Files
awesome-copilot/skills/github-issues/SKILL.md
Tadas Labudis 164b6eb268 Add sub-issues, issue types, projects, and issue fields guidance to github-issues skill (#884)
* Add issue fields, issue types, and list_issue_types to github-issues skill

- Add list_issue_types to available MCP tools table
- Add type parameter to optional parameters with guidance
- Expand issue types section: MCP tools (preferred) + GraphQL (advanced)
- Document org-level type discovery, create/update with type, GraphQL mutations
- Add issue fields section: discover, read, set via GraphQL
- Note required GraphQL-Features headers (issue_fields, issue_types)
- Update skill description to mention fields, types, dates, priority

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Add Projects V2 guidance to github-issues skill

Include MCP tools (projects_list, projects_get, projects_write) and
GraphQL examples for project item management.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Add sub-issues section, move issue fields to end with preview note

- Add Sub-Issues and Parent Issues section (MCP, REST, GraphQL)
- Add issue_read tool to MCP tools table
- Move Issue Fields to last section with private preview callout
- Link to community discussion for requesting access

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Prefer issue types over labels for categorization

Update guidance and examples to use type parameter (Bug, Feature)
instead of equivalent labels when issue types are available.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Prefer issue fields over project fields for metadata

Issue fields live on the issue and travel across projects.
Project fields are scoped to a single project.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Add issue dependencies (blocked by/blocking) section

Covers REST endpoints (list, add, remove) and GraphQL
(blockedBy, blocking, issueDependenciesSummary, mutations).
Also documents tracked issues read-only fields.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Add project discovery workflow for progress reports

Teach agents how to find projects by name, discover fields
and iterations, paginate items, and build status breakdowns.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Generate updated skill listing after SKILL.md changes

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Split skill into reference files per reviewer feedback

Move sub-issues, dependencies, issue types, projects, and issue fields
into separate references/ files. Main SKILL.md now contains core MCP
workflow and a capability table pointing to each reference. This way
the agent only loads the knowledge it needs for the specific task.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

---------

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
2026-03-05 22:10:11 +11:00

6.8 KiB

name, description
name description
github-issues Create, update, and manage GitHub issues using MCP tools. Use this skill when users want to create bug reports, feature requests, or task issues, update existing issues, add labels/assignees/milestones, set issue fields (dates, priority, custom fields), set issue types, or manage issue workflows. Triggers on requests like "create an issue", "file a bug", "request a feature", "update issue X", "set the priority", "set the start date", or any GitHub issue management task.

GitHub Issues

Manage GitHub issues using the @modelcontextprotocol/server-github MCP server.

Available MCP Tools

Tool Purpose
mcp__github__create_issue Create new issues
mcp__github__update_issue Update existing issues
mcp__github__get_issue Fetch issue details
mcp__github__search_issues Search issues
mcp__github__add_issue_comment Add comments
mcp__github__list_issues List repository issues
mcp__github__list_issue_types List available issue types for an organization
mcp__github__issue_read Read issue details, sub-issues, comments, labels
mcp__github__projects_list List projects, project fields, project items, status updates
mcp__github__projects_get Get details of a project, field, item, or status update
mcp__github__projects_write Add/update/delete project items, create status updates

Workflow

  1. Determine action: Create, update, or query?
  2. Gather context: Get repo info, existing labels, milestones if needed
  3. Structure content: Use appropriate template from references/templates.md
  4. Execute: Call the appropriate MCP tool
  5. Confirm: Report the issue URL to user

Creating Issues

Required Parameters

owner: repository owner (org or user)
repo: repository name  
title: clear, actionable title
body: structured markdown content

Optional Parameters

labels: ["bug", "enhancement", "documentation", ...]
assignees: ["username1", "username2"]
milestone: milestone number (integer)
type: issue type name (e.g., "Bug", "Feature", "Task", "Epic")

Issue types are organization-level metadata. Before using type, call mcp__github__list_issue_types with the org name to discover available types. If the org has no issue types configured, omit the parameter.

Prefer issue types over labels for categorization. When issue types are available (e.g., Bug, Feature, Task), use the type parameter instead of applying equivalent labels like bug or enhancement. Issue types are the canonical way to categorize issues on GitHub. Only fall back to labels when the org has no issue types configured.

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

Body Structure

Always use the templates in references/templates.md. Choose based on issue type:

User Request Template
Bug, error, broken, not working Bug Report
Feature, enhancement, add, new Feature Request
Task, chore, refactor, update Task

Updating Issues

Use mcp__github__update_issue with:

owner, repo, issue_number (required)
title, body, state, labels, assignees, milestone (optional - only changed fields)

State values: open, closed

Examples

Example 1: Bug Report

User: "Create a bug issue - the login page crashes when using SSO"

Action: Call mcp__github__create_issue with:

{
  "owner": "github",
  "repo": "awesome-copilot",
  "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]\n\n## Additional Context\nReported by user.",
  "type": "Bug"
}

Example 2: Feature Request

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

Action: Call mcp__github__create_issue with:

{
  "owner": "github",
  "repo": "awesome-copilot",
  "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\n\n## Alternatives Considered\nNone specified.\n\n## Additional Context\nHigh priority request.",
  "type": "Feature",
  "labels": ["high-priority"]
}

Common Labels

Use these standard labels when applicable:

Label Use For
bug Something isn't working
enhancement New feature or improvement
documentation Documentation updates
good first issue Good for newcomers
help wanted Extra attention needed
question Further information requested
wontfix Will not be addressed
duplicate Already exists
high-priority Urgent issues

Tips

  • Always confirm the repository context before creating issues
  • Ask for missing critical information rather than guessing
  • Link related issues when known: Related to #123
  • For updates, fetch current issue first to preserve unchanged fields

Extended Capabilities

The following features require REST or GraphQL APIs beyond the basic MCP tools. Each is documented in its own reference file so the agent only loads the knowledge it needs.

Capability When to use Reference
Sub-issues & parent issues Breaking work into hierarchical tasks references/sub-issues.md
Issue dependencies Tracking blocked-by / blocking relationships references/dependencies.md
Issue types (advanced) GraphQL operations beyond MCP list_issue_types / type param references/issue-types.md
Projects V2 Project boards, progress reports, field management references/projects.md
Issue fields Custom metadata: dates, priority, text, numbers (private preview) references/issue-fields.md