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Weekly open source contribution scout

Once a week it checks the status of your open issues and pull requests in other people's repos, finds unclaimed help wanted issues in the projects you care about, and writes one issue in your own repo with what needs you. It posts nothing anywhere else.

EngineeringWorks with Claude Code · Cursor+1Community example
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What it does

  • Checks each of your open upstream issues and pull requests for new comments, reviews, assignments or CI gates
  • Notes which repos auto close pull requests from unassigned authors so you do not open one too early
  • Finds recently updated help wanted or good first issues with no assignee and no linked pull request
  • Groups the week's new issues in watched repos into recurring questions your projects could answer
  • Writes a single issue in your repo and closes last week's

Your approval boundaries

Creates drafts

These actions always wait for your yes:

  • Commenting on or nudging any upstream maintainer
  • Claiming an issue or opening a pull request

You decide what happens next.

More about this workflow

This setup is for developers and small engineering teams who want fewer chores. It takes a repeat chore off your plate and hands back something you can check quickly.

First, it checks each of your open upstream issues and pull requests for new comments, reviews, assignments or CI gates. Next, it notes which repos auto close pull requests from unassigned authors so you do not open one too early. Then it finds recently updated help wanted or good first issues with no assignee and no linked pull request. After that, it groups the week's new issues in watched repos into recurring questions your projects could answer. Finally, it writes a single issue in your repo and closes last week's. It works with your git host, web search and issue tracker, each on its own login with limited access.

You get the prep work done and waiting for you. The agent stops and asks for your yes before commenting on or nudging any upstream maintainer and claiming an issue or opening a pull request, and says plainly if a step cannot be undone.

“Nothing was posted anywhere else.”
Kristian Papadakis kristian-presso on GitHub · Oct 26, 2026
Before you startGit host · Web search accessScoped permissionsClaude Code or Cursor
Explore required tools and model recommendations

Tools and access

  • GitHub

    Handles the git host part of this job. Grant a fine-grained token, read code and write comments.

    API required: Yes. Needs a GitHub App or a fine-grained personal access token scoped to the repos it needs.

    Sign up: Create a GitHub account

  • Web search

    Handles the web search part of this job. Grant public search results only.

    API required: Optional. Built into most agent harnesses. A standalone search API needs its own key.

    No sign-up needed

  • Linear

    Handles the issue tracker part of this job. Grant read plus create in one triage team.

    API required: Yes. Needs a personal API key or an OAuth app.

    Sign up: Linear

Official links only. Not sponsored, no affiliate links.

Model recommendations

Best pick

Claude Opus 5.5

Its maker points to it for long running coding work.

$4 per million input tokens, $20 per million output tokens.

Anthropic docs as of October 11, 2026

Cheaper backup

Claude Sonnet 5.5

Half the price per token and still strong for reviews and docs.

$2 per million input tokens, $10 per million output tokens.

Anthropic docs as of October 11, 2026

Our own picks. Not sponsored, no affiliate links.

Build your prompt

Add your details, then copy the prompt into your tool.

1Your details

Fill these in and the prompt updates as you type.

the projects you want to contribute to

e.g. 14 days

where the weekly issue goes

2Your prompt

4 of 4 still empty
Fill these in before you run it: [YOUR GITHUB HANDLE] [IN SCOPE REPOS: the projects you want to contribute to] [LOOKBACK WINDOW: e.g. 14 days] [REPORT REPO: where the weekly issue goes] You are the Weekly open source contribution scout agent. Once a week it checks the status of your open issues and pull requests in other people's repos, finds unclaimed help wanted issues in the projects you care about, and writes one issue in your own repo with what needs you. It posts nothing anywhere else. Use only the details filled in above. If any [BRACKETED] item is still blank or unclear, stop and ask for it first. Do not guess. What you do on your own: - Checks each of your open upstream issues and pull requests for new comments, reviews, assignments or CI gates - Notes which repos auto close pull requests from unassigned authors so you do not open one too early - Finds recently updated help wanted or good first issues with no assignee and no linked pull request - Groups the week's new issues in watched repos into recurring questions your projects could answer - Writes a single issue in your repo and closes last week's What you must never do without a yes from a person: - Commenting on or nudging any upstream maintainer - Claiming an issue or opening a pull request Rules: - Before any step on the list above, stop and ask. Say in plain words what you want to do, who it affects, and whether it can be undone. - If something cannot be undone, say so first, in one short line. - Write drafts, not final actions. A person sends, pays, posts, or deletes. - Keep a short log of every action you took and every source you read. - If you are unsure, ask instead of guessing.
View run instructionsPaste into: Claude Code, Cursor, Claude Desktop with MCP

Your answers stay in this browser only.

Run your workflow

Connect your tools with only the access this setup needs, then follow these steps.

Steps

Do these in order. Test on old data before it touches live work.

  1. 1Connect GitHub with its own login, not yours. Grant a fine-grained token, read code and write comments.
  2. 2Set up Web search. Keep it to public search results only.
  3. 3Connect Linear with its own login, not yours. Grant read plus create in one triage team.
  4. 4Paste the prompt where your harness takes instructions. See the note under the Copy button.
  5. 5Do a dry run on old or test data first. Check every draft and every stop point by hand before you let it near live work.
  6. 6Read its log after the first real run. Only widen access once a week of runs looks clean.

Safeguards and trust score

The score describes this example setup’s access, approval boundaries, ability to undo changes, and scope.

Access24 / 30

Writes drafts and notes inside your tools, nothing leaves on its own.

Human approval30 / 30

Waits for a yes on: commenting on or nudging any upstream maintainer, claiming an issue or opening a pull request.

Undo and logs17 / 20

Leaves drafts you can throw away, with a record of what it made.

Scope16 / 20

Runs on its own login across 3 tools. Fewer connections means a smaller blast radius.

How to raise it

  • Scope: Cut it down from 3 connected tools to the 2 it needs most, each with its own limited login instead of your full account +2

Do all of these to reach 89, up from 87.

Want help getting there? Get an AI Trust Audit from Pixeldesigns

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