion
+    (goto-char (point-min))
+    ;; Case-sensitive: a cookie is uppercase only, and case-fold-search defaults
+    ;; to t (which would accept [#a] as valid).
+    (let ((case-fold-search nil))
+    (while (re-search-forward "^\\*+ " nil t)
+      (let ((eol (line-end-position)) (hline (line-number-at-pos)))
+        (when (re-search-forward "\\[#\\([^]]*\\)\\]" eol t)
+          (let ((inner (match-string 1))
+                (before (char-before (match-beginning 0)))
+                (after (char-after (match-end 0))))
+            (unless (or (eq before ?=) (eq after ?=)
+                        (string-match-p "\\`[A-Z]\\'" inner))
+              (lo--emit-judgment
+               'malformed-priority-cookie hline
+               (format "malformed priority cookie [#%s] — a cookie is a single uppercase letter ([#A]) right after the keyword; fix or remove it"
+                       inner)))))
+        (goto-char eol))))))
+
+(defun lo--check-level2-done-without-closed ()
+  "Flag a level-2 DONE/CANCELLED heading with no CLOSED line in its own entry.
+todo-cleanup's `--archive-done' aging step archives a completed task with no
+parseable CLOSED date immediately, so an undated completed task silently leaves
+the live file on the next `task-sorted'."
+  (save-excursion
+    (goto-char (point-min))
+    ;; Case-sensitive: DONE/CANCELLED are uppercase keywords, not the words
+    ;; "done"/"cancelled" in a heading title (case-fold-search defaults to t).
+    (let ((case-fold-search nil)
+          (re (format "^\\*\\* \\(%s\\) "
+                      (mapconcat #'regexp-quote lo-done-keywords "\\|"))))
+      (while (re-search-forward re nil t)
+        (let ((hline (line-number-at-pos))
+              (entry-end (save-excursion (outline-next-heading) (point))))
+          (save-excursion
+            (forward-line 1)
+            (unless (re-search-forward "^[ \t]*CLOSED:[ \t]*\\[" entry-end t)
+              (lo--emit-judgment
+               'level2-done-without-closed hline
+               "level-2 DONE/CANCELLED has no CLOSED date — add CLOSED: [YYYY-MM-DD Day]; task-sorted's aging step archives an undated completed task immediately"))))))))
+
+;;; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ;;; File processing
 
 (defun lo--backup (file)
@@ -428,6 +538,11 @@ left unmodified and mechanical entries are recorded with :preview t."
           (lo--check-tables)
           ;; Same shape: flag level-2 dated headers (completion defects).
           (lo--check-level2-dated-headers)
+          ;; Structural heading defects org-lint doesn't cover.
+          (lo--check-indented-headings)
+          (lo--check-empty-headings)
+          (lo--check-malformed-priority-cookies)
+          (lo--check-level2-done-without-closed)
           (when (and (not lo-check-only) (buffer-modified-p))
             (save-buffer)))
       (with-current-buffer buf (set-buffer-modified-p nil))
diff --git a/.ai/scripts/tests/test-lint-org.el b/.ai/scripts/tests/test-lint-org.el
index 242c35c..3b8a9bb 100644
--- a/.ai/scripts/tests/test-lint-org.el
+++ b/.ai/scripts/tests/test-lint-org.el
@@ -685,5 +685,81 @@ missing-rules violation."
          (judgments (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
     (should-not (member 'level-2-dated-header (lo-test--checkers judgments)))))
 
+;;; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+;;; structural heading checks (org-lint gaps)
+
+(defun lo-test--checker-lines (issues checker)
+  "Lines of judgment ISSUES whose :checker is CHECKER, document order."
