Glacier Sync

Keep the Glacier board in sync with development activity. This skill bridges GitHub workflow events to Glacier cards via MCP.

This skill is optional. It enhances the workflow but is never required. If the skill is not loaded, not enabled, or environment variables are missing, the calling workflow (e.g. /implement) must continue without interruption.

Configuration

Three environment variables in .env.local (already gitignored in Next.js projects):

GLACIER_ENABLED=true
GLACIER_WORKSPACE_ID=<uuid from Project Settings>
GLACIER_PROJECT_ID=<uuid from Project Settings>

The MCP server URL is hardcoded: https://www.getglacier.ai/api/mcp

Column IDs are resolved dynamically at runtime via Glacier:list_columns using column name matching. This keeps config minimal and avoids stale IDs if the board is restructured.

To get your IDs: open Glacier → Project Settings → copy the workspace ID and project ID.

Activation

This skill only activates when all conditions are met:

1. The glacier-sync skill is enabled in the current Claude Code session
2. GLACIER_ENABLED is true
3. GLACIER_WORKSPACE_ID is set
4. GLACIER_PROJECT_ID is set

If any condition is not met, skip silently — do not prompt the user to configure anything. Do not error. Do not block the workflow.

MCP call pattern

Every Glacier MCP tool call must include workspace_id from the GLACIER_WORKSPACE_ID env var. This is required because OAuth tokens are user-scoped (not workspace-scoped). Omitting it will cause the call to fail.

Example: Glacier:list_columns(project_id: $GLACIER_PROJECT_ID, workspace_id: $GLACIER_WORKSPACE_ID)

Do NOT call Glacier:list_workspaces to discover the workspace ID — it is always provided via env var.

Auto-invoke triggers

This skill should fire automatically at these workflow moments if activated:

If any trigger fails (MCP unreachable, card not found, skill not loaded), log a one-line warning and continue. Never block the parent workflow.

Branch creation → In Progress (the key transition)

This is the most important auto-trigger for accurate cycle time tracking. When the implement workflow creates a feature branch:

1. Parse the issue reference from the user's request (e.g. "implement #42")
2. Find the matching Glacier card (see Card matching strategy below)
3. Resolve column IDs: call Glacier:list_columns with project_id and workspace_id from env, match by column name
4. Check the card's current column:
   • If in Backlog or Ready → move to In Progress
   • If already in In Progress or later → do nothing (don't regress)
5. Check WIP limit on In Progress column before moving. If at limit, warn the user and ask whether to proceed
6. Report: Moved card "<title>" → In Progress (branch feat/issue-42 created)

Why this matters: Cycle time in Kanban is measured from when work enters the first active column to when it reaches Done. Moving the card at branch creation — not at spec approval, not at PR merge — gives accurate lead time data. The Ready column represents "approved and waiting to be pulled"; In Progress represents "someone is actively working on it."

PR opened → In Review

After gh pr create succeeds:

1. Match the PR's linked issue to a Glacier card
2. If card is in In Progress → move to In Review
3. If card is already in In Review or Done → do nothing
4. Report: Moved card "<title>" → In Review (PR #87 opened)

PR merged → Done

After PR merge is confirmed:

1. Match the merged PR's linked issue to a Glacier card
2. If card is not already in Done → move to Done
3. Report: Moved card "<title>" → Done (PR #87 merged)

Capabilities

1. Card status sync (after PR merge or branch work)

• When a PR is merged, check if any linked Glacier cards should move to Done
• Match cards by GitHub issue link on the card (see matching strategy)
• Use Glacier:list_cards → find matching card → Glacier:update_card to move column
• Always pass workspace_id from env to every MCP call

2. Card creation from TODOs

• When the user asks to "sync TODOs" or "create cards from issues":
  • Scan for // TODO(glacier): comments in files changed on the current branch (git diff --name-only main...HEAD)
  • Create cards via Glacier:create_card with the TODO text as title
  • Report created cards with their IDs

3. Board status report

• When the user asks "what's on the board" or "board status":
  • Use Glacier:list_columns → Glacier:list_cards for the configured project
  • Report: cards per column, WIP limit status, any blockers
  • Flag columns at or over WIP limit

4. Link GitHub issues to cards

• After creating a GitHub issue from Claude Code, offer to link it to an existing or new Glacier card
• Use Glacier:link_card_to_github with the issue URL

Column resolution

Columns are resolved by name at runtime, not stored in config:

1. Call Glacier:list_columns with project_id and workspace_id from env
2. Match column names case-insensitively: "Backlog", "Ready", "In Progress", "In Review", "Done"
3. Cache the mapping for the duration of the session (don't call list_columns on every trigger)

Default transition mapping:

Card matching strategy

When looking for the Glacier card to move, try these in order:

1. GitHub issue link — use Glacier:get_card_github_status to check if a card links to the issue being implemented. This is the most reliable match.
2. Issue number in branch name — branch contains issue-42 or #42, match against cards with GitHub issue #42 linked
3. Title match — fuzzy match between issue title and card title (last resort, ask for confirmation)

Note: Human-readable card IDs (e.g. GLACIE-42) are not yet available — branch name prefix matching will be added when issue #136 ships.

If no match is found, ask the user: "I couldn't find a Glacier card for this work. Want me to create one?"

MCP tools used

All tools require workspace_id parameter from GLACIER_WORKSPACE_ID env var.

• Glacier:list_projects — verify project exists (fallback/validation only)
• Glacier:list_columns — get column IDs and WIP status by name
• Glacier:list_cards — find cards by project or column
• Glacier:get_card — check card details and linked docs
• Glacier:get_card_github_status — verify GitHub issue/PR links on a card
• Glacier:update_card — move cards between columns
• Glacier:create_card — create new cards from TODOs
• Glacier:link_card_to_github — link cards to GitHub issues/PRs

Rules

• Always pass workspace_id from env to every Glacier MCP call. Never omit it.
• Never move a card without confirming the match is correct. If ambiguous, ask the user.
• Never create duplicate cards — check existing cards by title before creating.
• Always report what was synced: card title, action taken, column.
• Respect WIP limits — if the target column is at limit, warn instead of moving.
• Keep output concise: card title, action, column. No verbose summaries.
• Never regress a card (e.g. don't move from In Review back to In Progress).
• Never block the parent workflow. If anything fails, warn and continue.