github-issue-label-audit-and-command-bundles

name	github-issue-label-audit-and-command-bundles
description	Safely turn drafted issue bodies into reusable gh issue create commands by auditing repo labels, exact duplicates, and auth first.
version	1.0.0
author	Hermes Agent

GitHub issue label audit and command bundles

Use when you already have draft issue bodies/titles and want to produce reliable gh issue create commands or operator scripts without failing on missing labels or duplicate issues.

Why this exists

A common failure mode is generating polished gh issue create commands that reference labels not present in the target repo. Another is using only broad keyword search and missing an exact-title duplicate check. This skill front-loads those checks before side effects.

Workflow

1. Confirm target repo and auth

   • git remote -v
   • gh auth status
   • verify the intended owner/repo explicitly instead of assuming the current checkout or script default is correct.

2. Audit live labels before generating commands

   • gh label list --repo <owner/repo>
   • compare proposed labels against actual repo taxonomy.
   • if a drafted label does not exist, replace it with an existing repo label rather than leaving a broken command in a reusable script.
   • add an inline note in the generated script documenting which labels were verified and which drafted labels were removed/replaced.

3. Search for duplicates twice

   • broad keyword search for nearby issues:
     • gh issue list --repo <owner/repo> --state all --search '<keyword1> OR <keyword2>'
   • exact-title or exact-phrase search for each planned issue title:
     • gh issue list --repo <owner/repo> --state all --search '"<exact title or distinctive phrase>"'
   • broad search finds nearby work; exact search catches low-noise duplicates.

4. Generate body files and commands only after the audit

   • prefer --body-file over inline body strings.
   • emit copy/paste commands or a shell script only after repo/auth/label/duplicate checks are complete.

5. Re-render and verify the final command bundle

   • execute the script in print mode if possible.
   • confirm printed commands reference only existing labels and the correct repo.

6. If label audit forces changes, patch all related artifacts consistently

   • update the standalone gh issue create helper script
   • update any broader operator bundle that embeds those commands
   • re-run the rendered output check afterward

Good fit examples

• turning review findings into 3-10 follow-up GitHub issues
• preparing operator handoff scripts for issue creation
• building repeatable triage or issue-seeding bundles for a repo with a custom taxonomy

Pitfalls

• Do not assume labels like area:*, parsing, or releases exist just because they look reasonable.
• Do not rely only on broad keyword search when avoiding duplicates.
• Do not update one script and forget a second operator bundle that embeds the same commands.

Minimal command checklist

gh auth status
gh label list --repo <owner/repo>
gh issue list --repo <owner/repo> --state all --search '"<exact title>"'

Then generate or patch the reusable gh issue create commands.