---
name: GitHub Issues Management
slug: github-issues-management
category: Automation
description: GitHub Issues Management creates, searches, labels, assigns, comments on, and closes GitHub issues using gh or the REST API. Use it for issue triage and basic issue administration.
github: "https://github.com/HezaoHezao/poirot/tree/master/poirot/backend/agents/skill/builtin_skills/software-development/github-issues"
language: Python
stars: 187
forks: 9
install: "npx degit https://github.com/HezaoHezao/poirot/tree/master/poirot/backend/agents/skill/builtin_skills/software-development/github-issues ~/.claude/skills/github-issues"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/github-issues
source_path: poirot/backend/agents/skill/builtin_skills/software-development/github-issues/SKILL.md
collection_size: 37
category_size: 1523
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/HezaoHezao/poirot"
added: 2026-08-12T04:44:30.099Z
last_synced: 2026-08-12T04:44:30.099Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/github-issues-management"
---

# GitHub Issues Management

GitHub Issues Management creates, searches, labels, assigns, comments on, and closes GitHub issues using gh or the REST API. Use it for issue triage and basic issue administration.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/HezaoHezao/poirot/tree/master/poirot/backend/agents/skill/builtin_skills/software-development/github-issues ~/.claude/skills/github-issues
```

## README

# GitHub Issues Management

Create, search, triage, and manage GitHub issues. Each section shows `gh` first,
then `curl` fallback.

## Prerequisites

- Authenticated with GitHub (see `github-auth` skill)
- Inside a git repo with GitHub remote, or specify repo explicitly

## Setup

```bash
if command -v gh &>/dev/null && gh auth status &>/dev/null; then
  AUTH="gh"
else
  AUTH="curl"
fi

REMOTE_URL=$(git remote get-url origin)
OWNER_REPO=$(echo "$REMOTE_URL" | sed -E 's|.*github\.com[:/]||; s|\.git$||')
OWNER=$(echo "$OWNER_REPO" | cut -d/ -f1)
REPO=$(echo "$OWNER_REPO" | cut -d/ -f2)
```

## 1. Viewing Issues

```bash
# With gh
gh issue list --state open --limit 20
gh issue view 42

# With curl
curl -s "https://api.github.com/repos/$OWNER/$REPO/issues?state=open&per_page=20" | python3 -c "
import sys, json
for i in json.load(sys.stdin):
    print(f'#{i[\"number\"]:4d} [{i[\"state\"]:6s}] {i[\"title\"][:60]}')
"
```

## 2. Creating Issues

```bash
# With gh (interactive editor)
gh issue create

# With gh (inline)
gh issue create --title "Bug: login fails on Safari" --body "Description..."

# With curl
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
  https://api.github.com/repos/$OWNER/$REPO/issues \
  -d '{"title":"Bug: login fails","body":"Description","labels":["bug"]}'
```

## 3. Searching Issues

```bash
# Search within repo
gh issue list --search "login error" --state all

# Search across GitHub
gh search issues "is:issue is:open repo:$OWNER/$REPO label:bug"

# With curl (GitHub Search API)
curl -s "https://api.github.com/search/issues?q=repo:$OWNER/$REPO+label:bug+state:open" | python3 -c "
import sys, json
r = json.load(sys.stdin)
print(f'Total: {r[\"total_count\"]}')
for i in r['items']:
    print(f'#{i[\"number\"]:4d} {i[\"title\"][:60]}')
"
```

## 4. Labels

```bash
# List labels
gh label list

# Create label
gh label create "priority-high" --color "D73A4A" --description "High priority"

# Add label to issue
gh issue edit 42 --add-label "priority-high"

# With curl
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
  https://api.github.com/repos/$OWNER/$REPO/issues/42/labels \
  -d '{"labels":["priority-high"]}'
```

## 5. Assigning

```bash
# With gh
gh issue edit 42 --add-assignee username

# With curl
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
  https://api.github.com/repos/$OWNER/$REPO/issues/42/assignees \
  -d '{"assignees":["username"]}'
```

## 6. Comments

```bash
# With gh
gh issue comment 42 --body "Can you reproduce with the latest version?"

# With curl
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
  https://api.github.com/repos/$OWNER/$REPO/issues/42/comments \
  -d '{"body":"Can you reproduce with the latest version?"}'
```

## 7. Closing / Reopening

```bash
# With gh
gh issue close 42
gh issue reopen 42

# With curl
curl -s -X PATCH \
  -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
  https://api.github.com/repos/$OWNER/$REPO/issues/42 \
  -d '{"state":"closed"}'
```

## 8. Triage Workflow

```bash
# List untriaged issues (no labels)
gh issue list --state open --search "no:label"

# Bulk add labels
for num in 10 11 12 13; do
  gh issue edit $num --add-label "triaged"
done

# List issues assigned to you
gh issue list --assignee @me --state open
```

## Pitfalls

- **Issues vs PRs**: GitHub API returns PRs in the issues endpoint. Filter
  with `pull_request` field: `if 'pull_request' not in i`.
- **Rate limits**: authenticated 5000/hour, unauthenticated 60/hour. Always
  use token.
- **Label colors**: must be 6-char hex without `#` (e.g. `D73A4A`).
- **Assignees**: must be collaborators. Non-collaborators silently ignored.