[Bot] Weekly Slack digest for Gutenberg "Needs Testing" issues in #core-test #131
Description
Summary
Add a weekly automated message to the #core-test Slack channel reporting the number of open Gutenberg issues labeled "Needs Testing", to help contributors stay aware of the testing backlog and encourage action.
Motivation
The "Needs Testing" label in the Gutenberg repo is one of the most actionable entry points for contributors — no code required, just testing and reporting results. However, the volume of open issues with this label isn't visible to people in #core-test unless they actively check GitHub. A weekly pulse message would:
- Surface the backlog without requiring manual monitoring
- Create a lightweight recurring call-to-action for testers
- Help the team track trends over time (is the backlog growing or shrinking?)
Proposed behavior
Once a week (e.g. Monday morning UTC), post a message to #core-test like:
Weekly Testing Backlog | There are currently 142 open issues in the Gutenberg repo labeled "Needs Testing". Can you help close some this week? ✅
Optionally include a week-over-week delta (e.g. ▲ 5 from last week) if state is persisted.
Implementation options
| Option | Notes |
|---|---|
| GitHub Actions + Slack Incoming Webhook | Low infra cost, lives in a repo, easy to audit |
| n8n / Zapier workflow | No-code, good if the team already uses these |
| WordPress.org Slackbot infrastructure | Preferred if there's existing bot infra for Make/Slack |
The simplest path is a GitHub Actions scheduled workflow (schedule: cron) that hits the GitHub REST API and posts to Slack via an incoming webhook.
Open questions
- Is there existing bot infrastructure for Make Slack channels we should plug into?
- Should this also link to a "good first issue" filter or just "Needs Testing"?
- Should the message thread include the top N oldest untested issues for more context?
- Who owns the Slack webhook credential / where should it live?