diff --git a/pkg/cli/logs_usage_activity.go b/pkg/cli/logs_usage_activity.go
index 7c61ed24269..c4d171d0b19 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/logs_usage_activity.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/logs_usage_activity.go
@@ -7,9 +7,12 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
+	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/logger"
 	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/sliceutil"
 )
 
+var logsUsageActivityLog = logger.New("cli:logs_usage_activity")
+
 const usageActivitySummarySchema = "usage-activity-summary/v1"
 
 type usageActivitySummary struct {
@@ -69,13 +72,16 @@ func loadUsageActivitySummary(runDir string) (*usageActivitySummary, error) {
 		}
 		var summary usageActivitySummary
 		if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &summary); err != nil {
+			logsUsageActivityLog.Printf("loadUsageActivitySummary: failed to parse %s, trying next candidate", cleanPath)
 			lastErr = fmt.Errorf("parse usage activity summary %s: %w", cleanPath, err)
 			continue
 		}
 		if summary.Schema != usageActivitySummarySchema {
+			logsUsageActivityLog.Printf("loadUsageActivitySummary: unsupported schema %q in %s (expected %q)", summary.Schema, cleanPath, usageActivitySummarySchema)
 			lastErr = fmt.Errorf("unsupported usage activity summary schema %q in %s (expected %q)", summary.Schema, cleanPath, usageActivitySummarySchema)
 			continue
 		}
+		logsUsageActivityLog.Printf("loadUsageActivitySummary: loaded summary from %s", cleanPath)
 		return &summary, nil
 	}
 	return nil, lastErr
@@ -93,6 +99,7 @@ func applyUsageActivitySummaryToResult(summary *usageActivitySummary, result *Do
 	}
 
 	if summary.Firewall != nil && result.FirewallAnalysis == nil {
+		logsUsageActivityLog.Printf("applyUsageActivitySummaryToResult: backfilling firewall analysis (total=%d allowed=%d blocked=%d)", summary.Firewall.TotalRequests, summary.Firewall.AllowedRequests, summary.Firewall.BlockedRequests)
 		requestsByDomain := maps.Clone(summary.Firewall.RequestsByDomain)
 		if requestsByDomain == nil {
 			requestsByDomain = map[string]DomainRequestStats{}
@@ -129,6 +136,7 @@ func applyUsageActivitySummaryToResult(summary *usageActivitySummary, result *Do
 	}
 
 	if summary.Gateway != nil && result.MCPToolUsage == nil {
+		logsUsageActivityLog.Printf("applyUsageActivitySummaryToResult: backfilling MCP tool usage from %d gateway server(s)", len(summary.Gateway.Servers))
 		servers := make([]MCPServerStats, 0, len(summary.Gateway.Servers))
 		for _, server := range summary.Gateway.Servers {
 			servers = append(servers, MCPServerStats{
diff --git a/pkg/importinpututil/import_input.go b/pkg/importinpututil/import_input.go
index 7f4f0a16dda..ceac05694ff 100644
--- a/pkg/importinpututil/import_input.go
+++ b/pkg/importinpututil/import_input.go
@@ -6,25 +6,33 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/logger"
 )
 
+var importInputLog = logger.New("importinpututil:import_input")
+
 // ResolvePathValue resolves either a top-level input key ("count") or a one-level
 // dotted object sub-key ("config.apiKey") from import inputs.
 func ResolvePathValue(inputs map[string]any, inputPath string) (any, bool) {
 	top, sub, hasDot := strings.Cut(inputPath, ".")
 	if !hasDot {
 		value, ok := inputs[top]
+		importInputLog.Printf("ResolvePathValue: top-level key %q found=%t", top, ok)
 		return value, ok
 	}
 	topVal, topOK := inputs[top]
 	if !topOK {
+		importInputLog.Printf("ResolvePathValue: parent key %q not found for path %q", top, inputPath)
 		return nil, false
 	}
 	obj, isMap := topVal.(map[string]any)
 	if !isMap {
+		importInputLog.Printf("ResolvePathValue: parent key %q is not an object for path %q", top, inputPath)
 		return nil, false
 	}
 	value, ok := obj[sub]
+	importInputLog.Printf("ResolvePathValue: sub-key %q under %q found=%t", sub, top, ok)
 	return value, ok
 }
 
@@ -38,6 +46,7 @@ func FormatResolvedValue(value any) (string, bool) {
 	case map[string]any:
 		return marshalValue(v)
 	case nil:
+		importInputLog.Print("FormatResolvedValue: nil value, no substitution")
 		return "", false
 	default:
 		return formatReflectiveValue(v)
diff --git a/pkg/intent/resolver.go b/pkg/intent/resolver.go
index 53005a5bccc..dca9df429fc 100644
--- a/pkg/intent/resolver.go
+++ b/pkg/intent/resolver.go
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 package intent
 
