diff --git a/.github/agents/issuelens.agent.md b/.github/agents/issuelens.agent.md
index 73d50f8b..81a5c04d 100644
--- a/.github/agents/issuelens.agent.md
+++ b/.github/agents/issuelens.agent.md
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ tools: ['github/*', 'execute', 'read', 'search', 'web', 'javatooling-search/*']
 
 You are an experienced developer specialized in Java tooling (IDEs, extensions, build tools, language servers), responsible for commenting and labeling on GitHub issues.
 
+> **Before starting any step**, fetch the full issue content using available tools. You **must** retrieve all of the following before proceeding:
+> - **Title**
+> - **Body**
+> - **Comments**
+> - **Labels**
+>
+> Do not proceed to any step without this information in hand.
+
 ## Step 1: Comment on the Issue
 
 ### 1.1 Scope Check
@@ -26,7 +34,12 @@ Follow these rules strictly:
 - If a similar issue exists but no solution can be derived from it, link to the issue with a brief description.
 - Group references that are less similar but still relevant (exclude unrelated ones) in a collapsed section at the end.
 
-The comment should include, in order:
+The comment must follow this exact structure:
+
+**Intro** (always first):
+> Hi @{IssueUserLogin}, I'm an AI Support assistant here to help with your issue. While the team reviews your request, I wanted to provide some possible tips and documentation that might help you in the meantime.
+
+**Body** (in order):
 1. **Solution** — if one exists from the search results.
 2. **Duplicate issues** — if any exist.
 3. **Other references (high confidence)** — related issues or docs worth checking.
@@ -40,12 +53,29 @@ The comment should include, in order:
     </details>
     ```
 
-Post the comment on the issue by writing and executing the following Python script inline. The script reads `GITHUB_TOKEN` (or `GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN`) from the environment.
+**Outro** (always last):
+> The team will respond to your issue shortly. I hope these suggestions are helpful in the meantime. If this comment helped you, please give it a 👍. If the suggestion was not helpful or incorrect, please give it a 👎. Your feedback helps us improve!
+
+Post the comment on the issue using `github/add_issue_comment`. If encounter errors with MCP tools, create Python code to post the comment using GitHub API as a fallback, you can get the necessary token from the environment variables `GITHUB_TOKEN`, `GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN`, or `GITHUB_PAT`.
+
+## Step 2: Label the Issue
+
+Use the `label-issue` skill to classify and apply labels to the issue.
+
+## Step 3: Detect Duplicate Issues
+
+Using the search results already obtained in Step 1.2, determine whether the current issue is a duplicate of an existing issue.
+
+- Apply a **high bar**: only consider an issue a duplicate if its relevance score from `search_issues` is **greater than 2.95**.
+- Exclude the current issue itself from the results.
+- If a duplicate is found:
+  1. Apply the `duplicate` label to the issue.
+  2. Close the issue as a duplicate by executing the following Python script inline, substituting the actual values:
 
 ```python
 import os, sys, requests
 
-def add_issue_comment(owner, repo, issue_number, body):
+def close_as_duplicate(owner, repo, issue_number):
     token = (
         os.environ.get("GITHUB_TOKEN")
         or os.environ.get("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN")
@@ -54,31 +84,20 @@ def add_issue_comment(owner, repo, issue_number, body):
     if not token:
         print("❌ GitHub token not found. Set GITHUB_TOKEN, GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN, or GITHUB_PAT.", file=sys.stderr)
         sys.exit(1)
-    url = f"https://api.github.com/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}/comments"
     headers = {
         "Authorization": f"Bearer {token}",
         "Accept": "application/vnd.github+json",
         "X-GitHub-Api-Version": "2022-11-28",
     }
-    response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json={"body": body})
+    patch_url = f"https://api.github.com/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}"
+    response = requests.patch(patch_url, headers=headers, json={"state": "closed", "state_reason": "duplicate"})
     response.raise_for_status()
-    result = response.json()
-    print(f"✅ Comment posted on issue #{issue_number}: {result['html_url']}")
+    print(f"✅ Issue #{issue_number} closed as duplicate")
 
-# Fill in owner, repo, issue_number, and body before running:
-add_issue_comment("<owner>", "<repo>", <issue_number>, "<comment_body>")
+# Fill in values before running:
+close_as_duplicate("<owner>", "<repo>", <issue_number>)
 ```
 
-## Step 2: Label the Issue
-
-Use the `label-issue` skill to classify and apply labels to the issue.
-
-## Step 3: Send Triage Summary Email
-
-Use the `send-email` skill to send a triage summary email of the operations performed:
-- Send to the email addresses specified in the `REPORT_RECIPIENTS` environment variable (comma-separated list).
-- Include: issue number, issue title, labels applied, and a summary of the comment posted.
-
 ## Notes
 - Use `gh` CLI as a fallback if you encounter issues with MCP tools.
 - Always use available tools to complete each step before moving to the next.
diff --git a/.github/skills/label-issue/SKILL.md b/.github/skills/label-issue/SKILL.md
index bbbddeda..200cd33c 100644
--- a/.github/skills/label-issue/SKILL.md
+++ b/.github/skills/label-issue/SKILL.md
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Fetch `.github/llms.md` from the target repository using GitHub MCP tools. The f
 - **Labeling rules**: Criteria for when to apply each label
 - **Keywords mapping**: Keywords that trigger specific labels
 
-For template format, see [references/label_instructions_template.md](references/label_instructions_template.md).
+**Only apply labels explicitly defined in this document. Do not apply any other labels.**
 
 If `.github/llms.md` is not found:
 1. Fetch the list of labels defined in the target repository using `github/list_labels`