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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Create GitHub Feature Issue from Spec agent skill

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

This guide explains the create-github-issue-feature-from-specification agent skill, which lets an AI agent turn a feature specification file into a GitHub feature-request issue. It is written for readers who have never used agent skills. By the end you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in plain language, and what to check before you run it on a public repository.

Create GitHub Feature Issue from Specgithub/awesome-copilot · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Download the ZIP. Download the skill ZIP from this page.
  2. 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ inside a project. Alternatively, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
  3. 3Confirm the GitHub tools are available. Make sure the agent can use search_issues, create_issue and update_issue, and that you have write access to the target repository.
  4. 4Open the specification file. Open the spec file in your editor or reference its path in your request so the agent knows what to read.
  5. 5Ask for the issue in plain language. Tell the agent to create a GitHub issue from the spec, and name the repository if needed.
  6. 6Check for duplicates and review. Let the agent search existing issues first. Then read the created or updated issue to confirm the title, description and labels.

What is an agent skill, and what does this one do?

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that an AI agent can load when a task matches them. This skill is for one job: taking a specification file and turning it into a GitHub issue.

When you point the agent at a specification file, the skill tells it to analyze the file to extract requirements, then check existing issues with search_issues. If no matching issue exists, it creates one feature-request issue with create_issue. If a matching issue already exists, it updates that issue with update_issue instead of creating a duplicate.

  • Creates a single issue covering the complete specification.
  • Uses the feature_request.yml issue template, falling back to the default template if that one is not available.
  • Writes a title based on the feature name, and a description with the problem statement, proposed solution and context.
  • Adds the labels feature and enhancement where appropriate.
  • Includes only the changes the specification requires.

Install the skill from the ZIP download

Download the ZIP for this skill from this page. Then install it using one of the two options below.

For a personal setup available across your projects, unzip the file into ~/.claude/skills/. To limit it to a single project, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder. After unzipping, the skill folder should contain the SKILL.md file.

Alternatively, if you use the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill there.

  • Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
  • Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project
  • Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
~/.claude/skills/create-github-issue-feature-from-specification/SKILL.md

Check what the skill needs before you run it

The skill needs three things to work. The agent must have GitHub issue tools available, specifically search_issues, create_issue and update_issue. You must have write access to the target GitHub repository. And the specification file must be open or referenced in your request.

The skill does not run scripts. It does use the network, because it talks to GitHub through those issue tools.

  • GitHub issue tools available to the agent: search_issues, create_issue, update_issue
  • Write access to the target repository
  • A specification file open or referenced in the request
  • Runs scripts: no
  • Uses network: yes

How to trigger the skill with a natural request

You do not need a special command. Open or name the specification file and ask the agent in ordinary language to create a GitHub issue from it. The skill's own instruction refers to the specification file as the file the agent is working on, so opening the file first makes the request clearer.

Name the repository too if the agent has access to more than one, so it knows where to search for duplicates and where to file the issue.

  • Create a GitHub issue from this specification.
  • File a feature request on the repo for the spec I have open.
  • Turn the spec in specs/export-csv.md into a GitHub feature issue in our main repository.
  • Check whether this spec already has an issue, and create one if not.

Review the result and follow the rules the skill applies

Expect one issue per specification. The skill checks existing issues before creating anything, so a repeat request for the same spec should update the existing issue rather than add another one. Read the issue after the agent finishes, because the agent decides how to summarize the requirements and which labels fit.

If your repository has a feature_request.yml template, the issue should follow it. If not, the default template is used instead.

  • Confirm the title names the feature clearly.
  • Check that the description covers the problem, the proposed solution and the context.
  • Remove anything from the spec that is out of scope for this feature.

Safety notes before you file issues

The issue content is posted publicly on GitHub when the target repository is public. Do not use this skill on a spec that contains confidential or unreleased product details for a public repository.

Because the skill only works with GitHub's issue tools, it is not useful for projects that track work somewhere else. It has no other destination for the issue.

  • Use a private repository for unreleased or confidential specs.
  • Review the spec for sensitive details before the agent reads it.
  • Make sure your GitHub account has write access to the target repository.

What people use it for

  • Turning a product spec file into a tracked feature request for a maintainers' backlog.
  • Keeping a single GitHub issue updated as a spec changes, instead of filing duplicates.
  • Standardizing issue formatting across a team that uses a feature_request.yml template.
  • Checking whether a feature in a spec is already tracked before anyone files a new request.

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the create GitHub issue from spec agent skill?

Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

Is this agent skill free to use?

The skill is published under the MIT licence. Check the licence file in the source repository for the full terms, and note that you still need access to an agent and GitHub account with write access to the target repository.

What do I need to run this skill?

You need GitHub issue tools available to the agent (search_issues, create_issue and update_issue), write access to the target GitHub repository, and a specification file open or referenced in your request.

Does the skill create duplicate issues?

It is designed not to. The skill searches existing issues first, and if a matching one exists it updates that issue with update_issue instead of creating a new one.

Can I use this skill with a private or confidential spec?

Only with care. Issue content is posted publicly on GitHub when the target repository is public, so use a private repository for confidential or unreleased product details.

What if my repository has no feature_request.yml template?

The skill falls back to the default template. If your repository uses feature_request.yml, the issue follows that template.

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Our verdict

This skill suits maintainers and product engineers who write specs in files, use GitHub Issues, and want to avoid duplicate feature requests. If your project does not track work in GitHub Issues, or your specs are confidential and the repository is public, pick a different approach or a private repository.

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