Github Automation

1---
2name: github-automation
3description: "Automate GitHub repositories, issues, pull requests, branches, CI/CD, and permissions via Rube MCP (Composio). Manage code workflows, review PRs, search code, and handle deployments programmatically."
4requires:
5  mcp: [rube]
6---
7 
8# GitHub Automation via Rube MCP
9 
10Automate GitHub repository management, issue tracking, pull request workflows, branch operations, and CI/CD through Composio's GitHub toolkit.
11 
12## Prerequisites
13 
14- Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
15- Active GitHub connection via `RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS` with toolkit `github`
16- Always call `RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS` first to get current tool schemas
17 
18## Setup
19 
20**Get Rube MCP**: Add `https://rube.app/mcp` as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.
21 
22 
231. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming `RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS` responds
242. Call `RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS` with toolkit `github`
253. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete GitHub OAuth
264. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows
27 
28## Core Workflows
29 
30### 1. Create and Manage Issues
31 
32**When to use**: User wants to create, list, or manage GitHub issues
33 
34**Tool sequence**:
351. `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORIES_FOR_THE_AUTHENTICATED_USER` - Find target repo if unknown [Prerequisite]
362. `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_ISSUES` - List existing issues (includes PRs) [Required]
373. `GITHUB_CREATE_AN_ISSUE` - Create a new issue [Required]
384. `GITHUB_CREATE_AN_ISSUE_COMMENT` - Add comments to an issue [Optional]
395. `GITHUB_SEARCH_ISSUES_AND_PULL_REQUESTS` - Search across repos by keyword [Optional]
40 
41**Key parameters**:
42- `owner`: Repository owner (username or org), case-insensitive
43- `repo`: Repository name without .git extension
44- `title`: Issue title (required for creation)
45- `body`: Issue description (supports Markdown)
46- `labels`: Array of label names
47- `assignees`: Array of GitHub usernames
48- `state`: 'open', 'closed', or 'all' for filtering
49 
50**Pitfalls**:
51- `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_ISSUES` returns both issues AND pull requests; check `pull_request` field to distinguish
52- Only users with push access can set assignees, labels, and milestones; they are silently dropped otherwise
53- Pagination: `per_page` max 100; iterate pages until empty
54 
55### 2. Manage Pull Requests
56 
57**When to use**: User wants to create, review, or merge pull requests
58 
59**Tool sequence**:
601. `GITHUB_FIND_PULL_REQUESTS` - Search and filter PRs [Required]
612. `GITHUB_GET_A_PULL_REQUEST` - Get detailed PR info including mergeable status [Required]
623. `GITHUB_LIST_PULL_REQUESTS_FILES` - Review changed files [Optional]
634. `GITHUB_CREATE_A_PULL_REQUEST` - Create a new PR [Required]
645. `GITHUB_CREATE_AN_ISSUE_COMMENT` - Post review comments [Optional]
656. `GITHUB_LIST_CHECK_RUNS_FOR_A_REF` - Verify CI status before merge [Optional]
667. `GITHUB_MERGE_A_PULL_REQUEST` - Merge after explicit user approval [Required]
67 
68**Key parameters**:
69- `head`: Source branch with changes (must exist; for cross-repo: 'username:branch')
70- `base`: Target branch to merge into (e.g., 'main')
71- `title`: PR title (required unless `issue` number provided)
72- `merge_method`: 'merge', 'squash', or 'rebase'
73- `state`: 'open', 'closed', or 'all'
74 
75**Pitfalls**:
76- `GITHUB_CREATE_A_PULL_REQUEST` fails with 422 if base/head are invalid, identical, or already merged
77- `GITHUB_MERGE_A_PULL_REQUEST` can be rejected if PR is draft, closed, or branch protection applies
78- Always verify mergeable status with `GITHUB_GET_A_PULL_REQUEST` immediately before merging
79- Require explicit user confirmation before calling MERGE
80 
81### 3. Manage Repositories and Branches
82 
83**When to use**: User wants to create repos, manage branches, or update repo settings
