Issue Template Generator
Generate GitHub issue and pull request templates for your repository.
Why Use Issue Templates?
Issue templates help contributors provide the right information, save maintainers time, and improve the quality of bug reports and feature requests.
Benefits
For Contributors
- Clear guidance on what to include
- Reduced back-and-forth
- Faster issue resolution
- Professional appearance
For Maintainers
- Consistent issue format
- All necessary information upfront
- Easier triage and prioritization
- Less time asking for details
Template Types
Essential sections for bug reports:
- Description: Clear explanation of the bug
- Steps to Reproduce: Numbered list of exact steps
- Expected Behavior: What should happen
- Actual Behavior: What actually happens
- Environment: OS, browser, version, etc.
- Screenshots: Visual evidence if applicable
- Additional Context: Logs, error messages
Pro tip: Use checkboxes
- [ ] for steps that users can mark as completed.
Key sections for feature requests:
- Problem Statement: What problem does this solve?
- Proposed Solution: Detailed description of the feature
- Alternatives Considered: Other approaches explored
- Use Cases: Real-world scenarios
- Additional Context: Mockups, examples, references
- Willingness to Implement: Would they contribute code?
Important sections for PRs:
- Description: What does this PR do?
- Type of Change: Bug fix, feature, breaking change, etc.
- Related Issues: Links to issues this PR addresses
- Changes Made: Bullet list of specific changes
- Testing: How was this tested?
- Checklist: Pre-merge requirements
- Screenshots: Before/after for UI changes
Useful for support questions:
- Question: Clear, specific question
- What I've Tried: Research and attempts so far
- Context: Why they need this information
- Environment: Relevant system details
For documentation improvements:
- Location: Where is the issue (URL or file)?
- What's Wrong: Description of the problem
- Suggested Fix: How to improve it
- Additional Context: Why it matters
Setting Up Templates on GitHub
File Structure
.github/
├── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
│ ├── bug_report.md
│ ├── feature_request.md
│ ├── question.md
│ └── config.yml (optional)
└── PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.mdUsing YAML Front Matter
Add metadata to control how templates appear:
---
name: Bug Report
about: Create a report to help us improve
title: '[BUG] '
labels: bug, needs-triage
assignees: ''
---
(Your template content here)Template Configuration (config.yml)
Customize the issue creation experience:
blank_issues_enabled: false
contact_links:
- name: Community Support
url: https://discord.gg/your-server
about: Ask questions and get help from the community
- name: Security Issues
url: mailto:security@example.com
about: Please report security issues privatelyBest Practices
DO
- Keep templates focused and specific
- Use clear section headings
- Provide examples where helpful
- Use checkboxes for checklists
- Add helpful hints in comments
- Test templates yourself
- Update based on feedback
DON'T
- Make templates too long
- Ask for unnecessary information
- Use technical jargon unnecessarily
- Forget to explain why info is needed
- Leave placeholder text that's confusing
- Ignore mobile users
Advanced Features
Issue Forms (YAML-based)
GitHub now supports interactive forms with dropdowns, checkboxes, and validation:
name: Bug Report
description: File a bug report
body:
- type: input
id: summary
attributes:
label: Summary
description: Brief description of the bug
placeholder: e.g., App crashes when clicking submit
validations:
required: true
- type: dropdown
id: severity
attributes:
label: Severity
options:
- Critical
- High
- Medium
- Low
validations:
required: trueQuick Tips
- Start with 2-3 templates
- Use consistent formatting
- Include example values
- Add labels automatically
- Link to contributing guide
- Thank users for reporting
- Keep language friendly
Markdown Cheatsheet
**bold**- Bold text*italic*- Italic text`code`- Inline code- [ ]- Checkbox---- Horizontal rule##- Heading>- Quote-- Bullet list