+import "github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/logger"
+
+var resolverLog = logger.New("intent:resolver")
+
 type AttributionStatus string
 
 const (
@@ -60,29 +64,38 @@ type Resolver struct {
 }
 
 func (r Resolver) ResolvePullRequest(pr PullRequestData) IntentRecord {
+	resolverLog.Printf("ResolvePullRequest: nodeID=%s explicitIntent=%t closingIssues=%d labels=%d", pr.NodeID, pr.ExplicitIntent != nil, len(pr.ClosingIssues), len(pr.Labels))
+
 	if pr.ExplicitIntent != nil {
 		intent := *pr.ExplicitIntent
 		if intent.ResolverVersion == "" {
 			intent.ResolverVersion = r.ResolverVersion
 		}
+		resolverLog.Printf("ResolvePullRequest: using explicit metadata for %s", pr.NodeID)
 		return intent
 	}
 
 	switch len(pr.ClosingIssues) {
 	case 1:
+		resolverLog.Printf("ResolvePullRequest: attributing %s to single closing issue", pr.NodeID)
 		return r.fromRoot(pr.ClosingIssues[0], SourceClosingIssue, "single_closing_issue")
 	case 0:
 		if len(pr.Labels) > 0 {
+			resolverLog.Printf("ResolvePullRequest: no closing issue, falling back to %d PR label(s) for %s", len(pr.Labels), pr.NodeID)
 			return r.fromLabels(pr.NodeID, pr.URL, pr.Labels, SourceArtifactLabels, "pull_request_label_fallback")
 		}
+		resolverLog.Printf("ResolvePullRequest: no intent source for %s, marking unlinked", pr.NodeID)
 		return r.unlinked("no_supported_intent_source")
 	default:
+		resolverLog.Printf("ResolvePullRequest: %d closing issues for %s, marking ambiguous", len(pr.ClosingIssues), pr.NodeID)
 		return r.ambiguous(SourceClosingIssue, "multiple_closing_issues")
 	}
 }
 
 func (r Resolver) ResolveIssue(nodeID, url string, labels []string) IntentRecord {
+	resolverLog.Printf("ResolveIssue: nodeID=%s labels=%d", nodeID, len(labels))
 	if len(labels) == 0 {
+		resolverLog.Printf("ResolveIssue: no labels for %s, marking unlinked", nodeID)
 		return r.unlinked("no_supported_intent_source")
 	}
 	return IntentRecord{
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/lsp_validation.go b/pkg/workflow/lsp_validation.go
index 80f023f9b39..3c84ee15b8a 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/lsp_validation.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/lsp_validation.go
@@ -1,12 +1,20 @@
 package workflow
 
-import "fmt"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/logger"
+)
+
+var lspValidationLog = logger.New("workflow:lsp_validation")
 
 func (c *Compiler) validateLSPSupport(workflowData *WorkflowData) error {
 	if workflowData == nil || len(workflowData.LSP) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	lspValidationLog.Printf("validateLSPSupport: validating %d LSP config(s)", len(workflowData.LSP))
+
 	manager := NewLSPManager(workflowData.LSP)
 	if err := manager.Validate(); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -18,8 +26,10 @@ func (c *Compiler) validateLSPSupport(workflowData *WorkflowData) error {
 	}
 
 	if engineID != "copilot" {
+		lspValidationLog.Printf("validateLSPSupport: rejecting unsupported engine %q for LSP", engineID)
 		return fmt.Errorf("lsp is currently only supported for engine: copilot (found engine: %s)", engineID)
 	}
 
+	lspValidationLog.Printf("validateLSPSupport: LSP validation passed for engine %q", engineID)
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/skills_frontmatter.go b/pkg/workflow/skills_frontmatter.go
index 2f4ca313fcd..7a6b5e86e38 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/skills_frontmatter.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/skills_frontmatter.go
@@ -5,8 +5,12 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/logger"
 )
 
+var skillsFrontmatterLog = logger.New("workflow:skills_frontmatter")
+
 var skillSpecRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+/[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+(?:/[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+(?:/[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+)*)?@[0-9a-f]{40}$`)
 var skillSpecExpressionRefRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+/[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+(?:/[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+(?:/[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+)*)?@\$\{\{.+\}\}$`)
 var githubActionsExpressionRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^\$\{\{.+\}\}$`)
@@ -48,6 +52,8 @@ func validateFrontmatterSkills(frontmatter map[string]any) error {
 		return errors.New("skills must be an array of skill references")
 	}
 
+	skillsFrontmatterLog.Printf("validateFrontmatterSkills: validating %d skill entr(ies)", len(skills))
+
 	for i, rawSkill := range skills {
 		switch typed := rawSkill.(type) {
 		case string:
@@ -124,6 +130,7 @@ func isRepositorySkillSpec(skillSpec string) bool {
 }
 
 func parseRawSkillReferences(rawSkills []any) []SkillReference {
+	skillsFrontmatterLog.Printf("parseRawSkillReferences: parsing %d raw skill entr(ies)", len(rawSkills))
 	refs := make([]SkillReference, 0, len(rawSkills))
 	for _, rawSkill := range rawSkills {
 		switch typed := rawSkill.(type) {
@@ -151,5 +158,6 @@ func parseRawSkillReferences(rawSkills []any) []SkillReference {
 	if len(refs) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
+	skillsFrontmatterLog.Printf("parseRawSkillReferences: parsed %d skill reference(s)", len(refs))
 	return refs
 }