84 
85**Tool sequence**:
861. `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORIES_FOR_THE_AUTHENTICATED_USER` - List user's repos [Required]
872. `GITHUB_GET_A_REPOSITORY` - Get detailed repo info [Optional]
883. `GITHUB_CREATE_A_REPOSITORY_FOR_THE_AUTHENTICATED_USER` - Create personal repo [Required]
894. `GITHUB_CREATE_AN_ORGANIZATION_REPOSITORY` - Create org repo [Alternative]
905. `GITHUB_LIST_BRANCHES` - List branches [Required]
916. `GITHUB_CREATE_A_REFERENCE` - Create new branch from SHA [Required]
927. `GITHUB_UPDATE_A_REPOSITORY` - Update repo settings [Optional]
93 
94**Key parameters**:
95- `name`: Repository name
96- `private`: Boolean for visibility
97- `ref`: Full reference path (e.g., 'refs/heads/new-branch')
98- `sha`: Commit SHA to point the new reference to
99- `default_branch`: Default branch name
100 
101**Pitfalls**:
102- `GITHUB_CREATE_A_REFERENCE` only creates NEW references; use `GITHUB_UPDATE_A_REFERENCE` for existing ones
103- `ref` must start with 'refs/' and contain at least two slashes
104- `GITHUB_LIST_BRANCHES` paginates via `page`/`per_page`; iterate until empty page
105- `GITHUB_DELETE_A_REPOSITORY` is permanent and irreversible; requires admin privileges
106 
107### 4. Search Code and Commits
108 
109**When to use**: User wants to find code, files, or commits across repositories
110 
111**Tool sequence**:
1121. `GITHUB_SEARCH_CODE` - Search file contents and paths [Required]
1132. `GITHUB_SEARCH_CODE_ALL_PAGES` - Multi-page code search [Alternative]
1143. `GITHUB_SEARCH_COMMITS_BY_AUTHOR` - Search commits by author/date/org [Required]
1154. `GITHUB_LIST_COMMITS` - List commits for a specific repo [Alternative]
1165. `GITHUB_GET_A_COMMIT` - Get detailed commit info [Optional]
1176. `GITHUB_GET_REPOSITORY_CONTENT` - Get file content [Optional]
118 
119**Key parameters**:
120- `q`: Search query with qualifiers (`language:python`, `repo:owner/repo`, `extension:js`)
121- `owner`/`repo`: For repo-specific commit listing
122- `author`: Filter by commit author
123- `since`/`until`: ISO 8601 date range for commits
124 
125**Pitfalls**:
126- Code search only indexes files under 384KB on default branch
127- Maximum 1000 results returned from code search
128- `GITHUB_SEARCH_COMMITS_BY_AUTHOR` requires keywords in addition to qualifiers; qualifier-only queries are not allowed
129- `GITHUB_LIST_COMMITS` returns 409 on empty repos
130 
131### 5. Manage CI/CD and Deployments
132 
133**When to use**: User wants to view workflows, check CI status, or manage deployments
134 
135**Tool sequence**:
1361. `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_WORKFLOWS` - List GitHub Actions workflows [Required]
1372. `GITHUB_GET_A_WORKFLOW` - Get workflow details by ID or filename [Optional]
1383. `GITHUB_CREATE_A_WORKFLOW_DISPATCH_EVENT` - Manually trigger a workflow [Required]
1394. `GITHUB_LIST_CHECK_RUNS_FOR_A_REF` - Check CI status for a commit/branch [Required]
1405. `GITHUB_LIST_DEPLOYMENTS` - List deployments [Optional]
1416. `GITHUB_GET_A_DEPLOYMENT_STATUS` - Get deployment status [Optional]
142 
143**Key parameters**:
144- `workflow_id`: Numeric ID or filename (e.g., 'ci.yml')
145- `ref`: Git reference (branch/tag) for workflow dispatch
146- `inputs`: JSON string of workflow inputs matching `on.workflow_dispatch.inputs`
147- `environment`: Filter deployments by environment name
148 
149**Pitfalls**:
150- `GITHUB_CREATE_A_WORKFLOW_DISPATCH_EVENT` requires the workflow to have `workflow_dispatch` trigger configured
151- Full path `.github/workflows/main.yml` is auto-stripped to just `main.yml`
152- Inputs max 10 key-value pairs; must match workflow's `on.workflow_dispatch.inputs` definitions
153 
154### 6. Manage Users and Permissions
155 
156**When to use**: User wants to check collaborators, permissions, or branch protection
157 
158**Tool sequence**:
1591. `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_COLLABORATORS` - List repo collaborators [Required]
1602. `GITHUB_GET_REPOSITORY_PERMISSIONS_FOR_A_USER` - Check specific user's access [Optional]
1613. `GITHUB_GET_BRANCH_PROTECTION` - Inspect branch protection rules [Required]
