issues

Inspect, select, and implement GitHub issues through a structured issue-driven workflow.

1|Updated Aug 18, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/davidsneighbour/clerkwork --skill issues-davidsneighbour
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: issues
Source: https://github.com/davidsneighbour/clerkwork/tree/main/skills/issues
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/davidsneighbour/clerkwork --skill issues-davidsneighbour

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Managing an open issue queue manually is inconsistent: picking the wrong issue, skipping validation, or forgetting issue references in commits. This Skill standardizes how you inspect open issues, choose what to work on next, and implement fixes one issue at a time using a GitHub-first workflow. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Intent Routing: Recognizes natural requests like "check open issues", "work on issue #123", or "work through 3 issues" and applies the right mode: inspect, select, single-issue, or continuous work. - Defensible Issue Selection: Ranks candidates by priority labels, PROJECT.md mentions, milestones, dependencies, and acceptance criteria while skipping blocked, vague, or unvalidatable issues. - Atomic Implementation Workflow: Each issue gets its own Conventional Commits message with a closing footer (e.g., "Closes #123"), relevant validation runs, and lifecycle label updates via the companion labels and commit skills. - Use Case: Ask the assistant to "continue working on issues" and it will select one actionable issue, implement the smallest complete fix, run the repository's own lint/test scripts, commit with the proper issue reference, and repeat until a stop condition is reached. ## Quick Start Use the issues skill to work on the next open GitHub issue in this repository and commit the fix with a closing reference.

Frequently Asked Questions about issues

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I work through GitHub issues automatically with an AI assistant?▼

Ask to "work on the next issue" or "continue working on issues". The workflow selects one actionable issue, implements the smallest complete fix, runs the repository's validation scripts, commits with a closing reference like "Closes #123", and repeats until a stop condition is met.

How does the skill decide which GitHub issue to work on next?▼

Selection weighs priority labels, PROJECT.md mentions, milestone relevance, issue dependencies, clear acceptance criteria, and local validatability, preferring older issues when equal. Blocked, vague, duplicate, or externally dependent issues are skipped.

Can I use this issue workflow with GitLab or other issue trackers?▼

The workflow is GitHub-first and uses the gh CLI as the canonical implementation. On other platforms it maps issue numbers, labels, and closing references to the nearest equivalents, but it does not generalize away GitHub-specific behavior.

Does the skill push commits or close issues automatically?▼

No. It commits each completed issue separately with a Conventional Commits message and closing footer, but never pushes unless requested or required by repository instructions. It also avoids manually closing issues when closure happens through commits, PRs, or merges.

What happens when an issue is blocked during continuous issue work?▼

The blocked issue is recorded and the workflow continues with another independent actionable issue, unless repository instructions or dependency relationships make that unsafe. Stop conditions include validation failures, unexpected working-tree changes, and missing credentials.