Using GitHub Copilot to Manage Issues (and Save Time)

Managing issues efficiently is crucial for any project or collaborative development effort. As a maintainer for some or open souce projects, I've always looked for ways to streamline the process of creating, analyzing, and tracking issues. Recently, I've started using GitHub Copilot on my github.com projects to automate and accelerate these tasks, and it’s been surprisingly helpful.

Why Use Copilot for Issue Management?

• It’s fast: I can draft and save issues without switching tabs or digging through templates.

• It understands the context: Copilot pulls info from the codebase, past issues, etc., so the suggestions aren’t random.

• It helps with analysis: You can get a summary or a nicely formatted version of any issue on demand.

• Keeps things tidy: Labels, formatting, and author info stay consistent across all issues.

How to Create and Manage Issues Using Copilot (Step-by-Step)

Here’s a practical workflow, based on my recent experience managing issues for a WordPress theme repository:

1. Start a Session with Copilot

You can begin by opening a conversation with Copilot directly on GitHub. Let Copilot know what you need—whether it’s drafting a new issue, analyzing an existing one, or fetching details.

2. Ask for a Draft

Simply tell Copilot your intent, something like:

“Draft an issue for adding Full Site Editing support.”

And Copilot gives me a clean, formatted issue with suggested labels. Sometimes I tweak it a bit, but it’s a solid starting point.

3. Save the Issue

When I’m happy with the draft, I tell Copilot to save it—and it creates the issue with all the usual metadata to your repository like this:

```list type="issue"
data:

• url: https://github.com/sarahcssiqueira/base-wp-theme/issues/11 state: "open" draft: false title: "Add Full Site Editing (FSE) and Block Theme Support" number: 11 author: sarahcssiqueira created_at: "2025-07-26T19:36:28Z" closed_at: null labels:
  • name: "enhancement" ```

4. Fetch and Analyze Issues

You can ask Copilot to fetch details for any issue—just provide the issue URL. Copilot returns the data in a clean, YAML format for easy reading, reporting, or further automation.

5. Repeat as Needed

This process can be repeated for any new feature, bug, or enhancement. I go through the same flow. It helps me stay consistent and organized. Copilot keeps track of labels, author, timestamps, and more.

6. Aggregate and Review

Because Copilot outputs issues in a standardized format, you can quickly aggregate, filter, or export issue data for project analysis or reporting.

Example: Workflow Recap

Here’s a summary of what I did using Copilot:

1. Drafted several issues: For features like FSE support, asset management, performance optimization, and i18n/RTL support.
2. Saved each issue: Copilot created them on GitHub and provided YAML-formatted data.
3. Fetched details: I could retrieve or summarize any issue instantly.
4. Reviewed and analyzed: All issues were ready for tracking and reporting.

Want to See It in Action?

You can check out the actual issues I’ve been working on in this repo: github.com/sarahcssiqueira/base-wp-theme/issues

Final Thoughts

GitHub Copilot isn’t just for code—it’s a fantastic productivity booster for project management too. If you’re looking to save time, maintain consistency, and analyze your project’s workflow, give Copilot a try for issue management!

Have questions, tips, or your own Copilot workflows? Share below!

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