Triage Issue

Keywords

triage bug, check duplicate, is this a duplicate, search for similar issues, create bug ticket, file a bug, report this error, triage this error, bug report, error message, similar issues, duplicate bug, who fixed this, has this been reported, search bugs, find similar bugs, create issue, file issue

Overview

Automatically triage bug reports and error messages by searching Jira for duplicates, identifying similar past issues, and helping create well-structured bug tickets or add context to existing issues. This skill eliminates manual duplicate checking and ensures bugs are properly documented with relevant historical context.

Use this skill when: Users need to triage error messages, bug reports, or issues to determine if they're duplicates and take appropriate action.

---

Workflow

Follow this 6-step process to effectively triage issues:

Step 1: Extract Key Information

Analyze the bug report or error message to identify search terms.

Extract These Elements

Error signature:

• Error type or exception name (e.g., "NullPointerException", "TimeoutError")
• Error code or status (e.g., "500", "404", "ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED")
• Specific error message text (key phrases, not full stack trace)

Context:

• Component or system affected (e.g., "authentication", "payment gateway", "API")
• Environment (e.g., "production", "staging", "mobile app")
• User actions leading to error (e.g., "during login", "when uploading file")

Symptoms:

• Observable behavior (e.g., "page blank", "infinite loading", "data not saving")
• Impact (e.g., "users can't login", "payments failing")

Example Extractions

Input: "Users getting 'Connection timeout' error when trying to login on mobile app"

Extracted:

• Error: "Connection timeout"
• Component: "login", "mobile app"
• Symptom: "can't login"

Input: "NullPointerException in PaymentProcessor.processRefund() line 245"

Extracted:

• Error: "NullPointerException"
• Component: "PaymentProcessor", "refund"
• Location: "processRefund line 245"

---

Step 2: Search for Duplicates

Search Jira using extracted keywords to find similar or duplicate issues.

Search Strategy

Execute multiple targeted searches to catch duplicates that may use different wording:

Search 1: Error-focused

searchJiraIssuesUsingJql(
  cloudId="...",
  jql='project = "PROJ" AND (text ~ "error signature" OR summary ~ "error signature") AND type = Bug ORDER BY created DESC',
  fields=["summary", "description", "status", "resolution", "created", "updated", "assignee"],
  maxResults=20
)

Search 2: Component-focused

searchJiraIssuesUsingJql(
  cloudId="...",
  jql='project = "PROJ" AND text ~ "component keywords" AND type = Bug ORDER BY updated DESC',
  fields=["summary", "description", "status", "resolution", "created", "updated", "assignee"],
  maxResults=20
)

Search 3: Symptom-focused

searchJiraIssuesUsingJql(
  cloudId="...",
  jql='project = "PROJ" AND summary ~ "symptom keywords" AND type = Bug ORDER BY priority DESC, updated DESC',
  fields=["summary", "description", "status", "resolution", "created", "updated", "assignee"],
  maxResults=20
)

Search Tips

Use key terms only:

• "timeout login mobile"
• "NullPointerException PaymentProcessor refund"
• NOT "Users are getting a connection timeout error when..." (too verbose)

Search recent first:

• Order by created DESC or updated DESC to find recent similar issues
• Recent bugs are more likely to be relevant duplicates

Don't over-filter:

• Include resolved issues (might have been reopened or regression)
• Search across all bug statuses to find fix history

---

Step 3: Analyze Search Results

Evaluate the search results to determine if this is a duplicate or a new issue.

Duplicate Detection

High confidence duplicate (>90%):

• Exact same error message in summary or description
• Same component + same error type
• Recent issue (< 30 days) with identical symptoms
• Action: Strongly recommend adding comment to existing issue

Likely duplicate (70-90%):

• Similar error with slight variations
• Same component but different context
• Resolved issue with same root cause
• Action: Present as possible duplicate, let user decide

Possibly related (40-70%):

• Similar symptoms but different error
• Same component area but different specific error
• Old issue (> 6 months) that might be unrelated
• Action: Mention as potentially related

Likely new issue (<40%):

• No similar issues found
• Different error signature and component
• Unique symptom or context
• Action: Recommend creating new issue

Check Fix History

If similar resolved issues are found:

Extract relevant information:

• Who fixed it? (assignee on resolved issues)
• How was it fixed? (resolution comment or linked PRs)
• When was it fixed? (resolution date)
• Has it regressed? (any reopened issues)

Present this context to help with triage decision.

