GitHub Issues Management

Create, retrieve, update, and manage GitHub issues with comprehensive context integration and structured workflows.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when:

• The user wants to create a new GitHub issue
• The user asks to view or retrieve issue details
• The user needs to update an existing issue
• The user wants to list issues in a repository
• The user mentions managing issues, bug reports, or feature requests in GitHub
• The user wants to close, reopen, or modify issue properties
• The user needs to add comments or labels to issues
• The user wants to search for issues

Critical Rules

IMPORTANT: Always confirm owner/repo before creating or modifying issues

Always use descriptive issue titles and provide structured descriptions

Never create duplicate issues – search existing issues first when appropriate

Available MCP Tools

Workflow

1. Gather Context

First, collect information about the current repository and context:

• Identify the repository (owner and repo name)
• Understand the type of issue (bug, feature, task, etc.)
• Gather relevant labels, milestones, and assignees if applicable

2. Repository Verification

Before any operation, verify you have the correct repository identifier:

• Confirm repository exists
• Understand repository structure
• Check available labels and milestones

3. Issue Operations

Creating a New Issue

When creating issues, gather complete context:

Required Information:

• owner: Repository owner (organization or user)
• repo: Repository name
• title: Clear, descriptive issue title

Optional but Recommended:

• body: Detailed description in Markdown format
• labels: Array of label names (e.g., [“bug”, “enhancement”])
• assignees: Array of usernames to assign
• milestone: Milestone number (integer)

Human-in-the-Loop – Ask for Context

Always ask to clarify issue details:

Question: "What type of issue is this?"
Options:
- "Bug report - something is not working correctly"
- "Feature request - new functionality needed"
- "Task - work item to complete"
- "Documentation - documentation needs update"
- "Other - let me describe it"

Title Guidelines:

• Start with type prefix when useful: [Bug], [Feature], [Docs]
• Be specific and actionable
• Keep under 72 characters
• Examples:
  • [Bug] Login fails with SSO enabled
  • [Feature] Add dark mode support
  • Add unit tests for auth module

Issue Description Template:

Structure descriptions for clarity:

## Summary
[Brief description of the issue]

## Current Behavior
[What is happening now - for bugs]

## Expected Behavior
[What should happen - for bugs]

## Steps to Reproduce
[For bugs - numbered steps]

## Acceptance Criteria
[For features/tasks - what defines "done"]

## Additional Context
[Screenshots, logs, related issues, etc.]

Retrieving Issue Details

Use github-mcp(get_issue) with:

• owner: Repository owner
• repo: Repository name
• issue_number: Issue number (e.g., 42)

This returns complete issue information including:

• Title and body
• State (open/closed)
• Labels and milestone
• Assignees and author
• Created/updated timestamps

Listing Issues

Use github-mcp(list_issues) with filters:

• owner: Repository owner
• repo: Repository name
• state: “open”, “closed”, or “all”
• labels: Filter by labels (comma-separated)
• assignee: Filter by assignee username
• sort: Sort by “created”, “updated”, “comments”
• direction: “asc” or “desc”
• per_page: Results per page (max 100)

Searching Issues

Use github-mcp(search_issues) for advanced queries:

• Search across repositories
• Use GitHub search qualifiers (is:open, label:bug, etc.)
• Full-text search in titles and bodies

Updating an Issue

When updating issues, only provide changed fields:

Use github-mcp(update_issue) with:

• owner: Repository owner
• repo: Repository name
• issue_number: Issue number
• Plus any fields to update (title, body, labels, state, etc.)

State Changes:

• state: "open" – Open/reopen the issue
• state: "closed" – Close the issue

Adding Comments

Use github-mcp(add_issue_comment) with:

• owner: Repository owner
• repo: Repository name
• issue_number: Issue number
• body: Comment content in Markdown

4. Execute Operations (Requires Confirmation)

CRITICAL: Confirm with user before creating or modifying issues

After gathering all information, present a summary for user approval:

Creating issue in repository: owner/repo
Title: [title]
Description: [summary]
Labels: [labels]
Assignee: [assignee]

Proceed with issue creation?

