GitHub Planning

Create GitHub Issues and Projects instead of local markdown files for planning artifacts.

Modern GitHub Features (2024+)

This skill leverages modern GitHub capabilities:

Feature	Description	When Used
Native Sub-Issues	GitHub's built-in parent/child relationship	STANDARD, COMPLEX
YAML Issue Forms	Structured input templates	All tiers
Projects v2 API	GraphQL-based project management	COMPLEX
Milestones	Time-boxed release tracking	STANDARD, COMPLEX
Label Taxonomy	Structured labeling (type:, priority:, status:*)	All tiers

Contextd Integration (Optional)

If contextd MCP is available:

• memory_record for planning decisions

If contextd is NOT available:

• GitHub artifact creation works normally
• No cross-session memory of planning decisions

When to Use

Called by /brainstorm Phase 6 after design is complete to create:

• SIMPLE: Single Issue with checklist
• STANDARD: Epic Issue + native sub-Issues + Milestone
• COMPLEX: Epic + native sub-Issues + Projects v2 board + Automation

Prerequisites

• gh CLI authenticated (gh auth status)
• Repository has GitHub remote configured
• Complexity tier determined (from complexity-assessment)
• For Projects v2: GitHub GraphQL API access (gh api graphql)

---

Label Taxonomy (Required)

Create these labels in your repository if they don't exist:

Type Labels

gh label create "type:epic" --color "8B5CF6" --description "Epic/parent issue"
gh label create "type:feature" --color "10B981" --description "New feature"
gh label create "type:bug" --color "EF4444" --description "Bug report"
gh label create "type:task" --color "3B82F6" --description "Implementation task"
gh label create "type:chore" --color "6B7280" --description "Maintenance/housekeeping"
gh label create "type:docs" --color "F59E0B" --description "Documentation"

Priority Labels

gh label create "priority:critical" --color "DC2626" --description "P0 - Drop everything"
gh label create "priority:high" --color "F97316" --description "P1 - This sprint"
gh label create "priority:medium" --color "EAB308" --description "P2 - Next sprint"
gh label create "priority:low" --color "84CC16" --description "P3 - Backlog"

Status Labels

gh label create "status:blocked" --color "FEE2E2" --description "Blocked by dependency"
gh label create "status:needs-review" --color "DBEAFE" --description "Ready for review"
gh label create "status:in-progress" --color "FEF3C7" --description "Currently being worked"

---

Tier-Based Output

SIMPLE Tier

Create single Issue with checkbox checklist:

gh issue create \
  --title "<feature-name>" \
  --label "type:task,priority:medium" \
  --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Overview
<1-2 sentence description>

## Tasks
- [ ] <task 1>
- [ ] <task 2>
- [ ] <task 3>

## Verification
| Type | Details | Expected |
|------|---------|----------|
| <type> | <command/steps> | <expected outcome> |

## Definition of Done
- [ ] All tasks checked off
- [ ] Verification criteria pass
- [ ] No regressions introduced

## Context
- Complexity: SIMPLE
- Created by: /brainstorm
EOF
)"

STANDARD Tier

Create Epic Issue + native sub-Issues + Milestone:

1. Create Milestone (if needed):

gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/milestones \
  --method POST \
  -f title="<milestone-name>" \
  -f description="<milestone-description>" \
  -f due_on="<YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ>"

2. Create Epic:

gh issue create \
  --title "[EPIC] <feature-name>" \
  --label "type:epic,priority:high" \
  --milestone "<milestone-name>" \
  --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Overview
<description>

## Sub-Issues
<!-- Native sub-issues will be linked automatically -->

## Success Criteria
<what done looks like>

## Definition of Done
- [ ] All sub-issues closed
- [ ] Integration tests pass
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] No P0/P1 bugs outstanding

## Context
- Complexity: STANDARD
- Created by: /brainstorm
EOF
)"

3. Create Native Sub-Issues (GitHub 2024+ feature):

# Get Epic node ID first
EPIC_ID=$(gh api graphql -f query='
  query($owner: String!, $repo: String!, $number: Int!) {
    repository(owner: $owner, name: $repo) {
      issue(number: $number) {
        id
      }
    }
  }
' -f owner="<owner>" -f repo="<repo>" -F number=<epic-number> --jq '.data.repository.issue.id')

# Create sub-issue with native parent relationship
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($repositoryId: ID!, $title: String!, $body: String!, $parentId: ID!) {
    createIssue(input: {
      repositoryId: $repositoryId
      title: $title
      body: $body
      parentIssueId: $parentId
    }) {
      issue {
        number
        url
      }
    }
  }
' -f repositoryId="<repo-id>" \
  -f title="<task-name>" \
  -f body="<task-body>" \
  -f parentId="$EPIC_ID"