+  (mapcar (lambda (i) (plist-get i :line))
+          (cl-remove-if-not
+           (lambda (i) (and (eq (plist-get i :kind) 'judgment)
+                            (eq (plist-get i :checker) checker)))
+           (reverse issues))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-indented-heading-flags-leading-whitespace ()
+  "Error: a heading indented off column 0 is flagged (org demotes it to body)."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open\n  ** TODO indented and lost\n** TODO fine\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should (member 'indented-heading (lo-test--checkers j)))
+    (should (= 1 (length (lo-test--checker-lines (plist-get out :issues)
+                                                 'indented-heading))))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-indented-heading-skips-stars-inside-blocks ()
+  "Boundary: indented stars inside a #+begin_/#+end_ block are legitimate content."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open\n#+begin_example\n  ** not a heading\n#+end_example\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should-not (member 'indented-heading (lo-test--checkers j)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-indented-heading-skips-single-star-list-bullets ()
+  "Normal: an indented single `*' is a valid plain-list bullet, not a demoted
+heading, so it is not flagged — only two-or-more indented stars are."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open\nintro line\n  * first bullet\n  * second bullet\n    * nested bullet\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should-not (member 'indented-heading (lo-test--checkers j)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-empty-heading-flags-bare-stars ()
+  "Error: a line of bare stars with no title is flagged."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open\n** \n** TODO real\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should (member 'empty-heading (lo-test--checkers j)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-malformed-priority-flags-lowercase-and-skips-valid ()
+  "Error + Normal: a lowercase/oversized cookie flags; a valid [#B] stays silent."
+  (let* ((bad (lo-test--run "* Open\n** TODO [#a] lowercase cookie\n** TODO [#BB] oversized\n"))
+         (ok (lo-test--run "* Open\n** TODO [#B] valid cookie\n"))
+         (jo (lo-test--judgments (plist-get ok :issues))))
+    (should (= 2 (length (lo-test--checker-lines (plist-get bad :issues)
+                                                 'malformed-priority-cookie))))
+    (should-not (member 'malformed-priority-cookie (lo-test--checkers jo)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-malformed-priority-skips-verbatim-cookie-in-title ()
+  "Boundary: a dated-log title quoting =[#D]= verbatim is not a real cookie."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open\n** TODO [#B] parent\n*** 2026-05-14 reprioritized =[#D]= -> =[#B]=\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should-not (member 'malformed-priority-cookie (lo-test--checkers j)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-done-without-closed-flags-undated-level2 ()
+  "Error: a level-2 DONE with no CLOSED line is flagged; a dated one is not."
+  (let* ((bad (lo-test--run "* Resolved\n** DONE undated finished\nbody\n"))
+         (jb (lo-test--judgments (plist-get bad :issues)))
+         (ok (lo-test--run "* Resolved\n** DONE dated\nCLOSED: [2026-06-29 Mon]\n"))
+         (jo (lo-test--judgments (plist-get ok :issues))))
+    (should (member 'level2-done-without-closed (lo-test--checkers jb)))
+    (should-not (member 'level2-done-without-closed (lo-test--checkers jo)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-done-without-closed-ignores-deeper-levels ()
+  "Boundary: a level-3 DONE (a dated-log sub-entry) need not carry CLOSED."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Resolved\n** DONE parent\nCLOSED: [2026-06-29 Mon]\n*** DONE nested no-closed\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should-not (member 'level2-done-without-closed (lo-test--checkers j)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-structural-checks-silent-on-clean-file ()
+  "Normal: a well-formed file trips none of the four structural checkers."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open Work\n** TODO [#A] a task :tag:\n** DOING [#B] another\n* Resolved\n** DONE [#C] done\nCLOSED: [2026-06-29 Mon]\n"))
