Github Triage

GitHub Triage

Use this skill when the task is to sort, qualify, or prepare GitHub work.

Scope

• reviewing new issues
• categorizing bugs vs enhancements
• identifying missing information
• deciding whether an issue is ready for implementation
• summarizing next action for maintainers or agents

Default path

1. Read the issue body, labels, and recent comments.
2. Restate the problem in one line.
3. Decide whether it is:

• bug
• enhancement
• question
• duplicate or out of scope

1. Check the codebase only enough to understand the relevant domain and likely boundary.
2. Recommend one next state:

• needs info
• ready to implement
• needs design
• not actionable

1. If actionable, note the likely testable behavior and affected boundary.

When to deviate

• Investigate deeper only if the issue already looks actionable and the missing confidence is technical rather than descriptive.
• Escalate to design instead of implementation when the issue is really a product or UX decision.
• Close as duplicate or out of scope only when that state is defensible from the issue history or codebase context.

Guardrails

• Do not start implementing during triage.
• Do not over-investigate before deciding whether the issue is even valid.
• Keep the issue durable: describe behavior, not file paths.
• Separate “not enough information” from “not a real bug.”

Avoid

• jumping into code changes during triage
• over-reading the codebase before deciding whether the issue is valid
• confusing missing information with invalid reports
• writing triage notes that only make sense if the file layout never changes

Verification checklist

• the issue is restated in one clear sentence
• the category is explicit
• missing information, if any, is concrete
• the next state is chosen intentionally
• if actionable, the likely boundary and testable behavior are identified

Output Shape

When answering with this skill, prefer:

• issue summary
• category
• confidence level
• missing information, if any
• recommended next action

Good Triggers

• triage this issue, review incoming issues, classify this bug, is this ready to implement, GitHub triage

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: andrewsrigom
• Source: andrewsrigom/agent-skills
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://andrewsrigom.github.io/agent-skills/

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.