diff --git a/.github/workflows/traffic-stats.yml b/.github/workflows/traffic-stats.yml
index 669fce0f..bc75db21 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/traffic-stats.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/traffic-stats.yml
@@ -560,15 +560,17 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
           if [ "$AUTOMATION_PAT_CONFIGURED" != "true" ]; then
-            echo "::error::AUTOMATION_PAT is not configured, so the known organization policy blocks automatic PR creation. The staging branch is safe; open the weekly PR manually: $COMPARE_URL"
+            # Known organization policy: Actions cannot open pull requests. The data is staged, so
+            # this is a reminder, not a failure; a failure here would stay red every Friday.
+            echo "::warning::Weekly traffic data is staged on $PUBLISH_BRANCH. Actions cannot open pull requests here (organization policy), so open the weekly PR manually: $COMPARE_URL"
             {
-              echo "### ⚠️ Weekly traffic data needs a manual PR"
+              echo "### Weekly traffic data is ready for a manual PR"
               echo ""
               echo "Daily collection remains safely accumulated on \`$STAGING_BRANCH\`."
               echo ""
               echo "**Open the review-required PR:** $COMPARE_URL"
             } >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
-            exit 1
+            exit 0
           fi
 
           if ! gh pr create --title "$TITLE" --body "$BODY" \
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 58b12cdc..f1c0827d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ This file captures only selected high-level milestones.
 * Archived the prompt samples and removed a 41 MB archived demo video.
 * Added a **Download** button to resource pages and the landing detail view for resources that are one self-contained file: interactive guides and tools (saved as a single HTML file), single-file scripts, PowerPoint decks, Power BI reports, and the Technical Advisory PDF. The button opens a short download page (`r/<slug>/download/`) that saves the file and records the download. Loads of that page are counted per resource as `downloads` in `resource-stats.json`, kept separate from views, and logged as a `resource_download` event in Clarity. An optional `download` front matter field picks the file explicitly; see `docs/CATALOG-METADATA.md`.
 * The daily **Collect Traffic Data** workflow no longer collects GitHub repository traffic (views, clones, referrers), which needs a token that expires every few days under organization policy. It skips that step with a notice and keeps collecting Clarity page analytics and discussion votes. Set the repository variable `COLLECT_GITHUB_TRAFFIC` to `true` and replace `TRAFFIC_TOKEN` to resume.
+* The Friday run of **Collect Traffic Data** no longer fails when it cannot open the weekly traffic pull request because of the organization policy. It stays green and adds a warning and a run summary with the compare link to open it by hand. A configured token that still cannot create the pull request fails the run, as before.
 
 ### April 20, 2018
 
diff --git a/tools/catalog-build/test-traffic-workflow.js b/tools/catalog-build/test-traffic-workflow.js
index 1ccf10f4..23e5fc55 100644
--- a/tools/catalog-build/test-traffic-workflow.js
+++ b/tools/catalog-build/test-traffic-workflow.js
@@ -144,6 +144,16 @@ assert(weeklyPr.run.includes('AUTOMATION_PAT_CONFIGURED') &&
   weeklyPr.run.includes('COMPARE_URL') &&
   !weeklyPr.run.includes('gh pr merge'),
   'Blocked PR creation must provide a manual compare URL and remain review-required.');
+const notConfigured = weeklyPr.run.match(/if \[ "\$AUTOMATION_PAT_CONFIGURED" != "true" \]; then([\s\S]*?)\nfi\n/)?.[1] ?? '';
+assert(notConfigured.includes('::warning::') && notConfigured.includes('$COMPARE_URL') &&
+  notConfigured.includes('GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY') && notConfigured.includes('exit 0') &&
+  !notConfigured.includes('::error::') && !notConfigured.includes('exit 1'),
+  'The known organization policy (no AUTOMATION_PAT) must warn with the compare link, not fail the Friday run.');
+const createFailure = weeklyPr.run.slice(weeklyPr.run.indexOf('gh pr create'));
+assert(createFailure.includes('::error::') && createFailure.includes('exit 1') &&
+  weeklySteps.some(step => step.name === 'Fail when weekly PR preparation was blocked' &&
+    step.if.includes("steps.weekly-pr.outcome == 'failure'")),
+  'A configured token that still cannot create the weekly PR is unexpected and must fail the run.');
 
 const catalogStats = catalogWorkflow.jobs.publish.steps.find(
   step => typeof step.run === 'string' && step.run.includes('build:stats')
diff --git a/traffic-data/README.md b/traffic-data/README.md
index 9a5395b7..e463e7db 100644
--- a/traffic-data/README.md
+++ b/traffic-data/README.md
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@ Data is collected daily at 06:00 UTC via GitHub Actions. Each Friday at 08:00
 `America/Chicago` (including daylight saving time), the workflow updates one
 review-required pull request from the Friday-only `automation/traffic-stats-weekly`
 branch to `master`. Daily pushes to the staging branch therefore do not change the
-open weekly review. If the optional `AUTOMATION_PAT` is not configured or cannot
-create pull requests, the workflow prints a manual compare URL; daily collection
-continues safely on the staging branch.
+open weekly review. If the optional `AUTOMATION_PAT` is not configured, which is the
+case under the organization's policy against Actions opening pull requests, the Friday
+run stays green and adds a warning and a run summary with a manual compare URL
+(`/compare/master...automation/traffic-stats-weekly`). Open that pull request, check that
+it changes only `resource-stats.json` and `traffic-data/clarity-views.json`, and merge
+it. If a configured token cannot create the pull request, the run fails instead. Daily
+collection continues safely on the staging branch either way.
 
 ## GitHub repository traffic is paused