Connected GitHub plugin does not expose issue creation tool; Codex falls back to brittle browser automation
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- Dominant language
- Rust
- Stars
- 125k
- Forks
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Description
Bug
After connecting GitHub in Codex, tool discovery still did not expose a usable GitHub issue-creation tool for filing an issue in openai/codex. Codex had to fall back to browser automation against the GitHub web UI.
Repro
- Ask Codex to file a GitHub issue against
openai/codex. - Connect GitHub when prompted/available.
- Ask Codex to file the issue directly.
- Codex searches available/deferred tools for GitHub issue creation.
- No callable issue-creation tool appears, so Codex uses browser automation instead.
Expected
Once GitHub is connected, Codex should expose a reliable semantic tool for creating an issue, or clearly explain why the connected GitHub plugin cannot perform issue creation.
Actual
Tool discovery showed Codex app/browser/automation/plugin-management tools, but no GitHub create-issue tool. Codex then had to:
- Open the GitHub issue page in a browser panel
- Fill the form using browser automation
- Recover after a stale tab error
- Inspect DOM/button text manually
- Click the
Createbutton by index
The issue did eventually file, but the path was brittle and much slower than a connector-backed action should be.
Impact
This makes a normal workflow, "file a bug on GitHub," feel unreliable after the user has already connected GitHub. It also pushes Codex toward fragile UI automation for a task that should be a straightforward API/connector operation.
Related context
This happened while filing issue #41372 about heartbeat automation latency.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
The issue names no source file or test; begin at the connected GitHub plugin's tool discovery and the available/deferred-tool path described in the reproduction. Trace why issue creation is absent after connection, then verify that a connected account exposes a callable semantic create-issue action or receives a clear capability explanation without relying on browser automation.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- github
- Domain
- tooling
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 48/100