issue-duplicate-detection

name	issue-duplicate-detection
description	Patterns for detecting duplicate GitHub issues before creating new ones.

GitHub Issue Duplicate Detection Skill

This skill provides patterns for detecting and handling duplicate GitHub issues.

Why Check for Duplicates

• Prevent duplicate work
• Consolidate discussion
• Better tracking and metrics
• Cleaner backlog

---

Detection Process

Step 1: Extract Key Terms

From the potential new issue:

• Core functionality/feature
• Error messages (exact text)
• Component names
• User actions described

Step 2: Search Existing Issues

# Search open issues
gh issue list --state open --search "keyword1 keyword2" --limit 20

# Search all issues (including closed)
gh issue list --state all --search "keyword1 keyword2" --limit 20

# Search with specific terms
gh issue list --state all --search "in:title error message"

# Search by label
gh issue list --state open --label "bug" --search "keyword"

Step 3: Review Results

For each potential match:

• Compare titles carefully
• Read descriptions
• Check if closed issue was fixed
• Consider different wordings of same problem

Step 4: Present Findings

## Duplicate Check Results

### Potential Duplicates Found

| # | Title | State | Created | Similarity |
|---|-------|-------|---------|------------|
| #123 | Similar issue title | Open | 2024-01-10 | High |
| #456 | Related problem | Closed | 2023-12-01 | Medium |

### Analysis

**#123** appears to describe the same issue:
- Same error message mentioned
- Same component affected
- Both triggered by same user action

**Recommendation**: Add context to #123 instead of creating new issue.

### If Not Duplicate

If you confirm this is a new issue, I'll proceed with creation.

---

Search Strategies

By Error Message

gh issue list --state all --search "TypeError: Cannot read property"

By Component/Feature

gh issue list --state all --search "in:title checkout"
gh issue list --state all --search "in:body payment"

By Author (Recent)

gh issue list --state all --author @me --search "keyword"

Combined Search

gh issue list --state open --label "bug" --search "in:title login error"

---

Similarity Assessment

High Similarity (Likely Duplicate)

• Same error message
• Same steps to reproduce
• Same component affected
• Different wording, same problem

Action: Recommend adding to existing issue

Medium Similarity (Possibly Related)

• Same area but different specifics
• Could share root cause
• Related symptoms

Action: Recommend linking issues

Low Similarity (Probably Different)

• Same component, different issue
• Superficially similar only

Action: Proceed with new issue

---

Handling Duplicates

When Duplicate Found

1. Don't create new issue
2. Add context to existing:

gh issue comment 123 --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
Additional report:

[New information not in original issue]

Confirming this is still occurring as of [date].
EOF
)"

3. If existing is closed:
   • Check if fix actually resolved it
   • May need to reopen with new info

Linking Related Issues

When related but not duplicate:

In new issue body:
Related to #123
See also #456

Closing as Duplicate

gh issue close {number} --comment "Closing as duplicate of #123"
gh issue edit {number} --add-label "duplicate"

---

Common Duplicate Patterns

Same Bug, Different Reports

• Different users reporting
• Slightly different reproduction steps
• Same underlying cause

Feature Requests

• Multiple requests for same feature
• Different use cases, same solution
• Different wording, same goal

Regression Reports

• Previously fixed, returned
• Same symptoms as old issue
• May warrant new issue with reference

---

Search Query Reference

Query	Meaning
keyword	Search all fields
in:title keyword	Title only
in:body keyword	Body only
is:open	Open issues
is:closed	Closed issues
label:bug	With label
author:username	By author
assignee:username	Assigned to
created:>2024-01-01	Created after
updated:>2024-01-01	Updated after

Combine with AND:

gh issue list --search "is:open label:bug in:title checkout"

---

Checklist Before Creating

• Searched for exact error messages
• Searched for key feature terms
• Checked component-specific issues
• Reviewed recent issues
• Verified no duplicate exists
• OR found duplicate and added context