create-issue-from-slack-thread

Create Issue from Slack Thread

Turn a Slack thread into a well-structured GitHub issue in a Blockscout repository.

Prerequisites

1. GitHub CLI

This workflow uses gh to create issues and manage labels. Follow the check-github-cli skill first (ensure gh auth status succeeds; if not, guide the user to install/configure gh and do not proceed).

2. Slack MCP Plugin

This workflow uses the Slack MCP plugin (plugin-slack-slack) to read thread content. Before proceeding:

• Try calling the slack_read_thread MCP tool with a test request to verify connectivity.
• If the Slack MCP server is not available or returns an error, tell the user:
  • The Slack plugin must be enabled in Cursor. Go to Cursor Settings > MCP and ensure the Slack server is connected and running.
  • They may need to re-authenticate the Slack plugin if the session has expired.
• Do not proceed until both gh and the Slack plugin are confirmed working.

Workflow

Step 1: Parse the Slack Thread URL

The user provides a Slack thread URL. Extract channel_id and message_ts from it.

Slack thread URLs follow these patterns:

• https://<workspace>.slack.com/archives/<channel_id>/p<timestamp_without_dot>
• https://app.slack.com/client/<workspace_id>/<channel_id>/thread/<channel_id>-<timestamp_without_dot>

Parsing rules:

• channel_id: The segment starting with C (e.g., C04XXXX5DAT).
• message_ts: Take the p-prefixed number, remove the p, and insert a dot before the last 6 digits. Example: p1709834567890123 becomes 1709834567.890123.

If the URL cannot be parsed, ask the user for the channel_id and message_ts directly.

Step 2: Read the Slack Thread

Use the slack_read_thread MCP tool:

Tool: slack_read_thread
Server: plugin-slack-slack
Arguments:
  channel_id: "<extracted_channel_id>"
  message_ts: "<extracted_message_ts>"
  limit: 200

If the thread has more than 200 messages, use the cursor parameter to paginate and read the full conversation.

Step 3: Summarize the Conversation

Analyze the full thread and produce a technical summary that captures:

• The core problem or request being discussed
• Relevant technical details (error messages, stack traces, affected components, versions)
• Steps to reproduce if applicable
• Any proposed solutions or workarounds mentioned
• Acceptance criteria or expected behavior if discussed

Mandatory rules for the summary:

• Never include a link to the original Slack thread
• Never include names of team members or attribute statements to specific people
• Write in neutral, third-person technical language

Step 4: Determine the Target Repository

Ask the user which Blockscout repository the issue should be created in. To help them decide, fetch the list of public repositories:

gh repo list blockscout --source --no-archived --limit 100 --json name,description --jq '.[] | "\(.name): \(.description)"'

Present the most relevant repositories based on the conversation topic and ask the user to confirm the target repository. Always wait for explicit confirmation before proceeding.

Step 5: Fetch Available Labels

Retrieve labels from the chosen repository:

gh label list --repo blockscout/<repo_name> --json name,description --limit 100

Based on the issue content, select labels that correspond to the problem described. Do not add a label if none of the available labels match the issue topic. It is acceptable to have zero labels.

Step 6: Compose the Issue

Draft the issue with:

• Title: A clear, concise summary of the problem or request (imperative mood preferred, e.g., "Fix X" or "Add support for Y").
• Description: A well-structured body using this template:

## Description

[Core problem or request in 2-3 sentences]

## Details

[Technical details, error messages, affected components]

## Steps to Reproduce

[If applicable — numbered steps]

## Expected Behavior

[What should happen instead, or acceptance criteria]

## Additional Context

[Any other relevant technical information from the discussion]

Omit any section that has no content rather than leaving it empty.

Mandatory rules for the issue:

• Never include a link to the original Slack thread
• Never include names of team members or attribute statements to specific people

Step 7: User Confirmation

Before creating the issue, present the following to the user and ask for confirmation:

1. Repository: blockscout/<repo_name>
2. Title: the proposed title
3. Description: the full issue body
4. Label(s): the selected labels (or "None" if no labels match)

Wait for the user to confirm or request changes. Apply any requested changes and re-confirm if needed.

Step 8: Create the Issue

Once confirmed, create the issue:

gh issue create \
  --repo blockscout/<repo_name> \
  --title "<title>" \
  --body "<body>"

If labels were selected, add them:

gh issue edit <issue_number> --repo blockscout/<repo_name> --add-label "<label1>" --add-label "<label2>"

Alternatively, pass labels at creation time if supported:

gh issue create \
  --repo blockscout/<repo_name> \
  --title "<title>" \
  --body "<body>" \
  --label "<label1>" --label "<label2>"

After creation, display a clickable link to the new issue.