namespace: aiwg platforms: [all] description: Update existing ticket/issue with status changes, comments, or field updates commandHint: argumentHint: <ticket-id> [--status STATUS --comment "text" --assignee USER --labels "label1,label2" --priority LEVEL] allowedTools: Read, Write, Glob, Bash, mcp__gitea__edit_issue, mcp__gitea__create_issue_comment model: sonnet category: project-management
Issue Update
Purpose
Update an existing ticket/issue with status transitions, progress comments, assignee changes, or metadata updates. Automatically uses the configured ticketing provider (Gitea, GitHub, Jira, Linear) or local file-based tracking.
Task
Given a ticket ID and update parameters:
- Load configuration from
.aiwg/config.yamlor projectCLAUDE.md - Validate ticket exists on provider or in local files
- Apply updates (status, comment, assignee, labels, priority)
- Return confirmation with updated ticket details
Parameters
<ticket-id>(required): Issue identifier (e.g.,ISSUE-001,#42,PROJECT-123,ENG-456)--status STATE(optional): Update ticket status- Valid states:
open,in_progress,closed,blocked,review - Provider-specific mappings applied automatically
- Valid states:
--comment "text"(optional): Add progress comment or note--assignee USER(optional): Assign to user (orunassignedto clear)--labels "label1,label2"(optional): Replace labels (comma-separated)--add-labels "label1,label2"(optional): Add labels without replacing existing--remove-labels "label1,label2"(optional): Remove specific labels--priority LEVEL(optional): Update priority (low|medium|high|critical)--milestone NAME(optional): Associate with milestone (provider-dependent)--provider NAME(optional): Override configured provider
Inputs
Configuration sources (same as /issue-create):
.aiwg/config.yaml- Project-level configurationCLAUDE.md- User-level configuration- Default:
localprovider
Outputs
All Providers:
- Confirmation of update
- Updated ticket details
- URL or file path to view changes
Workflow
Step 1: Parse Parameters
Extract from command invocation:
# Update status
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status in_progress
# Add comment
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --comment "Completed authentication module, working on authorization next"
# Update status with comment
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status closed --comment "Fixed in commit abc123"
# Assign ticket
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --assignee johndoe
# Update multiple fields
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status in_progress --assignee johndoe --priority high --comment "Started implementation"
# Add labels without replacing
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --add-labels "urgent,needs-review"
# Remove labels
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --remove-labels "wip,blocked"
# Replace all labels
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --labels "completed,tested"
Parameter extraction:
- Issue ID: First argument (required)
- Flags: Parse
--flag valuepairs - At least one update flag required (status, comment, assignee, labels, priority)
Step 2: Load Configuration
Same as /issue-create command:
- Check
.aiwg/config.yaml - Fallback to
CLAUDE.md - Default to
localprovider
Override with --provider if specified.
Step 3: Validate Issue Exists
Gitea:
# Fetch issue to verify existence
curl -s -H "Authorization: token $(cat ~/.config/gitea/token)" \