+         (checkers (lo-test--checkers (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues)))))
+    (dolist (c '(indented-heading empty-heading malformed-priority-cookie
+                 level2-done-without-closed))
+      (should-not (member c checkers)))))
+
 (provide 'test-lint-org)
 ;;; test-lint-org.el ends here
diff --git a/claude-templates/.ai/scripts/lint-org.el b/claude-templates/.ai/scripts/lint-org.el
index 3633dba..5447cb3 100644
--- a/claude-templates/.ai/scripts/lint-org.el
+++ b/claude-templates/.ai/scripts/lint-org.el
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@
 ;;   link-to-local-file                broken file: links
 ;;   invalid-fuzzy-link                broken *Heading refs
 ;;   suspicious-language-in-src-block  unknown source-block language
+;;   org-table-standard                table wider than budget / missing rules
+;;   level-2-dated-header              ** dated header instead of a keyword
+;;   indented-heading                  whitespace before stars (demoted to body)
+;;   empty-heading                     bare stars with no title
+;;   malformed-priority-cookie         [#x]-shaped token org rejected
+;;   level2-done-without-closed        completed level-2 task with no CLOSED
 ;;   (anything else)                   surfaced as judgment with checker name
 ;;
 ;; Output format on stdout:
@@ -393,6 +399,110 @@ Emits one judgment item per offending heading (checker
        "level-2 dated header is a completion defect (todo-format.md): a ** task or VERIFY closes with DONE/CANCELLED + CLOSED:, not a dated heading — convert it so --archive-done can archive it"))))
 
 ;;; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+;;; structural heading checks (mistakes org-lint does not cover)
+;;
+;; org-lint validates links, drawers, blocks, and babel — but not heading
+;; well-formedness.  These four catch hand-edit defects it misses, all
+;; judgment-only (each repair is a human call) and regex-based (no dependence on
+;; which TODO keywords the batch Emacs happens to recognize):
+;;
+;;   indented-heading           leading whitespace before two-or-more stars; org
+;;                              demotes it to body text, so the task vanishes from
+;;                              the agenda and never archives.  The worst case — an
+;;                              invisible task — and silent.  Single `*' is left
+;;                              alone (a valid indented plain-list bullet).
+;;   empty-heading              a line of bare stars with no title.
+;;   malformed-priority-cookie  a `[#x]'-shaped token org rejected (lowercase,
+;;                              multi-char, non-letter) sitting where a cookie
+;;                              would be.
+;;   level2-done-without-closed a level-2 DONE/CANCELLED with no CLOSED line —
+;;                              directly relevant to todo-cleanup's aging step,
+;;                              which archives an undated completed task at once.
+
+(defconst lo-done-keywords '("DONE" "CANCELLED")
+  "Heading keywords treated as completed for `lo--check-level2-done-without-closed'.")
+
+(defun lo--check-indented-headings ()
+  "Flag lines that are whitespace + two-or-more stars + space outside any block.
+Org parses a heading only at column 0, so leading whitespace silently demotes a
+would-be heading to body text.  Two-or-more stars is required: an indented
+single `*' is a valid plain-list bullet, not a lost heading, so flagging it
+false-positives on legitimate lists; `**'+ is never a bullet, so an indented one
+is unambiguously a demoted level-2+ heading turned invisible.  Lines inside
+`#+begin_/#+end_' blocks are skipped — indented asterisks there are legitimate
+content."
+  (save-excursion
+    (goto-char (point-min))
+    (let ((in-block nil))
+      (while (not (eobp))
+        (cond
+         ((looking-at-p "^[ \t]*#\\+begin_") (setq in-block t))
+         ((looking-at-p "^[ \t]*#\\+end_") (setq in-block nil))
+         ((and (not in-block) (looking-at-p "^[ \t]+\\*\\*+[ \t]"))
+          (lo--emit-judgment
+           'indented-heading (line-number-at-pos)
+           "indented heading: leading whitespace before the stars demotes this to body text — org won't treat it as a heading (it vanishes from the agenda and never archives); dedent to column 0")))
+        (forward-line 1)))))
+
+(defun lo--check-empty-headings ()
+  "Flag headings that are bare stars with no title text.
+A line of nothing but stars is an empty heading — a stray heading-star carrying
+no content."