---

Step 4: Present Findings to User

CRITICAL: Always present findings and wait for user decision before taking any action.

Format for Likely Duplicate

**Triage Results: Likely Duplicate**

I found a very similar issue already reported:

**PROJ-456** - Connection timeout during mobile login
Status: Open | Priority: High | Created: 3 days ago
Assignee: @john.doe
https://yoursite.atlassian.net/browse/PROJ-456

**Similarity:**
- Same error: "Connection timeout"
- Same component: Mobile app login
- Same symptoms: Users unable to login

**Difference:**
- Original report mentioned iOS specifically, this report doesn't specify platform

**Recommendation:** Add your details as a comment to PROJ-456

Would you like me to:
1. Add a comment to PROJ-456 with your error details
2. Create a new issue anyway (if you think this is different)
3. Show me more details about PROJ-456 first

Format for Possibly Related

**Triage Results: Possibly Related Issues Found**

I found 2 potentially related issues:

**1. PROJ-789** - Mobile app authentication failures
Status: Resolved | Fixed: 2 weeks ago | Fixed by: @jane.smith
https://yoursite.atlassian.net/browse/PROJ-789

**2. PROJ-234** - Login timeout on slow connections
Status: Open | Priority: Medium | Created: 1 month ago
https://yoursite.atlassian.net/browse/PROJ-234

**Assessment:** Your error seems related but has unique aspects

**Recommendation:** Create a new issue, but reference these related tickets

Would you like me to create a new bug ticket?

Format for No Duplicates

**Triage Results: No Duplicates Found**

I searched Jira for:
- "Connection timeout" errors
- Mobile login issues
- Authentication failures

No similar open or recent issues found.

**Recommendation:** Create a new bug ticket

**Note:** I found 1 old resolved issue (PROJ-123 from 8 months ago) about login timeouts, but it was for web, not mobile, and was resolved as "configuration error."

Would you like me to create a new bug ticket for this issue?

---

Step 5: Execute User Decision

Based on user's choice, either add a comment or create a new issue.

Option A: Add Comment to Existing Issue

If user wants to add to existing issue:

Fetch the full issue first to understand context:

getJiraIssue(
  cloudId="...",
  issueIdOrKey="PROJ-456"
)

Then add the comment:

addCommentToJiraIssue(
  cloudId="...",
  issueIdOrKey="PROJ-456",
  commentBody="[formatted comment - see below]"
)

Comment Structure:

## Additional Instance Reported

**Reporter:** [User's name or context]
**Date:** [Current date]

**Error Details:**
[Paste relevant error message or stack trace]

**Context:**
- Environment: [e.g., Production, iOS 16.5]
- User Impact: [e.g., 50+ users affected in last hour]
- Steps to Reproduce: [if provided]

**Additional Notes:**
[Any unique aspects of this instance]

---
*Added via triage automation*

Option B: Create New Issue

If user wants to create new issue:

First, check available issue types:

getJiraProjectIssueTypesMetadata(
  cloudId="...",
  projectIdOrKey="PROJ"
)

Determine appropriate issue type:

• For bugs/errors - Use "Bug" (if available)
• For issues without errors - Use "Task" or "Issue"
• Fallback - First available non-Epic, non-Subtask type

Create the issue:

createJiraIssue(
  cloudId="...",
  projectKey="PROJ",
  issueTypeName="Bug",
  summary="[Clear, specific summary - see below]",
  description="[Detailed description - see below]",
  additional_fields={
    "priority": {"name": "Medium"}  # Adjust based on user input severity assessment
  }
)

Summary Format: Use the pattern: [Component] [Error Type] - [Brief Symptom]

Examples:

• "Mobile Login: Connection timeout during authentication"
• "Payment API: NullPointerException in refund processing"
• "Dashboard: Infinite loading on reports page"
• NOT "Error in production" (too vague)
• NOT "Users experiencing issues" (not specific)

Description Structure:

## Issue Description
[1-2 sentence summary of the problem]

## Error Details
[Error message or stack trace]

## Environment
- Platform: [e.g., Mobile iOS, Web, API]
- Version: [if known]
- Environment: [Production/Staging/etc]

## Steps to Reproduce
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3]

## Expected Behavior
[What should happen]

## Actual Behavior
[What actually happens]

## User Impact
- Frequency: [e.g., Every time, Intermittent]
- Affected Users: [e.g., All users, Mobile users only]
- Severity: [e.g., Users cannot complete checkout]

## Additional Context
[Any other relevant information]

## Related Issues
[If applicable, reference similar issues found during triage]
- See also: PROJ-123 (similar but resolved)

---
*Created via automated triage*

---

Step 6: Provide Summary

After taking action, confirm what was done.

