Pre-Issue Creation Checklist
Purpose
Prevent duplicate issue creation by systematically checking for existing work before creating new issues or major work items.
Mandatory Checklist
Before creating any issue, PR, or major work item, complete ALL steps:
1. Search Existing Issues
# Search current repository
gh search issues "keywords" --repo owner/repo --state open
gh search issues "keywords" --repo owner/repo --state closed
# Search across related repositories
gh search issues "keywords" --owner organization
2. Check Recent Agent Work
# Review recent commits by current agent
git log --oneline --since="1 week ago" --author="$(git config user.name)"
# Check recent issues/PRs created
gh issue list --author @me --limit 10
gh pr list --author @me --limit 5
3. Review Agent Session History
# Check recent journal entries for context
ls -la journal/ | tail -5
grep -r "issue\|create\|TODO" journal/ | tail -10
# Check active tasks for overlap
gptodo status --compact
4. Verify Necessity
- [ ] Is this genuinely new work?
- [ ] Does it duplicate existing issues/tasks?
- [ ] Is it already covered by broader scope work?
- [ ] Would it be better as a comment on existing issue?
5. Cross-Agent Coordination
If working in shared spaces:
# Check other agents' recent work
git log --oneline --since="3 days ago" | grep -v "$(git config user.name)"
# Search for agent mentions in issues
gh search issues "mentions:other-agent" --repo owner/repo
Issue Creation Template
When creating issues after completing checklist:
## Duplicate Check Completed ✅
- [x] Searched existing issues with keywords: [list keywords]
- [x] Reviewed recent agent work (last 7 days)
- [x] Checked active tasks for overlap
- [x] Verified this is genuinely new work
## [Standard issue content follows...]
Emergency Override
In urgent situations where immediate action is needed:
- Create issue with "EMERGENCY OVERRIDE" tag
- Include note: "Created without full duplicate check due to urgency"
- Add to pending review list for post-action verification
- Complete full duplicate check within 24 hours
Enforcement Integration
This checklist is integrated into:
- Autonomous session startup procedures
- Task creation workflows
- Cross-agent communication protocols
- Session end verification
Success Metrics
- Zero duplicate issues created after implementation
- 100% checklist completion for new issues
- Reduced cognitive overhead through systematic approach
- Improved cross-agent coordination