+  (save-excursion
+    (goto-char (point-min))
+    (while (re-search-forward "^\\*+[ \t]*$" nil t)
+      (lo--emit-judgment
+       'empty-heading (line-number-at-pos)
+       "empty heading: a line of stars with no title — delete it or give it a title"))))
+
+(defun lo--check-malformed-priority-cookies ()
+  "Flag a heading whose first cookie-shaped token is not a valid priority.
+A valid cookie is a single uppercase letter in `[#A]' form.  Verbatim-wrapped
+cookies (`=[#D]=' quoted in a dated-log title) are skipped.  Only the first
+token on the line is checked, so a real cookie earlier on the line means a
+later `[#x]' in the title is left alone."
+  (save-excursion
+    (goto-char (point-min))
+    ;; Case-sensitive: a cookie is uppercase only, and case-fold-search defaults
+    ;; to t (which would accept [#a] as valid).
+    (let ((case-fold-search nil))
+    (while (re-search-forward "^\\*+ " nil t)
+      (let ((eol (line-end-position)) (hline (line-number-at-pos)))
+        (when (re-search-forward "\\[#\\([^]]*\\)\\]" eol t)
+          (let ((inner (match-string 1))
+                (before (char-before (match-beginning 0)))
+                (after (char-after (match-end 0))))
+            (unless (or (eq before ?=) (eq after ?=)
+                        (string-match-p "\\`[A-Z]\\'" inner))
+              (lo--emit-judgment
+               'malformed-priority-cookie hline
+               (format "malformed priority cookie [#%s] — a cookie is a single uppercase letter ([#A]) right after the keyword; fix or remove it"
+                       inner)))))
+        (goto-char eol))))))
+
+(defun lo--check-level2-done-without-closed ()
+  "Flag a level-2 DONE/CANCELLED heading with no CLOSED line in its own entry.
+todo-cleanup's `--archive-done' aging step archives a completed task with no
+parseable CLOSED date immediately, so an undated completed task silently leaves
+the live file on the next `task-sorted'."
+  (save-excursion
+    (goto-char (point-min))
+    ;; Case-sensitive: DONE/CANCELLED are uppercase keywords, not the words
+    ;; "done"/"cancelled" in a heading title (case-fold-search defaults to t).
+    (let ((case-fold-search nil)
+          (re (format "^\\*\\* \\(%s\\) "
+                      (mapconcat #'regexp-quote lo-done-keywords "\\|"))))
+      (while (re-search-forward re nil t)
+        (let ((hline (line-number-at-pos))
+              (entry-end (save-excursion (outline-next-heading) (point))))
+          (save-excursion
+            (forward-line 1)
+            (unless (re-search-forward "^[ \t]*CLOSED:[ \t]*\\[" entry-end t)
+              (lo--emit-judgment
+               'level2-done-without-closed hline
+               "level-2 DONE/CANCELLED has no CLOSED date — add CLOSED: [YYYY-MM-DD Day]; task-sorted's aging step archives an undated completed task immediately"))))))))
+
+;;; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ;;; File processing
 
 (defun lo--backup (file)
@@ -428,6 +538,11 @@ left unmodified and mechanical entries are recorded with :preview t."
           (lo--check-tables)
           ;; Same shape: flag level-2 dated headers (completion defects).
           (lo--check-level2-dated-headers)
+          ;; Structural heading defects org-lint doesn't cover.
+          (lo--check-indented-headings)
+          (lo--check-empty-headings)
+          (lo--check-malformed-priority-cookies)
+          (lo--check-level2-done-without-closed)
           (when (and (not lo-check-only) (buffer-modified-p))
             (save-buffer)))
       (with-current-buffer buf (set-buffer-modified-p nil))
diff --git a/claude-templates/.ai/scripts/tests/test-lint-org.el b/claude-templates/.ai/scripts/tests/test-lint-org.el
index 242c35c..3b8a9bb 100644
--- a/claude-templates/.ai/scripts/tests/test-lint-org.el
+++ b/claude-templates/.ai/scripts/tests/test-lint-org.el
@@ -685,5 +685,81 @@ missing-rules violation."