Issue Type Templates

Bug Report

## Description
The [component] is experiencing [issue] when [condition].

## Steps to Reproduce
1. [First step]
2. [Second step]
3. [See error]

## Expected Behavior
[What should happen]

## Actual Behavior
[What actually happens]

## Environment
- Application Version: [version]

## Screenshots/Logs
[Attach relevant files]

## Possible Solution
[Optional: if you have ideas]

Feature Request

## Summary
[One-line description of the feature]

## Motivation
[Why is this feature needed? What problem does it solve?]

## Proposed Solution
[How should this work?]

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] [Criterion 1]
- [ ] [Criterion 2]
- [ ] [Criterion 3]

## Alternatives Considered
[Other approaches considered]

## Additional Context
[Mockups, examples, references]

Task

## Task Description
[What needs to be done]

## Background
[Why is this needed?]

## Requirements
- [ ] [Requirement 1]
- [ ] [Requirement 2]

## Definition of Done
- [ ] [Criterion 1]
- [ ] [Criterion 2]

## Dependencies
[Related issues, blockers]

Examples

Example 1: Creating a Bug Report

User: “Create a bug issue – the login page crashes when using SSO”

AI Workflow:

1. Ask for repository (owner/repo) if not known
2. Ask clarifying questions about the bug
3. Generate structured description
4. Present summary for confirmation
5. Create issue with github-mcp(create_issue)

Result:

{
  "owner": "myorg",
  "repo": "webapp",
  "title": "[Bug] Login page crashes when using SSO",
  "body": "## Description\nThe login page crashes when users attempt to authenticate using SSO.\n\n## Steps to Reproduce\n1. Navigate to login page\n2. Click 'Sign in with SSO'\n3. Page crashes\n\n## Expected Behavior\nSSO authentication should complete and redirect to dashboard.\n\n## Actual Behavior\nPage becomes unresponsive and displays error.\n\n## Environment\n- Browser: [To be filled]\n- OS: [To be filled]",
  "labels": ["bug"]
}

Example 2: Feature Request with Priority

User: “Create a feature request for dark mode with high priority”

AI Workflow:

1. Gather feature details
2. Structure the request
3. Add appropriate labels
4. Confirm and create

Result:

{
  "owner": "myorg",
  "repo": "webapp",
  "title": "[Feature] Add dark mode support",
  "body": "## Summary\nAdd dark mode theme option for improved user experience and accessibility.\n\n## Motivation\n- Reduces eye strain in low-light environments\n- Increasingly expected by users\n- Improves accessibility\n\n## Proposed Solution\nImplement theme toggle with system preference detection.\n\n## Acceptance Criteria\n- [ ] Toggle switch in settings\n- [ ] Persists user preference\n- [ ] Respects system preference by default\n- [ ] All UI components support both themes",
  "labels": ["enhancement", "high-priority"]
}

Example 3: Listing and Filtering Issues

User: “Show me all open bugs assigned to me”

AI Workflow:

1. Use github-mcp(list_issues) with filters:
   • state: “open”
   • labels: “bug”
   • assignee: [current user]

Result:

Found 3 open bug issues assigned to you:

#142 - [Bug] API timeout on large file uploads
      Labels: bug, priority-medium
      Created: 2024-01-15

#138 - [Bug] Dashboard graphs not rendering on Safari
      Labels: bug, frontend
      Created: 2024-01-12

#125 - [Bug] Email notifications delayed by 30+ minutes
      Labels: bug, priority-high
      Created: 2024-01-08

Example 4: Closing an Issue with Comment

User: “Close issue #142 and add a comment that it’s fixed in v2.4.0”

AI Workflow:

1. First, add a comment to the issue
2. Then update issue state to closed

Using github-mcp(add_issue_comment):

{
  "owner": "myorg",
  "repo": "webapp",
  "issue_number": 142,
  "body": "Fixed in v2.4.0. Closing this issue."
}

Using github-mcp(update_issue):

{
  "owner": "myorg",
  "repo": "webapp",
  "issue_number": 142,
  "state": "closed"
}

Common Labels

Use these standard labels when applicable:

Important Notes

• Always verify repository access – Ensure you have permission to create/modify issues
• Use labels consistently – Follow repository labeling conventions
• Be specific in titles – Prefix with [Bug], [Feature], [Task] for clarity
• Include reproduction steps – Essential for bug reports
• Define acceptance criteria – Clear “definition of done” for features/tasks
• Link related issues – Use “Related to #XX” or “Blocks #XX” in descriptions
• Mention users with @username – For visibility and notifications
• Use milestones – Associate issues with releases when applicable

GitHub Issue Best Practices

Writing Effective Titles

• Be concise but descriptive
• Include issue type prefix: [Bug], [Feature], [Task], [Docs]
• Mention affected component if applicable
• Avoid vague titles like “Fix bug” or “Update code”

Structuring Descriptions

• Use Markdown formatting for readability
• Include all relevant context upfront
• Add screenshots or logs when helpful
• Link to related issues, PRs, or documentation
• Use task lists for trackable sub-items

Label Strategy

• Combine type labels (bug, enhancement) with area labels (frontend, api)
• Use priority labels when needed (priority-high, priority-low)
• Keep label taxonomy consistent across repositories

Assignment and Workflow

• Assign issues to specific team members
• Use milestones for release planning
• Update issue status as work progresses
• Close issues with reference to fixing PR: “Fixes #XX”