If Comment Added

**Comment Added Successfully**

Added details to existing issue: **PROJ-456**
https://yoursite.atlassian.net/browse/PROJ-456

**What I included:**
- Your error details
- Environment context
- User impact information

**Next Steps:**
- The assignee (@john.doe) will be notified
- Monitor PROJ-456 for updates
- If this turns out to be different, we can still create a separate ticket

If New Issue Created

**New Issue Created**

**PROJ-890** - Mobile Login: Connection timeout during authentication
https://yoursite.atlassian.net/browse/PROJ-890

Type: Bug | Priority: Medium | Status: Open

**What's Included:**
- Complete error details and stack trace
- Environment and reproduction steps
- User impact assessment
- References to related issues (PROJ-123, PROJ-789)

**Next Steps:**
- Issue will be reviewed during next triage meeting
- Consider setting priority based on user impact
- Assign to appropriate team member

---

Edge Cases & Troubleshooting

Multiple Potential Duplicates

If you find 3+ very similar issues:

**Triage Results: Multiple Possible Duplicates**

I found 3 issues that might be related:

**Most Likely Duplicate:**
**PROJ-456** - [summary] (Open, 2 days ago)
Match: 95% - Same error and component

**Also Possibly Related:**
**PROJ-234** - [summary] (Open, 1 month ago)
Match: 70% - Similar symptoms, different error

**PROJ-123** - [summary] (Resolved, 8 months ago)
Match: 60% - Related component, but was fixed

**Recommendation:**
1. Add to PROJ-456 (most similar)
2. Reference PROJ-234 in your comment (might be related)
3. Note PROJ-123 was previously fixed (possible regression)

Which issue should I add your details to? (Or create new)

Unclear Project Context

If user doesn't specify which project:

Which Jira project should I search for similar issues?

Available projects:
- BACKEND (Backend Services)
- MOBILE (Mobile Apps)
- WEB (Web Platform)
- INFRA (Infrastructure)

Or tell me the project key directly (e.g., BACKEND, MOBILE)

Insufficient Information

If the bug report lacks critical details:

I need more information to effectively triage this issue:

**What I have:**
- Error: "Something went wrong"

**What would help:**
- Specific error message or code
- Which part of the system (login, payment, etc.)
- What the user was trying to do
- Which environment (production, staging, mobile, web)

Can you provide any of these details?

Resolved Regression

If you find a resolved issue that matches:

**Triage Results: Possible Regression**

This looks like it might be a regression of a previously fixed issue:

**PROJ-567** - [Same issue description]
Status: Resolved (Fixed) | Fixed: 3 months ago | Fixed by: @jane.smith
Resolution: [Brief description of fix]
https://yoursite.atlassian.net/browse/PROJ-567

**This suggests:**
- The original fix may not have fully addressed the root cause
- OR there's been a regression in recent changes
- OR this is a different issue with similar symptoms

**Recommendation:** Create a new issue and link it to PROJ-567 as "may be related to" or "regression of"

Should I create a new issue with this context?

Custom Required Fields

If creating an issue fails due to required fields:

1. Check what fields are required:

   getJiraIssueTypeMetaWithFields(
     cloudId="...",
     projectIdOrKey="PROJ",
     issueTypeId="10001"
   )
   

2. Ask user for values:

   This project requires additional fields to create a Bug:
   - Severity: [High/Medium/Low]
   - Affected Version: [Version number]
   
   Please provide these values so I can create the issue.
   

