diff --git a/.github/workflows/first-time-contributor.yml b/.github/workflows/contributor-guidance.yml
similarity index 57%
rename from .github/workflows/first-time-contributor.yml
rename to .github/workflows/contributor-guidance.yml
index f825cd77dc05..ca7fa1b2bbba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/first-time-contributor.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/contributor-guidance.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: Welcome first-time contributors
+name: Contributor guidance
 
 on:
   pull_request_target:
@@ -7,34 +7,50 @@ on:
 permissions: {}
 
 jobs:
-  first_time_contributor:
-    name: Is first-time contributor
+  contributor:
+    name: Resolve contributor status
     # GitHub can report first-time contributors as NONE in the event payload.
+    # npm-cli-bot and nodejs-github-bot report MEMBER and are filtered here.
     if: >-
       github.run_attempt == 1 &&
       github.repository == 'nodejs/node' &&
+      github.event.pull_request.user.login != 'dependabot[bot]' &&
       (github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'FIRST_TIMER' ||
       github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'FIRST_TIME_CONTRIBUTOR' ||
       github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'NONE')
     runs-on: ubuntu-slim
-    permissions:
-      pull-requests: read
     outputs:
-      eligible: >-
-        ${{
-          github.event.pull_request.author_association != 'NONE' ||
-          steps.recheck.outputs.eligible == 'true'
-        }}
+      is_first_time: ${{ steps.resolve.outputs.is_first_time }}
+      should_scan: ${{ steps.resolve.outputs.should_scan }}
     steps:
-      - name: Recheck contributor eligibility
-        id: recheck
-        if: github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'NONE'
+      - name: Check author association
+        id: resolve
         env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          EVENT_ASSOCIATION: ${{ github.event.pull_request.author_association }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_USER_TOKEN }}
           NUMBER: ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
         run: |
+          echo "Author association from event: $EVENT_ASSOCIATION"
+
+          case "$EVENT_ASSOCIATION" in
+            FIRST_TIMER|FIRST_TIME_CONTRIBUTOR)
+              echo 'is_first_time=true' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+              echo 'should_scan=true' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+              exit 0
+              ;;
+            NONE)
+              ;;
+            *)
+              echo 'is_first_time=false' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+              echo 'should_scan=false' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+              exit 0
+              ;;
+          esac
+
           started_at=$SECONDS
-          for delay in 15 30 60 120; do
+          # TODO: Remove the retries once privileged API requests are confirmed
+          # to return the association immediately.
+          for delay in 0 15 30 60; do
             sleep "$delay"
             association=$(gh api "/repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/pulls/$NUMBER" \
               --jq '.author_association')
@@ -43,60 +59,57 @@ jobs:
 
             case "$association" in
               FIRST_TIMER|FIRST_TIME_CONTRIBUTOR)
-                echo 'eligible=true' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+                echo 'is_first_time=true' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+                echo 'should_scan=true' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
                 exit 0
                 ;;
               NONE)
                 ;;
               *)
-                echo 'eligible=false' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+                echo 'is_first_time=false' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+                echo 'should_scan=true' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
                 exit 0
                 ;;
             esac
           done
 
-          echo 'eligible=false' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo 'is_first_time=false' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo 'should_scan=false' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
-  agentscan:
-    needs: first_time_contributor
-    if: needs.first_time_contributor.outputs.eligible == 'true'
+  guidance:
+    name: Apply contributor guidance
+    needs: contributor
+    if: needs.contributor.outputs.should_scan == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-slim
     permissions:
       contents: read
-    outputs:
-      scan_outcome: ${{ steps.scan.outcome }}
-      classification: ${{ steps.scan.outputs.classification }}
-      community_flagged: ${{ steps.scan.outputs['community-flagged'] }}
+      pull-requests: write
     steps:
       - name: Scan contributor activity
-        id: scan
+        id: agentscan
         # The welcome should still be posted if this advisory scan fails.
         continue-on-error: true
-        uses: MatteoGabriele/agentscan-action@98202262c925c508d4c1424b1dfbe17ee35b0c02  # v2.4.0
+        uses: MatteoGabriele/agentscan-action@8112fb79b33fafb8506159df20129a34209ac410  # v2.5.0
         with:
           github-token: ${{ github.token }}
-          mode: silent
+          mode: labels
           scan-pull-requests: true
           scan-issues: false
           auto-close: false
           honeypot: false
 
-  comment:
-    needs:
-      - first_time_contributor
-      - agentscan
-    if: needs.first_time_contributor.outputs.eligible == 'true'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
-    permissions:
-      pull-requests: write
-    steps:
-      - name: Welcome first-time contributor
+      - name: Comment with contributor guidance
         env:
+          ADD_CAUTION: >-
+            ${{
+              steps.agentscan.outcome == 'success' &&
+              (steps.agentscan.outputs.classification == 'mixed' ||
+              steps.agentscan.outputs.classification == 'automation' ||
+              steps.agentscan.outputs['community-flagged'] == 'true')
+            }}
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          IS_FIRST_TIME: ${{ needs.contributor.outputs.is_first_time }}
           NUMBER: ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
-          AGENTSCAN_OUTCOME: ${{ needs.agentscan.outputs.scan_outcome }}
-          AGENTSCAN_CLASSIFICATION: ${{ needs.agentscan.outputs.classification }}
-          AGENTSCAN_COMMUNITY_FLAGGED: ${{ needs.agentscan.outputs.community_flagged }}
           WELCOME_MESSAGE: >2-
               Welcome to Node.js, and thank you for your first contribution!
 
@@ -128,20 +141,15 @@ jobs:
             [automation policy](https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/HEAD/CONTRIBUTING.md#automation-and-bots)
             for additional context.
         run: |
-          add_caution=false
-          if [[ "$AGENTSCAN_OUTCOME" == "success" ]]; then
-            case "$AGENTSCAN_CLASSIFICATION" in
-              mixed|automation)
-                add_caution=true
-                ;;
-            esac
-            if [[ "$AGENTSCAN_COMMUNITY_FLAGGED" == "true" ]]; then
-              add_caution=true
-            fi
+          if [[ "$IS_FIRST_TIME" == "true" && "$ADD_CAUTION" == "true" ]]; then
+            body="$WELCOME_MESSAGE"$'\n\n'"$CAUTION_MESSAGE"
+          elif [[ "$IS_FIRST_TIME" == "true" ]]; then
+            body="$WELCOME_MESSAGE"
+          elif [[ "$ADD_CAUTION" == "true" ]]; then
+            body="$CAUTION_MESSAGE"
+          else
+            exit 0
           fi
 
-          if [[ "$add_caution" == "true" ]]; then
-            printf '%s\n\n%s\n' "$WELCOME_MESSAGE" "$CAUTION_MESSAGE"
-          else
-            printf '%s\n' "$WELCOME_MESSAGE"
-          fi | gh pr comment "$NUMBER" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --body-file -
+          printf '%s\n' "$body" |
+            gh pr comment "$NUMBER" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --body-file -