find github issues and pull requests by asking

someone may have solved that bug before you lost the morning to it. a bot searches github issues and pull requests by repository, author, label or status.

by the dusk bot team · checked 12 november 2026 · how we made this

it brings back matches and the search words it used. start in the repository where the error happens, then read the closest report for symptoms and affected versions.

pixel art: an orange pixel bot, a purple cat bot and a blue pixel bot beside the GitHub mark on a white tile, a magnifying glass and a folder of papers, on a lilac hill in front of chalk cliffs by the sea, one saying "find the earlier report"

search issues and pull requests, in plain words

find the earlier investigation before starting yours from scratch. describe the error and name the repository. the bot combines words with filters for people, labels and open or closed work. say whether you want issues, pull requests or both.

it can sort matches and fetch more results. have it open the promising reports: a closed issue helps only if the fix covers your version.

a routine to copy

paste this into a chat with your bot

every tuesday at 9, search larchstone-dev/atlas for open issues and pull requests mentioning "export timeout".

- show the search words and repository
- group matches into issues and pull requests
- read promising matches before calling them the same problem
- say if unread results or search limits leave gaps

return the report here. never label, close, assign or comment on anything.

when: tuesdays at 9:00
needs: github connected with read only; allow search and reading matched issues or pull requests

what comes back looks like this (an example)

larchstone-dev/atlas
search: repo:larchstone-dev/atlas state:open "export timeout"
issue #47: large exports time out.
pull request #52: retry change; needs a closer read.
no repository changes.

good jobs for it

avoid a duplicate report. look for closed issues about the same error first.
see what might fix it next. find open pull requests that mention your component.
cover a teammate. find their assigned issues before they leave for holiday.

before it runs

dusk bot counts Search issues and pull requests as a read: it looks and changes nothing. a bot you allow only to read can use it.

how to start

keep it read only. connect github for this search bot.
name the search area. give the owner, repository and error phrase. choose issues, pull requests or both.
inspect a match. ask for the search wording and any gaps beside the results.
keep the investigation on your radar. schedule the search, then change the question as the problem narrows.

limits worth knowing

private work needs access. a repository your account cannot open will not appear.
finish the search before ruling out an earlier report. accessible repositories can still hit github search limits. ask the bot to show any gaps.
find out whether the fix reached your version. open the closed issue and read the affected versions.

the details it works from

input	required	what it is
`q`	yes	Search query string for issues and pull requests.
`page`	no	Page number to retrieve (min 1).
`sort`	no	Sort options for issue search results.
`order`	no	Order options for search results.
`per_page`	no	Number of results per page (min 1, max 100).

from composio's catalog for GitHub (action GITHUB_SEARCH_ISSUES, read 12 november 2026⁴). your bot fills these in from what you tell it.

try it in 2 minutes

connect github with read only
name one repository and an error phrase
ask for issues and pull requests separately
open the closest report and compare the symptoms

mistakes people make

searching every repository at once

start where the error happens. widen the search if that finds nothing.

calling a similar title a duplicate

read the symptoms and affected version before joining the reports.

before calling it a duplicate

same symptoms, not just the same title
same component and relevant version
the bot read the report, not just the search result
any access or search gaps appear in the answer

questions

can it search only pull requests?

yes, say pull requests only. have it show the exact search wording beside the matches.

does no result mean nobody reported it?

try a different error phrase before giving up. wording, repository access and search limits can hide an earlier report. have the bot name any gaps.

sources

dusk bot docs: files and apps
dusk bot docs: routines
dusk bot docs: computer permissions
composio, GitHub toolkit (catalog version 20261104_00), checked 12 november 2026

drafted with ai help from the dusk bot docs and the sources listed on this page, then checked against them. if something here is wrong or out of date, write to [email protected].