mgratzer/forge-create-issue

Create Issue

Collaboratively plan and create well-structured Issues through interactive discussion. The Issue is created in the project's Issue tracker — see CONTEXT.md for provider detection.

Input

The issue idea or problem description: $ARGUMENTS

If no argument is provided, ask the user what they'd like to create an issue for.

Process

Step 1: Understand and Clarify

Parse the user's input, then use AskUserQuestion to gather:

• Problem context — what triggered this, who's affected, current vs desired behavior
• Success criteria — how will we know this is done
• Constraints — technical limitations, dependencies

Step 2: Research the Codebase

Before proposing solutions, explore relevant code:

• Find related existing implementations and patterns
• Identify integration points and potential reuse
• Look for similar past implementations

Verify external dependencies are accessible if relevant — flag broken ones before proceeding.

Step 3: Present Alternative Approaches

Skip this step if the input already contains a chosen approach with rationale — the decision was already made through deliberate analysis. Proceed directly to Step 4.

Otherwise, always present 2-4 different approaches. Never jump to a single solution.

For each approach:

• One-line summary
• How it works (brief)
• Pros and cons
• Relative complexity (Low / Medium / High)
• Key files affected

Let the user choose or combine approaches.

Step 4: Assess Scope

Evaluate if this should be one Issue or multiple.

Split when: distinct deliverables, different codebase areas, parallelizable work, or effort exceeds 1-2 days.

Keep together when: tightly coupled changes or splitting adds coordination overhead.

When splitting, slice vertically — each Issue is a thin end-to-end path (see vertical-slicing). Classify each as AFK or HITL (see afk-vs-hitl.md). Order by dependency.

If splitting makes sense, offer: single Issue, multiple linked Issues, or epic with sub-issues.

Step 5: Draft the Issue

Title: Use conventional commit format — <type>(<scope>): <description>

Labels: When using GitHub, discover available labels with gh label list. When using the markdown provider, choose labels freely — there is no predefined set. Apply at least one type label and relevant area labels.

Body structure:

## Summary
[1-2 sentences]

## Problem / Motivation
[Why this needs to exist]

## Proposed Solution
[Chosen approach with implementation details]

### Alternatives Considered
[Other approaches and why they weren't chosen]

### Implementation Constraints
[When applicable: preferred libraries, config locations, patterns to follow, external dependencies]

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] [Specific, testable criteria]
- [ ] Tests added/updated
- [ ] Documentation updated (if applicable)

Step 6: Review and Create

Present the draft to the user. Iterate until satisfied. Then create the Issue using the project's Issue tracker — see issue-operations for provider-specific mechanics.

For GitHub epics, create the parent issue first, then sub-issues with --parent <PARENT_NUMBER>.

Share the issue reference. Suggest using forge-implement to start implementation.

Guidelines

• Be curious — challenge assumptions, ask "why" and "what if"
• Explore first — always research the codebase before proposing solutions
• Never skip alternatives — even if one approach seems obvious
• Don't over-specify — leave room for implementer judgment
• No time estimates

Related Skills

Next step: Use forge-implement to implement the issue.

Example Usage

/forge-create-issue add dark mode support
/forge-create-issue