Alternative: REST API for sub-issues (if GraphQL unavailable):

gh issue create \
  --title "<task-name>" \
  --label "type:task" \
  --milestone "<milestone-name>" \
  --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Description
<task description>

## Verification
| Type | Details | Expected |
|------|---------|----------|
| <type> | <command/steps> | <expected outcome> |

## Definition of Done
- [ ] Implementation complete
- [ ] Tests written and passing
- [ ] Verification criteria met

## Parent
Contributes to #<epic-number>
EOF
)"

# Then link via API:
gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/<sub-issue>/sub_issues \
  --method POST \
  -f parent_issue_id=<epic-id>

COMPLEX Tier

Create Epic + native sub-Issues + Projects v2 board with automation:

1. Create Epic and Sub-Issues (same as STANDARD)

2. Create Projects v2 board with GraphQL:

# Get owner ID
OWNER_ID=$(gh api graphql -f query='
  query($login: String!) {
    user(login: $login) { id }
  }
' -f login="<owner>" --jq '.data.user.id')

# Create Project v2
PROJECT_ID=$(gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($ownerId: ID!, $title: String!) {
    createProjectV2(input: {
      ownerId: $ownerId
      title: $title
    }) {
      projectV2 {
        id
        number
      }
    }
  }
' -f ownerId="$OWNER_ID" -f title="<feature-name>" --jq '.data.createProjectV2.projectV2.id')

3. Configure Projects v2 Fields:

# Add Status field (single select)
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($projectId: ID!, $name: String!) {
    createProjectV2Field(input: {
      projectId: $projectId
      dataType: SINGLE_SELECT
      name: $name
      singleSelectOptions: [
        {name: "Backlog", color: GRAY}
        {name: "Ready", color: BLUE}
        {name: "In Progress", color: YELLOW}
        {name: "In Review", color: PURPLE}
        {name: "Done", color: GREEN}
      ]
    }) {
      projectV2Field { id }
    }
  }
' -f projectId="$PROJECT_ID" -f name="Status"

# Add Priority field
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($projectId: ID!, $name: String!) {
    createProjectV2Field(input: {
      projectId: $projectId
      dataType: SINGLE_SELECT
      name: $name
      singleSelectOptions: [
        {name: "P0 Critical", color: RED}
        {name: "P1 High", color: ORANGE}
        {name: "P2 Medium", color: YELLOW}
        {name: "P3 Low", color: GREEN}
      ]
    }) {
      projectV2Field { id }
    }
  }
' -f projectId="$PROJECT_ID" -f name="Priority"

# Add Sprint/Iteration field
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($projectId: ID!, $name: String!) {
    createProjectV2Field(input: {
      projectId: $projectId
      dataType: ITERATION
      name: $name
    }) {
      projectV2Field { id }
    }
  }
' -f projectId="$PROJECT_ID" -f name="Sprint"

4. Create Project Views:

# Create Board View
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($projectId: ID!, $name: String!) {
    createProjectV2View(input: {
      projectId: $projectId
      name: $name
      layout: BOARD_LAYOUT
    }) {
      projectV2View { id }
    }
  }
' -f projectId="$PROJECT_ID" -f name="Board"

# Create Table View
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($projectId: ID!, $name: String!) {
    createProjectV2View(input: {
      projectId: $projectId
      name: $name
      layout: TABLE_LAYOUT
    }) {
      projectV2View { id }
    }
  }
' -f projectId="$PROJECT_ID" -f name="Table"

# Create Roadmap View
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($projectId: ID!, $name: String!) {
    createProjectV2View(input: {
      projectId: $projectId
      name: $name
      layout: ROADMAP_LAYOUT
    }) {
      projectV2View { id }
    }
  }
' -f projectId="$PROJECT_ID" -f name="Roadmap"

5. Add Issues to Project (batch operation):

# Batch add multiple issues
for ISSUE_URL in "<epic-url>" "<sub-issue-1-url>" "<sub-issue-2-url>"; do
  gh project item-add <project-number> --owner <owner> --url "$ISSUE_URL"
done

# Or via GraphQL for more control:
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($projectId: ID!, $contentId: ID!) {
    addProjectV2ItemById(input: {
      projectId: $projectId
      contentId: $contentId
    }) {
      item { id }
    }
  }
' -f projectId="$PROJECT_ID" -f contentId="<issue-node-id>"