3. Retry with additional fields:

   createJiraIssue(
     ...existing parameters...,
     additional_fields={
       "priority": {"name": "High"},
       "customfield_10001": {"value": "Production"}
     }
   )
   

---

Tips for Effective Triage

For Search

Do:

• Use multiple search queries with different angles
• Include both open and resolved issues in search
• Search for error signatures and symptoms separately
• Look at recent issues first (last 30-90 days)
• Check for patterns (multiple reports of same thing)

Don't:

• Search with entire error messages (too specific)
• Only search open issues (miss fix history)
• Ignore resolved issues (miss regressions)
• Use too many keywords (reduces matches)

For Issue Creation

Do:

• Write clear, specific summaries with component names
• Include complete error messages in code blocks
• Add environment and impact details
• Reference related issues found during search
• Use "Bug" issue type for actual bugs

Don't:

• Create vague summaries like "Error in production"
• Paste entire stack traces in summary (use description)
• Skip reproduction steps
• Forget to mention user impact
• Hard-code issue type without checking availability

For Duplicate Assessment

High Confidence Duplicates:

• Exact same error + same component + recent (< 30 days)
• Same root cause identified

Likely Different Issues:

• Different error signatures
• Different components/systems
• Significantly different contexts

When Unsure:

• Present both options to user
• Lean toward creating new issue (can be closed as duplicate later)
• Linking issues is better than hiding information

---

Examples

Example 1: Clear Duplicate Found

User Input:

Triage this error: "Connection timeout error when users try to login on iOS app"

Process:

1. Extract: "Connection timeout", "login", "iOS"
2. Search: Find PROJ-456 (open, 2 days ago) with exact same error
3. Analyze: 95% match - same error, component, symptom
4. Present: Show PROJ-456 as duplicate, recommend adding comment
5. Execute: User confirms, add comment with iOS-specific details
6. Confirm: Comment added to PROJ-456

Output:

Comment added to PROJ-456

Your iOS-specific error details have been added to the existing issue.
The assignee will be notified.

Example 2: New Issue with Related Context

User Input:

Error: NullPointerException in PaymentProcessor.processRefund() at line 245
Stack trace: [full stack trace]

Process:

1. Extract: "NullPointerException", "PaymentProcessor", "processRefund", "line 245"
2. Search: Find PROJ-789 (resolved, 3 weeks ago) about payment errors, but different line
3. Analyze: Related component but different specific error
4. Present: No duplicates, found related issue, recommend new ticket
5. Execute: User confirms, create new Bug with context
6. Confirm: PROJ-890 created

Output:

New Issue Created

PROJ-890 - Payment API: NullPointerException in refund processing
https://yoursite.atlassian.net/browse/PROJ-890

References related issue PROJ-789 for context.

Example 3: Possible Regression

User Input:

Users can't upload files larger than 5MB, getting "Upload failed" error

Process:

1. Extract: "Upload failed", "5MB", "file upload"
2. Search: Find PROJ-234 (resolved 2 months ago) - exact same issue
3. Analyze: Was fixed but now happening again
4. Present: Possible regression, recommend new issue linked to old one
5. Execute: Create new issue, link to PROJ-234 as "may be caused by"
6. Confirm: PROJ-891 created with regression context

Output:

New Issue Created (Possible Regression)

PROJ-891 - File Upload: Upload failed for files >5MB (Regression?)
https://yoursite.atlassian.net/browse/PROJ-891

This may be a regression of PROJ-234, which was resolved 2 months ago.
Issue includes reference to original fix for investigation.

---

When NOT to Use This Skill

This skill is for triaging bugs and errors only. Do NOT use for:

• Feature requests (use spec-to-backlog)
• General task creation (use capture-tasks-from-meeting-notes)
• Searching for information (use search-company-knowledge)
• Generating status reports (use generate-status-report)

Use this skill specifically for:

• "Is this a duplicate bug?"
• "Triage this error message"
• "Has this been reported before?"
• "Create a bug ticket for this"

---

Quick Reference

Primary workflow: Extract - Search - Analyze - Present - Execute - Confirm

Search tool: searchJiraIssuesUsingJql(cloudId, jql, fields, maxResults)

Action tools:

• addCommentToJiraIssue(cloudId, issueIdOrKey, commentBody) - Add to existing
• createJiraIssue(cloudId, projectKey, issueTypeName, summary, description) - Create new

Issue type: Always prefer "Bug" for error reports, check with getJiraProjectIssueTypesMetadata

Remember:

• Multiple searches catch more duplicates
• Present findings before acting
• Include error details and context
• Reference related issues
• Use "Bug" issue type when available