"${URL}/api/v1/repos/${OWNER}/${REPO}/issues/${TICKET_NUM}"
# Check HTTP status: 200 = exists, 404 = not found
GitHub:
# Fetch issue via gh CLI
gh issue view "${TICKET_NUM}" --repo "${OWNER}/${REPO}"
# Exit code 0 = exists, non-zero = not found
Jira:
# Fetch issue via REST API
curl -s -u "${JIRA_EMAIL}:${JIRA_API_TOKEN}" \
"${JIRA_URL}/rest/api/3/issue/${ISSUE_KEY}"
# Check HTTP status: 200 = exists, 404 = not found
Linear:
# Fetch issue via GraphQL
curl -s -X POST https://api.linear.app/graphql \
-H "Authorization: ${LINEAR_API_TOKEN}" \
-d '{"query": "query { issue(id: \"'${ISSUE_ID}'\") { id identifier title } }"}'
# Check if issue returned in response
Local:
# Check if file exists
if [ -f ".aiwg/issues/${TICKET_ID}.md" ]; then
echo "Issue exists"
else
echo "Issue not found"
fi
Error if not found:
❌ Issue not found: ISSUE-001
Available tickets:
- ISSUE-002: Add dark mode
- ISSUE-003: Fix navigation bug
List all tickets: /issue-list
Step 4: Map Status to Provider-Specific Values
Status mapping table:
| Generic | Gitea | GitHub | Jira | Linear | Local |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
open | open | open | To Do | Backlog | open |
in_progress | open | open | In Progress | In Progress | in_progress |
closed | closed | closed | Done | Done | closed |
blocked | open | open | Blocked | Blocked | blocked |
review | open | open | In Review | In Review | review |
Implementation:
case "${PROVIDER}" in
gitea|github)
case "${STATUS}" in
closed) PROVIDER_STATUS="closed" ;;
*) PROVIDER_STATUS="open" ;;
esac
;;
jira)
case "${STATUS}" in
open) PROVIDER_STATUS="To Do" ;;
in_progress) PROVIDER_STATUS="In Progress" ;;
closed) PROVIDER_STATUS="Done" ;;
blocked) PROVIDER_STATUS="Blocked" ;;
review) PROVIDER_STATUS="In Review" ;;
esac
;;
linear)
case "${STATUS}" in
open) PROVIDER_STATUS="Backlog" ;;
in_progress) PROVIDER_STATUS="In Progress" ;;
closed) PROVIDER_STATUS="Done" ;;
blocked) PROVIDER_STATUS="Blocked" ;;
review) PROVIDER_STATUS="In Review" ;;
esac
;;
local)
PROVIDER_STATUS="${STATUS}"
;;
esac
Note: Gitea and GitHub don't have separate "in_progress" state - use labels instead (e.g., add "in-progress" label when status changes to in_progress)
Step 5: Update Issue (Provider-Specific)
Gitea
Use MCP tools mcp__gitea__edit_issue and mcp__gitea__create_issue_comment:
Edit issue metadata:
# Update status (state)
# Use mcp__gitea__edit_issue
# Parameters:
# owner: ${OWNER}
# repo: ${REPO}
# issue_number: ${TICKET_NUM}
# state: "open" | "closed"
# assignee: ${ASSIGNEE} (optional)
# labels: [${LABELS}] (optional)
Add comment:
# Use mcp__gitea__create_issue_comment
# Parameters:
# owner: ${OWNER}
# repo: ${REPO}
# issue_number: ${TICKET_NUM}
# body: ${COMMENT}
Combined workflow:
- If status/assignee/labels specified → use
mcp__gitea__edit_issue - If comment specified → use
mcp__gitea__create_issue_comment - Both can be called in sequence if needed
GitHub
Use gh CLI:
Update status:
# Open issue
gh issue reopen "${TICKET_NUM}" --repo "${OWNER}/${REPO}"
# Close issue
gh issue close "${TICKET_NUM}" --repo "${OWNER}/${REPO}"
Add comment:
gh issue comment "${TICKET_NUM}" \
--repo "${OWNER}/${REPO}" \
--body "${COMMENT}"
Update assignee:
# Assign
gh issue edit "${TICKET_NUM}" \
--repo "${OWNER}/${REPO}" \
--add-assignee "${ASSIGNEE}"
# Unassign
gh issue edit "${TICKET_NUM}" \
--repo "${OWNER}/${REPO}" \
--remove-assignee "${ASSIGNEE}"
Update labels:
# Add labels
gh issue edit "${TICKET_NUM}" \
--repo "${OWNER}/${REPO}" \