6. Configure Automation Rules:

# Auto-move to "In Progress" when assigned
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($projectId: ID!) {
    createProjectV2Workflow(input: {
      projectId: $projectId
      name: "Auto-move on assign"
      enabled: true
      triggers: [ISSUE_ASSIGNED]
    }) {
      projectV2Workflow { id }
    }
  }
' -f projectId="$PROJECT_ID"

# Auto-move to "Done" when closed
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($projectId: ID!) {
    createProjectV2Workflow(input: {
      projectId: $projectId
      name: "Auto-close on done"
      enabled: true
      triggers: [ISSUE_CLOSED]
    }) {
      projectV2Workflow { id }
    }
  }
' -f projectId="$PROJECT_ID"

---

YAML Issue Form Templates

Store these in .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ for structured issue creation.

Feature Request Form (feature.yml)

name: Feature Request
description: Propose a new feature
labels: ["type:feature"]
body:
  - type: markdown
    attributes:
      value: "## Feature Request"
  - type: textarea
    id: description
    attributes:
      label: Description
      description: What feature do you want?
      placeholder: As a user, I want...
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: dropdown
    id: priority
    attributes:
      label: Priority
      options:
        - P0 - Critical
        - P1 - High
        - P2 - Medium
        - P3 - Low
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: textarea
    id: acceptance
    attributes:
      label: Acceptance Criteria
      description: How do we know this is done?
      placeholder: |
        - [ ] Criterion 1
        - [ ] Criterion 2
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: textarea
    id: verification
    attributes:
      label: Verification Steps
      description: How to verify this works
      placeholder: |
        | Type | Details | Expected |
        |------|---------|----------|
        | command | npm test | All pass |

Bug Report Form (bug.yml)

name: Bug Report
description: Report a bug
labels: ["type:bug"]
body:
  - type: markdown
    attributes:
      value: "## Bug Report"
  - type: textarea
    id: description
    attributes:
      label: Bug Description
      description: What happened?
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: textarea
    id: reproduction
    attributes:
      label: Steps to Reproduce
      description: How can we reproduce this?
      placeholder: |
        1. Go to...
        2. Click on...
        3. See error
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: textarea
    id: expected
    attributes:
      label: Expected Behavior
      description: What should happen?
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: dropdown
    id: severity
    attributes:
      label: Severity
      options:
        - Critical - System down
        - High - Major feature broken
        - Medium - Feature degraded
        - Low - Minor annoyance
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: textarea
    id: environment
    attributes:
      label: Environment
      placeholder: |
        - OS:
        - Browser/Runtime:
        - Version:

Epic Form (epic.yml)

name: Epic
description: Create an epic with sub-issues
labels: ["type:epic"]
body:
  - type: markdown
    attributes:
      value: "## Epic Definition"
  - type: input
    id: title
    attributes:
      label: Epic Title
      placeholder: "[EPIC] Feature Name"
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: textarea
    id: overview
    attributes:
      label: Overview
      description: High-level description of this epic
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: textarea
    id: success_criteria
    attributes:
      label: Success Criteria
      description: What does done look like?
      placeholder: |
        - [ ] Criterion 1
        - [ ] Criterion 2
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: textarea
    id: sub_issues
    attributes:
      label: Planned Sub-Issues
      description: List the work items (will be converted to sub-issues)
      placeholder: |
        - [ ] Task 1: Description
        - [ ] Task 2: Description
  - type: dropdown
    id: complexity
    attributes:
      label: Complexity Tier
      options:
        - SIMPLE
        - STANDARD
        - COMPLEX
    validations:
      required: true

---

PR Template with Verification

Create .github/pull_request_template.md:

## Summary
<!-- Brief description of changes -->

## Related Issues
<!-- Link to issues: Fixes #123, Closes #456 -->

## Changes Made
-

## Verification Checklist
<!-- Check all that apply -->

### Automated Verification
- [ ] All CI checks pass
- [ ] Test coverage maintained/improved
- [ ] No new linting errors

### Manual Verification
| Verification | Status | Notes |
|--------------|--------|-------|
| Unit tests | [ ] Pass | |
| Integration tests | [ ] Pass | |
| Manual testing | [ ] Done | |

### Definition of Done
- [ ] Code follows project conventions
- [ ] Tests written for new functionality
- [ ] Documentation updated (if applicable)
- [ ] No breaking changes (or documented)
- [ ] Reviewed by at least one team member

## Screenshots/Recordings
<!-- If applicable -->

## Deployment Notes
<!-- Any special deployment considerations -->

---

Automated Verification Criteria Generation

For EVERY task, generate verification criteria automatically based on task type:

