How to have issues and pull requests added to GitHub Projects

When using GitHub Projects, it’s convenient to have issues or pull requests (items) added to the project automatically. There are a few different ways to do it.

Project auto-add

Projects can be configured to auto-add items. You create a workflow, and configure the types of items you’d like added.

OSPR bot adding pull requests to repos

The OSPR bot can add pull requests to repos. When it acts on a non-draft pull request, it will add it to projects listed in the catalog.yaml file.

Open edX shared workflow

An Open edX shared workflow can add issues to projects: .github/.github/workflows/add-issue-to-a-project.yml at master · openedx/.github

  • This is almost obsolete: a project workflow does this, but only for one repo. This action can be used in multiple repos to funnel issues from all of them into a project.

  • You make an action in the source repo to use the workflow, like this:

    name: Add new issues to the Security project on: issues: types: [opened] jobs: Add_an_issue_to_project: uses: openedx/.github/.github/workflows/add-issue-to-a-project.yml@master secrets: GITHUB_APP_ID: ${{ secrets.GRAPHQL_AUTH_APP_ID }} GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY: ${{ secrets.GRAPHQL_AUTH_APP_PEM }} with: PROJECT_NUMBER: 45
  • Although the action says “issue”, I think it can add pull requests also.

  • Pro: many repos can auto-add to many projects.

  • Con: needs secrets management.