diff --git a/.changes/docs-hygiene/work-resolve-issue-issue-12592-41586966486-1-affe032d.md b/.changes/docs-hygiene/work-resolve-issue-issue-12592-41586966486-1-affe032d.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c93ba33aa17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/docs-hygiene/work-resolve-issue-issue-12592-41586966486-1-affe032d.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+bump: minor
+---
+
+### Changed
+
+- `/docs-hygiene:rename-references` apply mode no longer asks before applying the Certain bucket.
+  It applies those matches by default and reports the count, one or two example matches, and how
+  to review the bucket one match at a time instead. The proceed/abort gate, the Chain-context
+  prompt and the per-match Ambiguous prompts are unchanged. (#12592)
diff --git a/plugins/docs-hygiene/skills/rename-references/context/apply.md b/plugins/docs-hygiene/skills/rename-references/context/apply.md
index ff7523c1a03..a319a9638da 100644
--- a/plugins/docs-hygiene/skills/rename-references/context/apply.md
+++ b/plugins/docs-hygiene/skills/rename-references/context/apply.md
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ Classify per [triage.md](triage.md) into Certain / Chain-context / Ambiguous / E
 
 Present bucket counts via the report template from [triage.md](triage.md) "Reporting bucket counts." Then gate the proceed/abort decision via `AskUserQuestion`.
 
-Per-bucket confirmation flow:
+Per-bucket flow:
 
 **Certain bucket:**
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ If user picks "abort" at any prompt, halt and report partial state (no matches e
 
 ### Phase 5: Apply
 
-For each accepted match (from Phase 4 user confirmations):
+For each accepted match (every Certain match not moved to one-by-one review, plus the matches accepted at the Phase 4 prompts):
 
 - Use Edit tool with exact old/new substitution
 - For matches where the form requires partial replacement (e.g., chain prose `→ confirm →` becomes `→ verify →`), construct precise old_string and new_string
diff --git a/plugins/docs-hygiene/skills/rename-references/evals/evals.json b/plugins/docs-hygiene/skills/rename-references/evals/evals.json
index 3070c8bf35a..e303f3ce07e 100644
--- a/plugins/docs-hygiene/skills/rename-references/evals/evals.json
+++ b/plugins/docs-hygiene/skills/rename-references/evals/evals.json
@@ -610,6 +610,18 @@
         "Both Certain edits are applied after the proceed answer",
         "The one-by-one route uses the per-match format with a \"skip remaining Certain\" option"
       ]
+    },
+    {
+      "id": 50,
+      "name": "certain-bucket-auto-applies-and-reports",
+      "prompt": "Rename the skill /deploy-docs to /publish-docs. The sweep finds only slash-token and path references.",
+      "expected_output": "Every match is a Form 1 slash-token or Form 3 path, so all of them land in the Certain bucket. The skill reports the bucket counts with the Certain count and one or two example matches, says the user can answer \"review Certain one-by-one\" to review them per match instead, and gates only the proceed/abort decision. It asks no separate \"auto-apply N matches?\" question for the Certain bucket; on proceed, Phase 5 edits every Certain match.",
+      "files": [],
+      "expectations": [
+        "No `AskUserQuestion` asks whether to auto-apply the Certain bucket",
+        "The report gives the Certain count, one or two example matches, and how to review the bucket one by one instead",
+        "The proceed/abort gate still runs before any edit"
+      ]
     }
   ]
 }