--add-label "label1,label2"
# Remove labels
gh issue edit "${TICKET_NUM}" \
--repo "${OWNER}/${REPO}" \
--remove-label "label1,label2"
Jira
Use Jira REST API v3:
Update issue fields:
cat > /tmp/jira-update.json <<EOF
{
"fields": {
"status": {
"name": "${PROVIDER_STATUS}"
},
"assignee": {
"name": "${ASSIGNEE}"
},
"priority": {
"name": "${PRIORITY}"
},
"labels": [${LABELS_JSON}]
}
}
EOF
curl -X PUT "${JIRA_URL}/rest/api/3/issue/${ISSUE_KEY}" \
-u "${JIRA_EMAIL}:${JIRA_API_TOKEN}" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d @/tmp/jira-update.json
Add comment:
cat > /tmp/jira-comment.json <<EOF
{
"body": {
"type": "doc",
"version": 1,
"content": [
{
"type": "paragraph",
"content": [
{
"type": "text",
"text": "${COMMENT}"
}
]
}
]
}
}
EOF
curl -X POST "${JIRA_URL}/rest/api/3/issue/${ISSUE_KEY}/comment" \
-u "${JIRA_EMAIL}:${JIRA_API_TOKEN}" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d @/tmp/jira-comment.json
Linear
Use Linear GraphQL API:
Update issue:
cat > /tmp/linear-update.json <<EOF
{
"query": "mutation IssueUpdate(\$issueId: String!, \$stateId: String, \$assigneeId: String, \$priority: Int) { issueUpdate(id: \$issueId, input: { stateId: \$stateId, assigneeId: \$assigneeId, priority: \$priority }) { success issue { id identifier url state { name } } } }",
"variables": {
"issueId": "${ISSUE_ID}",
"stateId": "${STATE_ID}",
"assigneeId": "${ASSIGNEE_ID}",
"priority": ${PRIORITY_NUM}
}
}
EOF
curl -X POST https://api.linear.app/graphql \
-H "Authorization: ${LINEAR_API_TOKEN}" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d @/tmp/linear-update.json
Add comment:
cat > /tmp/linear-comment.json <<EOF
{
"query": "mutation CommentCreate(\$issueId: String!, \$body: String!) { commentCreate(input: { issueId: \$issueId, body: \$body }) { success comment { id body } } }",
"variables": {
"issueId": "${ISSUE_ID}",
"body": "${COMMENT}"
}
}
EOF
curl -X POST https://api.linear.app/graphql \
-H "Authorization: ${LINEAR_API_TOKEN}" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d @/tmp/linear-comment.json
Local
Update markdown file in .aiwg/issues/:
Read existing ticket:
TICKET_FILE=".aiwg/issues/${TICKET_ID}.md"
# Extract current metadata from frontmatter
CURRENT_STATUS=$(grep "^status:" "${TICKET_FILE}" | awk '{print $2}')
CURRENT_ASSIGNEE=$(grep "^assignee:" "${TICKET_FILE}" | awk '{print $2}')
CURRENT_LABELS=$(grep "^labels:" "${TICKET_FILE}" | cut -d':' -f2- | xargs)
CURRENT_PRIORITY=$(grep "^priority:" "${TICKET_FILE}" | awk '{print $2}')
Update metadata:
# Update status
if [ -n "${STATUS}" ]; then
sed -i "s/^status:.*/status: ${STATUS}/" "${TICKET_FILE}"
sed -i "/^\*\*Status\*\*:/s/:.*/: ${STATUS}/" "${TICKET_FILE}"
fi
# Update assignee
if [ -n "${ASSIGNEE}" ]; then
sed -i "s/^assignee:.*/assignee: ${ASSIGNEE}/" "${TICKET_FILE}"
sed -i "/^\*\*Assignee\*\*:/s/:.*/: ${ASSIGNEE}/" "${TICKET_FILE}"
fi
# Update priority
if [ -n "${PRIORITY}" ]; then
sed -i "s/^priority:.*/priority: ${PRIORITY}/" "${TICKET_FILE}"
sed -i "/^\*\*Priority\*\*:/s/:.*/: ${PRIORITY}/" "${TICKET_FILE}"
fi
# Update labels
if [ -n "${LABELS}" ]; then
sed -i "s/^labels:.*/labels: ${LABELS}/" "${TICKET_FILE}"
fi
# Update timestamp
sed -i "s/^updated:.*/updated: $(date +%Y-%m-%d)/" "${TICKET_FILE}"
Add comment:
# Append comment to end of file
cat >> "${TICKET_FILE}" <<EOF
### $(date +%Y-%m-%d\ %H:%M)
${COMMENT}
EOF
Step 6: Return Confirmation
Output format (consistent across providers):
✅ Issue updated: {ticket-id}
{view-url-or-file-path}
