fix-github-issue

Fix GitHub Issue

When to Use

• You have a GitHub Issue number and want to resolve it from scratch
• Debugging a reported bug with a clear reproduction case
• Picking up an issue from the backlog and implementing the fix
• Fast-track for "good first issue" or well-scoped bug reports

Differentiation from github-issue-triage: This skill fixes issues (code changes, tests, PR). github-issue-triage is for organizing and classifying issues in bulk.

Prerequisites

• GitHub MCP server available (built-in to Copilot CLI)
• Write access to the repository for creating a branch and PR
• gh CLI installed (for branch creation and PR fallback)

Workflow

1. Read the Issue

# Via Copilot MCP (structured data, no token needed):
# Tool: github-mcp-server-issue_read
#   method: "get"
#   owner: "my-org"
#   repo: "my-app"
#   issue_number: 123

# Also read any existing comments for additional context:
# Tool: github-mcp-server-issue_read
#   method: "get_comments"
#   owner: "my-org"
#   repo: "my-app"
#   issue_number: 123

Extract:

• Expected behavior vs actual behavior
• Reproduction steps
• Stack trace or error message (if present)
• Labels (bug/enhancement/docs)

2. Search for the Root Cause

# Search for the symbol, function, or error message mentioned in the issue
git --no-pager grep -n "functionNameFromIssue" -- "*.ts" "*.js"

# If it's an error message, search for where it's generated
git --no-pager grep -rn "the exact error string"

# Recent changes to the affected file
git --no-pager log --oneline -10 -- path/to/file.ts

3. Create a Dedicated Branch

$issueNumber = 123
$shortDesc = "fix-null-check-users-api"
git checkout -b "fix/issue-$issueNumber-$shortDesc"

4. Reproduce the Issue (Write a Failing Test First)

If the project has tests, write the test before fixing:

# Run existing tests to confirm baseline
npm test -- --testPathPattern="users"

# Write a failing test that demonstrates the bug
# (Edit the appropriate test file)

# Confirm test fails
npm test -- --testPathPattern="users" 2>&1 | Select-Object -Last 20