search_issues
Search for issues in GitHub repositories using issues search syntax already scoped to is:issue
This record as markdown: /tools/github/search-issues.md
What search_issues does on GitHub
AI agents call search_issues to retrieve information from GitHub without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
page | number | — | Page number for pagination (min 1) |
repo | string | — | Optional repository name. If provided with owner, only issues for this repository are listed. |
sort | string | — | Sort field by number of matches of categories, defaults to best match |
order | string | — | Sort order |
owner | string | — | Optional repository owner. If provided with repo, only issues for this repository are listed. |
query | string | — | Search query using GitHub issues search syntax |
perPage | number | — | Results per page for pagination (min 1, max 100) |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why search_issues is rated Low
This tool retrieves and queries issue data from GitHub repositories without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing anything. It is a straightforward read operation with minimal blast radius if misused by an AI agent—worst case being unnecessary API consumption or information disclosure of publicly accessible issues.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'search_issues' and description stating it 'Search for issues in GitHub repositories' indicates a query operation with no modification or side effects.
Risk signalsAccepts freeform code/query input (query)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs search_issues safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and GitHub, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For search_issues, this is the rule to start with:
search_issues is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect GitHub, apply this rule, and every search_issues call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about search_issues
Search for issues in GitHub repositories using issues search syntax already scoped to is:issue. It is categorised as a Read tool in the GitHub MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
search_issues accepts 7 parameters: page, repo, sort, order, owner, query, perPage. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the GitHub MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_issues: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches GitHub. Nothing to install.
search_issues is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_issues rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search_issues. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
search_issues is provided by the GitHub MCP server (oci:ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server:1.3.0). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
More on GitHub, and thousands of servers like it.
This server
Across the catalogue