1624. `GITHUB_UPDATE_BRANCH_PROTECTION` - Update protection settings [Optional]
1635. `GITHUB_ADD_A_REPOSITORY_COLLABORATOR` - Add/update collaborator [Optional]
164 
165**Key parameters**:
166- `affiliation`: 'outside', 'direct', or 'all' for collaborator filtering
167- `permission`: Filter by 'pull', 'triage', 'push', 'maintain', 'admin'
168- `branch`: Branch name for protection rules
169- `enforce_admins`: Whether protection applies to admins
170 
171**Pitfalls**:
172- `GITHUB_GET_BRANCH_PROTECTION` returns 404 for unprotected branches; treat as no protection rules
173- Determine push ability from `permissions.push` or `role_name`, not display labels
174- `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_COLLABORATORS` paginates; iterate all pages
175- `GITHUB_GET_REPOSITORY_PERMISSIONS_FOR_A_USER` may be inconclusive for non-collaborators
176 
177## Common Patterns
178 
179### ID Resolution
180- **Repo name -> owner/repo**: `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORIES_FOR_THE_AUTHENTICATED_USER`
181- **PR number -> PR details**: `GITHUB_FIND_PULL_REQUESTS` then `GITHUB_GET_A_PULL_REQUEST`
182- **Branch name -> SHA**: `GITHUB_GET_A_BRANCH`
183- **Workflow name -> ID**: `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_WORKFLOWS`
184 
185### Pagination
186All list endpoints use page-based pagination:
187- `page`: Page number (starts at 1)
188- `per_page`: Results per page (max 100)
189- Iterate until response returns fewer results than `per_page`
190 
191### Safety
192- Always verify PR mergeable status before merge
193- Require explicit user confirmation for destructive operations (merge, delete)
194- Check CI status with `GITHUB_LIST_CHECK_RUNS_FOR_A_REF` before merging
195 
196## Known Pitfalls
197 
198- **Issues vs PRs**: `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_ISSUES` returns both; check `pull_request` field
199- **Pagination limits**: `per_page` max 100; always iterate pages until empty
200- **Branch creation**: `GITHUB_CREATE_A_REFERENCE` fails with 422 if reference already exists
201- **Merge guards**: Merge can fail due to branch protection, failing checks, or draft status
202- **Code search limits**: Only files <384KB on default branch; max 1000 results
203- **Commit search**: Requires search text keywords alongside qualifiers
204- **Destructive actions**: Repo deletion is irreversible; merge cannot be undone
205- **Silent permission drops**: Labels, assignees, milestones silently dropped without push access
206 
207## Quick Reference
208 
209| Task | Tool Slug | Key Params |
210|------|-----------|------------|
211| List repos | `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORIES_FOR_THE_AUTHENTICATED_USER` | `type`, `sort`, `per_page` |
212| Get repo | `GITHUB_GET_A_REPOSITORY` | `owner`, `repo` |
213| Create issue | `GITHUB_CREATE_AN_ISSUE` | `owner`, `repo`, `title`, `body` |
214| List issues | `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_ISSUES` | `owner`, `repo`, `state` |
215| Find PRs | `GITHUB_FIND_PULL_REQUESTS` | `repo`, `state`, `author` |
216| Create PR | `GITHUB_CREATE_A_PULL_REQUEST` | `owner`, `repo`, `head`, `base`, `title` |
217| Merge PR | `GITHUB_MERGE_A_PULL_REQUEST` | `owner`, `repo`, `pull_number`, `merge_method` |
218| List branches | `GITHUB_LIST_BRANCHES` | `owner`, `repo` |
219| Create branch | `GITHUB_CREATE_A_REFERENCE` | `owner`, `repo`, `ref`, `sha` |
220| Search code | `GITHUB_SEARCH_CODE` | `q` |
221| List commits | `GITHUB_LIST_COMMITS` | `owner`, `repo`, `author`, `since` |
222| Search commits | `GITHUB_SEARCH_COMMITS_BY_AUTHOR` | `q` |
223| List workflows | `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_WORKFLOWS` | `owner`, `repo` |
224| Trigger workflow | `GITHUB_CREATE_A_WORKFLOW_DISPATCH_EVENT` | `owner`, `repo`, `workflow_id`, `ref` |
225| Check CI | `GITHUB_LIST_CHECK_RUNS_FOR_A_REF` | `owner`, `repo`, ref |
226| List collaborators | `GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_COLLABORATORS` | `owner`, `repo` |
227| Branch protection | `GITHUB_GET_BRANCH_PROTECTION` | `owner`, `repo`, `branch` |
228