github-issues

name	Github Issues
description	Backlog and project-management instructions using GitHub Issues. Load this skill when reading, listing, searching, understanding, or modifying project backlog issues.

Github Issues

This project's backlog is managed with GitHub Issues tracked in the Bean Lab GitHub Project.

Authentication

• GitHub issue work uses the gh CLI with the current repository by default.
• Check authentication with gh auth status when needed.
• If gh auth status reports an environment-token problem, verify whether the needed gh commands actually fail before stopping. Some environments report an invalid GITHUB_TOKEN while the keychain or approved command path still works.
• If the needed gh commands cannot authenticate, ask the user to provide a GitHub token or authenticate gh before proceeding.
• Use -R OWNER/REPO when working outside the current repository.

Project Target

These skills use the Bean Lab GitHub Project as the project-management surface:

• Project URL: https://github.com/orgs/beanlab/projects/13
• Project owner: beanlab
• Project number: 13

Use project item listing as the source of truth for what is currently tracked in the backlog:

gh project item-list 13 --owner beanlab --format json

Reading Issues

Use these commands to inspect the issue tracker:

• List all available issues:

  gh issue list \
    --state all \
    --limit 100 \
    --json number,title,state,labels,url,updatedAt
  

• List open issues:

  gh issue list \
    --limit 100 \
    --json number,title,state,labels,url,updatedAt
  

• Search issues:

  gh issue list \
    --state all \
    --search "<query>" \
    --json number,title,state,labels,url,updatedAt
  

• View an issue with comments: gh issue view <number-or-url> --comments
• View structured issue data:

  gh issue view <number-or-url> --comments \
    --json number,title,body,labels,state,url,comments
  

• List repository labels: gh label list --sort name --limit 200 --json name,description
• Show issues relevant to the authenticated user: gh issue status

Modifying Issues

Use these commands when updating an existing backlog issue:

• Edit title, labels, or body:

  gh issue edit <number-or-url> \
    --title "<title>" \
    --body-file <body-file> \
    --add-label "<label>"
  

• Add a discussion note or clarification: gh issue comment <number-or-url> --body-file <body-file>
• Close a completed or obsolete issue: gh issue close <number-or-url> --comment "<short reason>"
• Reopen an issue: gh issue reopen <number-or-url>

Issue Structure

Backlog issues should use this durable structure:

Created on: <YYYY-MM-DD>
Created by: <user or agent>

## Details

<Overview of the item. Capture the problem, intent, and details
currently known.>

## Out-of-scope

<Changes or features left for other backlog items. Reference related
issues when known.>

## Dependencies

<Other backlog issues this item depends on. Reference related issues
when known.>

GitHub also tracks:

• Number or URL: stable identifiers for referencing the issue.
• Title: short summary of the work or problem.
• Type: exactly one of Touch Code or Task.
• Body: durable backlog description using the structure above.
• Labels: optional metadata used for filtering. By default, only use needs-clarification when the issue is ambiguous or incomplete.
• State: open or closed.
• Comments: discussion, follow-up, and implementation notes.

Some older backlog issues may follow a different format. If you modify one, update it as best you can to match this format and ask the user for missing information when needed.

Guidance

• Prefer JSON output when the result will be used for planning, filtering, or follow-up automation.
• Use --comments when discussion history may affect the current task.
• Check labels before assuming available workflow categories.
• Treat the issue body as the source of durable requirements; comments may contain later clarifications.
• Treat backlog issues as placeholders for ideas or TODO items, not implementation plans.
• Capture the information immediately on hand from the conversation.
• Think through what information should and should not be included. Do not flesh out the idea beyond what is known.
• Keep implementation details in the issue only when they already exist or are necessary context.

Creating Issues

When asked to create a GitHub issue, load and follow project-management/backlog/create-issue.