spack · cmelone · Sep 25, 2026
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@
 This is a GitHub bot for the [Spack](https://github.com/spack/spack)
 project. It automates various workflow tasks and handles jobs like:
 
-* Notifying maintainers about relevant pull requests;
-* Adding maintainers as reviewers if they are in the
-  [maintainers team](https://github.com/orgs/spack/teams/maintainers) in the
-  [Spack organization](https://github.com/spack);
-* Inviting new maintainers to the maintainers team; and
-* Automatically labeling pull requests based on modified files.
+* Checking and fixing style on pull requests;
+* Running and re-running GitLab CI pipelines; and
+* Cleaning up GitLab branches and mirrors when pull requests are closed.
+
+Labeling pull requests and requesting reviews from package maintainers are
+handled by the `triage` GitHub Actions workflow in
+[spack-packages](https://github.com/spack/spack-packages), not by spackbot.
 
 This list could easily expand in the future.
 

diff --git a/docs/docs/README.md b/docs/docs/README.md
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@ Hi I'm spackbot! 👋  I can help you with [spack](https://github.com/spack/spac
 - [Ask Spackbot for Help](#help)
 - [Run Pipelines](#pipelines)
 - [Style](#style)
-- [Labels](#labels)
-- [Maintainers](#maintainers)
-- [Packages](#packages)
 
 ## Quick Start
 
@@ -48,19 +45,5 @@ I'm a hard working robot, so I'll also be helping on the following things withou
 
 If your style checks fail (meaning import order, linting, etc.) I'll give you a heads up, and give you a command to run to fix them automatically. If you have write access you can then ask me to fix the style for you.
 
-### Labels
-
-Don't you love GitHub labels? I do! Whenever you open a pull request, I'll take a peek at what changes you've made and add the appropriate labels. I'm just trying to help the maintainers out!
-
-### Maintainers
-
-Are you opening a pull request for a package? I'll help to find and ping maintainers for it! And if there aren't any, I'll start a discussion to figure out who might be able to do it.
-
 And I just might have some other commands and jokes up my sleeve! Want to learn more? Browse the links on the left navigation, or
 <a href="https://github.com/spack/spackbot" target="_blank">ask me a question</a>. Thanks for stopping by! 😉
-
-### Packages
-
-It's often easier (and faster!) to review pull requests when they are opened for single packages.
-Toward this aim, if Spackbot sees that you've opened a pull request that is changing multiple packages,
-he will suggest to open a different pull request for each package.
diff --git a/docs/docs/user-guide/img/ask-for-maintainers.png b/docs/docs/user-guide/img/ask-for-maintainers.png
diff --git a/docs/docs/user-guide/img/maintainers.png b/docs/docs/user-guide/img/maintainers.png
diff --git a/docs/docs/user-guide/img/spackbot-label.png b/docs/docs/user-guide/img/spackbot-label.png
diff --git a/docs/docs/user-guide/img/spackbot-labels.png b/docs/docs/user-guide/img/spackbot-labels.png
diff --git a/docs/docs/user-guide/user-guide.md b/docs/docs/user-guide/user-guide.md
@@ -5,13 +5,10 @@
 - [How it works](#how-it-works)
 - [Interactions](#interactions)
 - [Commands](#commands)
-  - [Labels](#labels)
-  - [Maintainers](#maintainers)
   - [Hello](#say-hello)
   - [Help](#help)
   - [Pipelines](#pipelines)
   - [Style](#style)
-  - [Issues](#issues)
 
 ## How it works
 
@@ -32,8 +29,6 @@ with different events.
 
 | Name | Description | Command |
 |------|-------------|---------|
-|labels| Add labels to newly open pull requests | |
-|maintainers| Suggest reviewers (package maintainers) for newly opened pull request | |
 |hello| Say hello to spackbot | `@spackbot hello`|
 |help| Ask for help from spackbot | `@spackbot help` or `@spackbot commands`|
 |pipelines| Ask spackbot to re-run a GitLab pipeline | `@spackbot (re-)run pipelines`|
@@ -46,41 +41,6 @@ This is the detailed user guide for interacting with spackbot. Some of these
 are commands, verbatim, that you can type into a pull request comment to get a response,
 and others are automated interactions that will always happen for pull requests.
 