Detection Rules

Task Pattern	Verification Type	Auto-Generated Command
*test*, *spec*	command	npm test -- --grep "<pattern>"
*API*, *endpoint*	api	curl -X <method> <endpoint> | jq '.'
*UI*, *component*, *page*	browser	"Navigate to , verify "
*config*, *setting*	manual	"Verify in settings dashboard"
*CLI*, *command*	command	<command> --help && <command> <args>
*integration*	e2e	npm run test:e2e -- --grep "<feature>"
*migration*, *database*	command	npm run migrate && npm run db:verify

CI Check Integration

Link verification to CI checks:

## Verification
| Type | Details | Expected | CI Check |
|------|---------|----------|----------|
| command | `npm test` | All pass | [![Tests](badge-url)](check-url) |
| lint | `npm run lint` | No errors | [![Lint](badge-url)](check-url) |
| build | `npm run build` | Success | [![Build](badge-url)](check-url) |

Definition of Done Checklist

Every issue should include a DoD section:

## Definition of Done
- [ ] Implementation complete
- [ ] Unit tests written and passing
- [ ] Integration tests passing (if applicable)
- [ ] Code reviewed and approved
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] No new technical debt introduced
- [ ] Accessibility requirements met (if UI)
- [ ] Performance benchmarks met (if applicable)

---

contextd Integration

Record created artifacts:

mcp__contextd__memory_record(
  project_id: "<project>",
  title: "GitHub planning: <feature-name>",
  content: "Created: <issue-type>. URLs: <list>.
            Tier: <tier>. Tasks: <count>.
            Project: <project-url> (if COMPLEX).
            Milestone: <milestone-name> (if STANDARD+).",
  outcome: "success",
  tags: ["github-planning", "<tier>"]
)

Error Handling

gh CLI not authenticated

Error: gh auth status failed
Action: Run `gh auth login` to authenticate

No GitHub remote

Error: No GitHub remote found
Action: Ensure repo has origin pointing to GitHub

Rate limiting

Error: API rate limit exceeded
Action: Wait and retry, or use authenticated requests

GraphQL API errors

Error: GraphQL query failed
Action: Check API permissions, verify node IDs are correct
Fallback: Use REST API alternatives where available

Native sub-issues not available

Error: parentIssueId not supported
Action: Repository may not have sub-issues enabled
Fallback: Use manual linking with "Contributes to #X" pattern

Cleanup

If planning is abandoned:

• Close draft issues
• Remove from project board
• Record cancellation in contextd

Attribution

Adapted from Auto-Claude planning concepts. See CREDITS.md.

---

Pre-Flight (MANDATORY)

BEFORE creating ANY GitHub artifacts:

1. Verify gh CLI authentication:
   gh auth status
   → If fails: STOP. User must run `gh auth login`

2. Verify GitHub remote:
   git remote get-url origin
   → Must be a GitHub URL (github.com)

3. Get tier from calling context:
   → If no tier provided: STOP. Complexity assessment required first.

4. Check for existing labels:
   gh label list --json name --jq '.[].name' | grep "type:"
   → If missing: Create label taxonomy (see Label Taxonomy section)

5. mcp__contextd__memory_search(
     project_id: "<project>",
     query: "github planning <feature-name>"
   )
   → Check if Issues already exist for this feature

6. Verify GraphQL API access (for COMPLEX tier):
   gh api graphql -f query='{ viewer { login } }'
   → If fails: Fall back to REST API patterns

Do NOT proceed to Issue creation without completing all pre-flight checks.

---

Mandatory Checklist

EVERY github-planning invocation MUST complete ALL steps:

For ALL Tiers:

• Run pre-flight checks (gh auth, remote, tier, labels)
• Generate verification criteria for EACH task (see Verification Criteria section)
• Include verification table in EVERY Issue body
• Include Definition of Done checklist in EVERY Issue
• Apply appropriate label taxonomy (type:, priority:)
• Record created artifacts in contextd

For SIMPLE Tier:

• Create single Issue with checklist
• Include all tasks as checkboxes
• Add verification criteria table
• Add Definition of Done checklist
• Add complexity and source metadata

For STANDARD Tier:

• Create Milestone (if feature is time-boxed)
• Create Epic Issue FIRST with type:epic label
• Create each sub-Issue with native parent relationship (GraphQL)
• If native sub-issues unavailable: use REST fallback with manual linking
• Verify bidirectional linking (epic ↔ sub-issues) visible in GitHub UI
• Add all issues to milestone

For COMPLEX Tier:

• Complete ALL STANDARD tier steps
• Create Projects v2 board via GraphQL
• Configure Project fields (Status, Priority, Sprint)
• Create Project views (Board, Table, Roadmap)
• Add Epic and ALL sub-Issues to Project
• Configure automation rules (auto-move on assign/close)
• Verify all Issues appear in Project with correct field values

Post-Creation:

• Output Issue URLs to user
• Output Project URL (if COMPLEX)
• Record in contextd with all URLs and project details
• If ANY step fails, record failure and cleanup

GitHub planning is NOT complete until contextd recording is done.