          (judgments (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
     (should-not (member 'level-2-dated-header (lo-test--checkers judgments)))))
 
+;;; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+;;; structural heading checks (org-lint gaps)
+
+(defun lo-test--checker-lines (issues checker)
+  "Lines of judgment ISSUES whose :checker is CHECKER, document order."
+  (mapcar (lambda (i) (plist-get i :line))
+          (cl-remove-if-not
+           (lambda (i) (and (eq (plist-get i :kind) 'judgment)
+                            (eq (plist-get i :checker) checker)))
+           (reverse issues))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-indented-heading-flags-leading-whitespace ()
+  "Error: a heading indented off column 0 is flagged (org demotes it to body)."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open\n  ** TODO indented and lost\n** TODO fine\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should (member 'indented-heading (lo-test--checkers j)))
+    (should (= 1 (length (lo-test--checker-lines (plist-get out :issues)
+                                                 'indented-heading))))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-indented-heading-skips-stars-inside-blocks ()
+  "Boundary: indented stars inside a #+begin_/#+end_ block are legitimate content."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open\n#+begin_example\n  ** not a heading\n#+end_example\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should-not (member 'indented-heading (lo-test--checkers j)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-indented-heading-skips-single-star-list-bullets ()
+  "Normal: an indented single `*' is a valid plain-list bullet, not a demoted
+heading, so it is not flagged — only two-or-more indented stars are."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open\nintro line\n  * first bullet\n  * second bullet\n    * nested bullet\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should-not (member 'indented-heading (lo-test--checkers j)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-empty-heading-flags-bare-stars ()
+  "Error: a line of bare stars with no title is flagged."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open\n** \n** TODO real\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should (member 'empty-heading (lo-test--checkers j)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-malformed-priority-flags-lowercase-and-skips-valid ()
+  "Error + Normal: a lowercase/oversized cookie flags; a valid [#B] stays silent."
+  (let* ((bad (lo-test--run "* Open\n** TODO [#a] lowercase cookie\n** TODO [#BB] oversized\n"))
+         (ok (lo-test--run "* Open\n** TODO [#B] valid cookie\n"))
+         (jo (lo-test--judgments (plist-get ok :issues))))
+    (should (= 2 (length (lo-test--checker-lines (plist-get bad :issues)
+                                                 'malformed-priority-cookie))))
+    (should-not (member 'malformed-priority-cookie (lo-test--checkers jo)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-malformed-priority-skips-verbatim-cookie-in-title ()
+  "Boundary: a dated-log title quoting =[#D]= verbatim is not a real cookie."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open\n** TODO [#B] parent\n*** 2026-05-14 reprioritized =[#D]= -> =[#B]=\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should-not (member 'malformed-priority-cookie (lo-test--checkers j)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-done-without-closed-flags-undated-level2 ()
+  "Error: a level-2 DONE with no CLOSED line is flagged; a dated one is not."
+  (let* ((bad (lo-test--run "* Resolved\n** DONE undated finished\nbody\n"))
+         (jb (lo-test--judgments (plist-get bad :issues)))
+         (ok (lo-test--run "* Resolved\n** DONE dated\nCLOSED: [2026-06-29 Mon]\n"))
+         (jo (lo-test--judgments (plist-get ok :issues))))
+    (should (member 'level2-done-without-closed (lo-test--checkers jb)))
+    (should-not (member 'level2-done-without-closed (lo-test--checkers jo)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-done-without-closed-ignores-deeper-levels ()
+  "Boundary: a level-3 DONE (a dated-log sub-entry) need not carry CLOSED."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Resolved\n** DONE parent\nCLOSED: [2026-06-29 Mon]\n*** DONE nested no-closed\n"))
+         (j (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues))))
+    (should-not (member 'level2-done-without-closed (lo-test--checkers j)))))
+
+(ert-deftest lo-structural-checks-silent-on-clean-file ()
+  "Normal: a well-formed file trips none of the four structural checkers."