**Updates**:
- Status: {old-status} → {new-status}
- Assignee: {old-assignee} → {new-assignee}
- Priority: {old-priority} → {new-priority}
- Labels: {old-labels} → {new-labels}
- Comment added: "{comment-preview...}"
## Next Steps
- View ticket: {url-or-command}
- Add another comment: `/issue-update {ticket-id} --comment "text"`
- Close ticket: `/issue-update {ticket-id} --status closed`
- List tickets: `/issue-list`
Examples
Example 1: Update Status (Gitea)
Command:
/issue-update ISSUE-042 --status in_progress --comment "Started implementation, created auth module"
Config (.aiwg/config.yaml):
ticketing:
provider: gitea
url: https://git.integrolabs.net
owner: roctinam
repo: ai-writing-guide
Output:
✅ Issue updated: ISSUE-042
View at: https://git.integrolabs.net/roctinam/ai-writing-guide/issues/42
**Updates**:
- Status: open → in_progress (Gitea: added 'in-progress' label)
- Comment added: "Started implementation, created auth module"
## Next Steps
- View ticket: https://git.integrolabs.net/roctinam/ai-writing-guide/issues/42
- Update status: `/issue-update ISSUE-042 --status closed`
- Add comment: `/issue-update ISSUE-042 --comment "Progress update"`
Example 2: Close Issue with Comment (Local)
Command:
/issue-update ISSUE-003 --status closed --comment "Fixed in commit abc123. Tested on iOS Safari 17."
Output:
✅ Issue updated: ISSUE-003
File: .aiwg/issues/ISSUE-003.md
**Updates**:
- Status: in_progress → closed
- Comment added: "Fixed in commit abc123. Tested on iOS Safari 17."
## Next Steps
- View ticket: cat .aiwg/issues/ISSUE-003.md
- Reopen if needed: `/issue-update ISSUE-003 --status open`
- List closed tickets: `/issue-list --status closed`
Example 3: Reassign Issue (GitHub)
Command:
/issue-update #128 --assignee security-team --priority critical --comment "Escalating to security team due to severity"
Config (CLAUDE.md):
## Issueing Configuration
- **Provider**: github
- **Owner**: jmagly
- **Repo**: ai-writing-guide
Output:
✅ Issue updated: #128
View at: https://github.com/jmagly/aiwg/issues/128
**Updates**:
- Assignee: unassigned → @security-team
- Priority: medium → critical (updated in issue body)
- Comment added: "Escalating to security team due to severity"
## Next Steps
- View ticket: gh issue view 128
- Track progress: `/issue-update 128 --comment "Status update"`
- Close when resolved: `/issue-update 128 --status closed`
Example 4: Add Labels Without Replacing (Gitea)
Command:
/issue-update ISSUE-042 --add-labels "urgent,needs-review" --comment "Ready for code review"
Output:
✅ Issue updated: ISSUE-042
View at: https://git.integrolabs.net/roctinam/ai-writing-guide/issues/42
**Updates**:
- Labels: feature, ui → feature, ui, urgent, needs-review
- Comment added: "Ready for code review"
## Next Steps
- View ticket: https://git.integrolabs.net/roctinam/ai-writing-guide/issues/42
- Remove label after review: `/issue-update ISSUE-042 --remove-labels "needs-review"`
Example 5: Multiple Field Updates (Local)
Command:
/issue-update ISSUE-005 --status blocked --assignee unassigned --priority high --labels "blocked,needs-discussion" --comment "Blocked on architecture decision ADR-003. Need team discussion."
Output:
✅ Issue updated: ISSUE-005
File: .aiwg/issues/ISSUE-005.md
**Updates**:
- Status: in_progress → blocked
- Assignee: johndoe → unassigned
- Priority: medium → high
- Labels: feature → blocked, needs-discussion
- Comment added: "Blocked on architecture decision ADR-003. Need team discussion."
