github-issue-reader_skill

Overview

This skill loads comprehensive GitHub issue information to provide full context for planning and implementation tasks. It returns title, description, all comments, metadata (labels, assignees, milestone), and related items such as linked pull requests and cross-references. Use it to quickly gather everything needed to scope, estimate, or start work on an issue.

How this skill works

Invoke the skill with an issue reference (number, owner/repo#number, or full URL). It uses the GitHub CLI to fetch issue metadata, the full description, all comments with authors and timestamps, labels, assignees, milestones, linked PRs, and cross-referenced issues. The output is a formatted summary that you can use directly in planning workflows or copy into tickets and design notes.

When to use it

• Preparing a plan or implementation tasks for a GitHub issue
• Reviewing full discussion and history before starting work
• Gathering requirements and acceptance criteria from issue comments
• Checking for existing linked pull requests or related issues
• Validating assignees, labels, and milestone before scheduling work

Best practices

• Provide a precise issue reference: number, owner/repo#number, or full URL
• Authenticate gh CLI before running the skill to avoid permission errors
• Review linked PRs and cross-references to avoid duplicating work
• Use the formatted output to quote key comments or decision points in plans
• Re-run before starting work to capture any late comments or changes

Example use cases

• Create an implementation plan that references the issue description and key comments
• Collect all stakeholder feedback and decisions before estimating effort
• Audit an issue's history to understand regressions or recurring bugs
• Identify existing PRs or related issues to merge context into a single plan
• Prepare a handoff summary for a teammate taking ownership of the issue