+  (let* ((out (lo-test--run "* Open Work\n** TODO [#A] a task :tag:\n** DOING [#B] another\n* Resolved\n** DONE [#C] done\nCLOSED: [2026-06-29 Mon]\n"))
+         (checkers (lo-test--checkers (lo-test--judgments (plist-get out :issues)))))
+    (dolist (c '(indented-heading empty-heading malformed-priority-cookie
+                 level2-done-without-closed))
+      (should-not (member c checkers)))))
+
 (provide 'test-lint-org)
 ;;; test-lint-org.el ends here
diff --git a/docs/design/2026-06-29-lint-org-structural-checkers-proposal.org b/docs/design/2026-06-29-lint-org-structural-checkers-proposal.org
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c464aca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/design/2026-06-29-lint-org-structural-checkers-proposal.org
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#+TITLE: lint-org.el — four structural heading checkers org-lint doesn't cover
+
+* What changed (from .emacs.d, 2026-06-29)
+
+Added four custom judgment checkers to =lint-org.el=, following the existing
+=lo--check-tables= / =lo--check-level2-dated-headers= pattern (custom scans run
+after the org-lint pass, emitting judgment items, never auto-fixed):
+
+- =indented-heading= — a line of whitespace + stars + space OUTSIDE any block.
+  org parses a heading only at column 0, so leading whitespace silently demotes
+  a would-be heading to body text: the task vanishes from the agenda and never
+  archives. The worst defect class (an invisible task) and entirely silent
+  today. Skips indented stars inside =#+begin_/#+end_= blocks (legit content).
+- =empty-heading= — a line of bare stars with no title.
+- =malformed-priority-cookie= — a =[#x]=-shaped token org rejected (lowercase,
+  multi-char, non-letter) left stranded where a cookie would be. Checks only the
+  first cookie token per heading; skips verbatim-wrapped =[#D]= in dated-log
+  titles.
+- =level2-done-without-closed= — a level-2 DONE/CANCELLED with no CLOSED line.
+  Directly supports the todo-cleanup aging step (sent separately today): an
+  undated completed task gets force-archived immediately, so flagging it lets
+  the human add CLOSED first.
+
+Two attached files (edited canonical candidates): =lint-org.el=,
+=tests/test-lint-org.el=.
+
+* Why
+
+org-lint validates links, drawers, blocks, and babel — but NOT heading
+well-formedness. On Craig's .emacs.d todo.org a missing org-bullet in the live
+buffer prompted the question "is the file structurally okay?", and org-lint
+(even unfiltered, all checkers) reported nothing actionable. These four close
+the gap. They are general (any org file), not project-specific.
+
+* Design notes for the canonical
+
+- All four are regex-based, NOT org-element/keyword-based, so they don't depend
+  on which TODO keywords the batch Emacs happens to recognize (lint-org.el does
+  not set =org-todo-keywords=). The =level2-done-without-closed= done set is a
+  defconst =lo-done-keywords= (DONE/CANCELLED) for easy extension.
+- *Gotcha worth carrying in the canonical:* =case-fold-search= defaults to t, so
+  a naive =[A-Z]= cookie check accepts =[#a]= as valid and =\(DONE\|CANCELLED\)=
+  matches the title words "done"/"cancelled". Both letter-sensitive checkers
+  bind =case-fold-search nil=. (Caught by a failing test before it shipped.)
+- Wired into =lo-process-file= after =lo--check-level2-dated-headers=. Judgment
+  output already flows through the existing report + followups-file machinery.
+- 8 new ERT tests (good-input-silent + bad-input-flagged for each, plus
+  block-skip and verbatim-skip boundary cases). 44/44 green. Zero false
+  positives on a real 5600-line todo.org.
+
+* Note
+
+=make task-sorted= in .emacs.d now runs =lint-org.el todo.org= after the
+archive, so these checkers also gate the task-hygiene target. Makefiles aren't
+template-synced; that wiring is project-local (noted for context).