FAQ

What is Issuebeam?

A lightweight skeleton that connects AI coding agents to GitHub Issues. The agent runs a Python CLI to create, comment, and close issues — no gh CLI, no PowerShell scripts.

Is it Cursor-only?

No. Cursor is the best-tested path, but the same CLI works with Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Cline, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, Aider, and manual use. See Platforms.

Do I need the gh CLI?

No. Issuebeam uses stdlib Python (urllib) against the GitHub REST API. You need Python and a PAT with Issues read/write.

How does the agent know to use it?

Instruction files in the repo: AGENTS.md (universal), .cursor/rules/ for Cursor, CLAUDE.md for Claude Code, .github/copilot-instructions.md for Copilot. The agent runs python scripts/github_issue.py directly.

Can I adopt it into an existing project?

Yes: python scripts/adopt.py --target ../my-repo --repo myorg/my-app

Where does the token live?

Prefer GITHUB_TOKEN as an environment variable (works on Windows, macOS, Linux). Alternatives: .env (gitignored) or .secrets/github_token. On Windows, the CLI can also read user env vars from the registry if the IDE terminal does not inherit them.

Can I use it without any AI agent?

Yes. The CLI is fully usable by humans — many teams start with CLI + labels, then add agent rules.

How do I publish these docs?

pip install -r docs/requirements.txt
python scripts/publish_docs.py
cd ../issuebeam.github.io
git push

Site: issuebeam.github.io/docs