## Next Steps
- View ticket: cat .aiwg/issues/ISSUE-005.md
- Unblock: `/issue-update ISSUE-005 --status in_progress --comment "Decision made, resuming work"`
- List blocked tickets: `/issue-list --status blocked`
Error Handling
Issue Not Found
❌ Issue not found: ISSUE-999
Searched in:
- Provider: gitea
- Repository: roctinam/ai-writing-guide
Available tickets:
- ISSUE-001: Implement user auth (open)
- ISSUE-002: Add dark mode (in_progress)
- ISSUE-003: Fix navigation bug (closed)
List all tickets: /issue-list
Create new ticket: /issue-create "title"
Invalid Status
❌ Invalid status: 'inprogress'
Valid statuses:
- open
- in_progress
- closed
- blocked
- review
Example: /issue-update ISSUE-001 --status in_progress
No Updates Specified
❌ No updates specified.
At least one update parameter required:
- --status STATE
- --comment "text"
- --assignee USER
- --labels "label1,label2"
- --add-labels "label1,label2"
- --remove-labels "label1,label2"
- --priority LEVEL
Example: /issue-update ISSUE-001 --status in_progress --comment "Started work"
Provider-Specific Errors
Gitea MCP Error:
❌ Failed to update Gitea issue:
Error: 403 Forbidden
- Insufficient permissions to edit issue
- Verify token permissions at https://git.integrolabs.net/user/settings/applications
- Token needs 'write:issue' scope
Cannot update ticket.
GitHub CLI Error:
❌ Failed to update GitHub issue:
Error: issue not found: #999
- Verify issue number: gh issue list --repo jmagly/ai-writing-guide
- Check repository access: gh auth status
Cannot update ticket.
Local File Error:
❌ Failed to update local ticket file:
Error: Permission denied - .aiwg/issues/ISSUE-001.md
- Check file permissions: ls -la .aiwg/issues/ISSUE-001.md
- Ensure writable: chmod 644 .aiwg/issues/ISSUE-001.md
Cannot update ticket.
Best Practices
- Add meaningful comments - Document progress, blockers, and decisions
- Update status frequently - Keep stakeholders informed
- Use status transitions wisely - Follow team workflow (e.g., open → in_progress → review → closed)
- Reassign when blocked - Don't let tickets languish without clear ownership
- Remove labels when resolved - Clean up metadata (e.g., remove "needs-review" after review)
- Close tickets with resolution comments - Document how issue was resolved
- Link to artifacts - Reference commits, PRs, or SDLC artifacts in comments
- Batch updates - Update multiple fields in single command when possible
Integration with SDLC Workflows
Construction Phase (Development):
# Start work
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status in_progress --comment "Started implementation"
# Progress update
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --comment "Completed authentication module, 3 tests passing"
# Ready for review
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --add-labels "needs-review" --comment "Ready for code review, see PR #45"
# Close after merge
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status closed --comment "Merged in PR #45, deployed to staging"
Testing Phase:
# Found bug during testing
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status blocked --assignee qa-team --comment "Failed QA: auth broken on Safari"
# Bug fixed
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status in_progress --assignee dev-team --comment "Fix deployed, ready for retest"
# Passed testing
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status closed --comment "Passed QA, deployed to production"
Security Review:
# Start security review
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status review --assignee security-team --add-labels "security-review"
# Findings identified
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status blocked --comment "Security review found SQL injection risk, see ISSUE-042"
# Resolved
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --status closed --remove-labels "security-review" --comment "Security issues resolved, review passed"
Retrospectives:
# Action item from retro
/issue-update ISSUE-001 --add-labels "process-improvement" --comment "Retro action: Add automated tests for this pattern"
References
- @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/config/issueing-config.md - Configuration schema
- @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/commands/issue-create.md - Create ticket command
- @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/commands/issue-list.md - List tickets command
- @CLAUDE.md - User ticketing configuration