-## Labels
-
-?> automated interaction
-
-When you open a pull request, spackbot is on the job to help with labels! This
-means that he will inspect your changes and add labels that are appropriate.
-Here is an example of spackbot seeing a change in fetching logic:
-
-![img/spackbot-label.png](img/spackbot-label.png)
-
-or adding more labels for an extensive change to a package:
-
-![img/spackbot-labels.png](img/spackbot-labels.png)
-
-
-## Maintainers
-
-?> automated interaction and chat command
-
-Spackbot is also looking out for packages! When you open a pull request and a package
-doesn't have a maintainer, spackbot will make suggestions.
-
-![img/maintainers.png](img/maintainers.png)
-
-If for some reason you change the pull request or otherwise want to look for maintainers
-again, either of the following will work:
-
-```bash
-@spackbot maintainers
-@spackbot request review
-```
-
-![img/ask-for-maintainers.png](img/ask-for-maintainers.png)
-
-
 ## Say Hello
 
 ?> chat command

diff --git a/spackbot/comments.py b/spackbot/comments.py
@@ -113,12 +113,14 @@ def format_generic_details_msg(msg, details):
 - `{helpers.botname} run pipeline` or `{helpers.botname} re-run pipeline`: to request a new run of the GitLab CI pipeline
 - `{helpers.botname} rebuild everything`: to run a pipeline rebuilding all specs from source.
 - `{helpers.botname} fix style` if you have write and would like me to run `spack style --fix` for you.
-- `{helpers.botname} maintainers` or `{helpers.botname} request review`: to look for and assign reviewers for the pull request.
 
-I'll also help to label your pull request and assign reviewers!
 If you need help or see there might be an issue with me, open an issue [here](https://github.com/spack/spackbot/issues)
 """
 
+unknown_command_message = f"""
+Sorry, I don't know that command. Say `{helpers.botname} help` to see what I can do!
+"""
+
 style_message = f"""
 It looks like you had an issue with style checks! I can help with that if you ask me!  Just say:
 
@@ -135,50 +137,6 @@ def format_generic_details_msg(msg, details):
 And then update the pull request here.
 """
 
-maintainer_request = """
-It looks like you are opening an issue about a package, and we've found maintainers that might be able to help!
-
-{maintainers}
-
-"""
-
-
-multiple_packages = """
-Hey there! I noticed that you are adding or updating multiple packages:\n\n
-
-{packages}
-
-To get a speedier review for each, I'd like to suggest that you break this into multiple pull requests, with one per package.
-"""
-
-
-non_reviewers_comment = """\
-  @{non_reviewers} can you review this PR?
-
-  This PR modifies the following package(s), for which you are listed as a maintainer:
-
-  * {packages_with_maintainers}
-"""
-
-no_maintainers_comment = """\
-Hi @{author}! I noticed that the following package(s) don't yet have maintainers:
-
-* {packages_without_maintainers}
-
-Are you interested in adopting any of these package(s)? If so, simply add the following to the package class:
-```python
-    maintainers("{author}")
-```
-If not, could you contact the developers of this package and see if they are interested? You can quickly see who has worked on a package with `spack blame`:
-
-```bash
-$ spack blame {first_package_without_maintainer}
-```
-Thank you for your help! Please don't add maintainers without their consent.
-
-_You don't have to be a Spack expert or package developer in order to be a "maintainer," it just gives us a list of users willing to review PRs or debug issues relating to this package. A package can have multiple maintainers; just add a list of GitHub handles of anyone who wants to volunteer._
-"""
-
 cannot_run_pipeline_comment = """\
 I'm sorry, gitlab does not have your latest revision yet, I can't run that pipeline for you right now.
 

diff --git a/spackbot/routes.py b/spackbot/routes.py
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ async def add_comments(event, gh, *args, session, **kwargs):
                 f'Ignoring request, "{event_project}" does not have pipelines enabled.'
             )
 
+    # @spackbot <anything else> at the start of a comment
+    elif re.match(rf"\s*{helpers.botname}(?![\w-])", comment, re.IGNORECASE):
+        logger.info(f"Responding to unknown command {comment}...")
+        message = comments.unknown_command_message
+
     if message:
         await gh.post(event.data["issue"]["comments_url"], {}, data={"body": message})