---

Red Flags - STOP and Reconsider

If you're thinking any of these, you're about to violate the skill:

Thought	Reality
"Skip pre-flight, I know gh is working"	Pre-flight catches stale tokens. Always check.
"Verification is optional for simple tasks"	Verification is NEVER optional. Always include.
"I'll update the Epic links later"	Bidirectional linking is immediate. Do it now.
"COMPLEX doesn't need a Project board"	COMPLEX REQUIRES Projects v2 board. No exceptions.
"contextd recording can wait"	Recording is the LAST mandatory step. Don't skip.
"One Issue is enough for STANDARD"	STANDARD = Epic + native sub-Issues. Always.
"I'll just create Issues without verification"	Every Issue needs verification criteria AND DoD.
"The user didn't ask for a Project board"	Tier determines artifacts. COMPLEX = Project.
"Labels aren't important"	Label taxonomy enables filtering and automation.
"Skip GraphQL, REST is enough"	GraphQL enables native sub-issues and Projects v2.
"Automation rules are optional"	COMPLEX tier requires automation configuration.

---

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Correct Approach
Creating sub-Issues without native parent link	Use GraphQL parentIssueId or REST sub_issues API
Creating Epic without updating links	Native sub-issues auto-link; verify in GitHub UI
Skipping verification criteria	Use Verification Criteria section to generate for each task type
COMPLEX without Project board	Create Projects v2 via GraphQL with fields and views
Not recording in contextd	memory_record with ALL Issue/Project URLs is mandatory
Using wrong tier artifacts	SIMPLE = single Issue, STANDARD = Epic+subs+Milestone, COMPLEX = Epic+subs+Projects v2
Orphaned Issues on failure	If error mid-creation, cleanup with gh issue close
Missing label taxonomy	Create type:, priority:, status:* labels before issue creation
Not including Definition of Done	Every issue needs DoD checklist for completion criteria
Skipping Project automation	COMPLEX tier requires workflow automation rules

---

Verification Criteria Generation (Required)

For EVERY task, determine verification type and generate criteria:

Task Type	Verification Type	Example
CLI command	command	<command> && echo "PASS"
API endpoint	api	curl -X POST /endpoint -d '{}' | jq '.status'
UI component	browser	"Click button, verify modal appears"
Integration	e2e	npm run test:e2e -- --grep "feature"
Config change	manual	"Verify setting appears in dashboard"

Include verification table in EVERY Issue:

## Verification
| Type | Details | Expected |
|------|---------|----------|
| command | `npm test -- --grep "feature"` | All tests pass |
| browser | Navigate to /settings, click Save | Success toast appears |

---

Bidirectional Linking (Required for STANDARD/COMPLEX)

Native Sub-Issues (Preferred - GitHub 2024+)

When using GraphQL parentIssueId:

• Sub-issues automatically appear in Epic's "Sub-issues" section
• No manual linking required
• GitHub UI shows full hierarchy

Manual Linking (Fallback)

Epic body MUST contain:

## Sub-Issues
- #43: Implement auth middleware
- #44: Add login component
- #45: Create user model

Each sub-Issue body MUST contain:

## Parent
Contributes to #42

Verification: After creation, both Epic and sub-Issues should show cross-references in GitHub UI.

---

Cleanup Protocol

If planning fails or is abandoned:

# Close all created Issues
gh issue close <epic-number> --comment "Planning abandoned"
gh issue close <sub-issue-1> --comment "Parent epic closed"
gh issue close <sub-issue-2> --comment "Parent epic closed"

# Remove from Project (if COMPLEX)
gh project item-delete <project-number> --owner <owner> --id <item-id>

# Or delete entire project if nothing was added
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation($projectId: ID!) {
    deleteProjectV2(input: { projectId: $projectId }) {
      projectV2 { id }
    }
  }
' -f projectId="$PROJECT_ID"

Record in contextd:

mcp__contextd__memory_record(
  project_id: "<project>",
  title: "GitHub planning abandoned: <feature-name>",
  content: "Reason: <reason>. Closed: #<numbers>.
            Project deleted: <yes/no>.",
  outcome: "failure",
  tags: ["github-planning", "abandoned"]
)