Issue Triage

Issue Triage

Turn a noisy issue queue into one evidence-backed next action. The skill helps a maintainer decide which thread deserves attention and how to respond without silently mutating a repository or inventing state that is not present in the thread snapshot.

Discovery and response are separate jobs. The default provider-respond runner reads one issue through Runx's provider boundary—preferring an authenticated local gh session and using Connect only when explicitly selected or needed— binds the returned snapshot and readback into the receipt, and turns it into a concise profile, recommended posture, draft reply, and follow-up plan. discover and respond remain explicit supplied-evidence lanes for offline queues and replay. Every analysis lane stops at a draft. Select post explicitly to consume that exact packet under a scoped comment grant and require provider readback without repeating triage.

When to use it

Use the default runner when the operator has a repository and issue number and wants current provider-grounded evidence. Use discover for a supplied issue queue and respond when an exact snapshot is already available or a receipt is being replayed. Use issue-intake when the material must first become an engineering change request, and issue-to-pr only after explicit promotion to implementation.

Do not use the analysis runners to close, label, assign, comment on, or promise work in a repository. They prepare the maintainer decision and draft only; the explicit post runner performs only the exact accepted comment.

Evidence and provider boundary

Every candidate and response is bound through Runx's native data digest to the exact issue snapshot or bounded snapshot set. provider-respond obtains that snapshot through native provider.read with repo.read, and the provider operation remains in the sealed run alongside the draft. The mcp-read runner composes the bundled examples/github-mcp-hero/read-issue provider pattern for deterministic tests; it is not evidence that live GitHub was queried. Supplied snapshots are labelled as such rather than promoted to provider readback.

Ground the assessment in the thread, repository facts, receipts, and supplied maintainer context. Do not infer contributor intent, reproduce hostile language unnecessarily, or claim a fix, release, or investigation exists unless the snapshot proves it.

Inputs and result

discover accepts a bounded issue_snapshots set, a selection query, and optional maintainer constraints. It returns a ranked triage queue whose ids and rationales bind to the admitted snapshot index.

provider-respond accepts owner/name, an issue number, and optional objective and maintainer context. respond accepts the same analysis context with one already obtained issue_snapshot. Both return the issue profile, response strategy, unsent response draft, and concrete follow-up actions with delivery_status: not_sent; the provider status distinguishes live readback from supplied evidence.

Stop conditions

• Return needs_more_evidence or needs_human when a thread is ambiguous, hostile, unsafe, underspecified, or outside declared maintainer posture.
• Reject issue ids, repository state, labels, commitments, or completed work not present in the admitted snapshot.
• Do not turn maintainer context into provider evidence.
• Refuse a missing, ambiguous, wrong-provider, or under-scoped GitHub binding; use compatible local gh or an explicitly selected hosted connector instead of a raw token or package HTTP client.
• Keep mutation out of the analysis lanes. An accepted draft moves explicitly to post, which requires scoped GitHub comment authority and provider readback.

Example

A queue contains a reproducible regression, a broad feature request, and a stale question. Discovery can prioritize the regression and explain why. Response can draft a concise request for the missing version detail or describe a verified workaround. It cannot say “fixed in the next release” unless the snapshot or other admitted evidence establishes that fact. Posting requires the separate post invocation and its comment-scoped grant.

Agent task contracts

issue-triage-discover

Rank only issues in the supplied index. Return bounded candidates and the selection rationale an operator needs to review the ranking. Never invent issue ids, provider state, promises, or completed work.

issue-triage-respond

Draft one helpful maintainer response grounded only in the admitted issue evidence. Preserve repository, issue number, title, and state exactly. Do not claim work is complete unless the snapshot proves it. The draft is not sent.