Step-by-Step Guide to Consolidate GitHub Issues, Jira Tickets, and Asana Tasks in One Place Using Foco Connections

If you manage multiple projects at once, chances are your tasks are scattered across tools like GitHub (issues and pull requests), Jira (development tickets), and Asana (team or client tasks). Constantly switching between these platforms not only wastes time but also increases the risk of missing critical details. The solution isn’t migrating all your data to a single tool—which can be complex and costly—but consolidating GitHub issues, Jira tickets, and Asana tasks in one place where you can view, prioritize, and act on them without losing the original context. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do this step by step using Foco’s Connections, without duplicating effort or sacrificing key information.

Why Consolidate GitHub Issues, Jira Tickets, and Asana Tasks in One List?

Fragmenting tasks across multiple tools has practical consequences. For example, a freelance developer working with three clients might have issues in GitHub for one, tickets in Jira for another, and tasks in Asana for the third. Reviewing each platform separately involves:

• Time loss: Switching between tabs or apps disrupts workflow and increases context switching.
• Risk of oversights: An urgent task in Jira might go unnoticed if you only check Asana or GitHub that day.
• Lack of global prioritization: Without a unified view, it’s hard to decide what to do first when deadlines are spread across all tools.
• Collaboration challenges: Assigning tasks or sharing progress requires granting access to each platform, complicating management with clients or external teams.

The typical alternative—using a spreadsheet or a generic note-taking app—doesn’t solve the problem: it doesn’t update tasks automatically, doesn’t preserve links to the original source, and doesn’t allow assigning responsibilities. Consolidating GitHub issues, Jira tickets, and Asana tasks in one place with Foco avoids these issues because:

• Tasks sync automatically from each tool, with no need to copy them manually.
• Each task retains its link to the original issue, ticket, or task, so you can access the full context with one click.
• You can view all your tasks in a single list, filter by date, priority, or source tool, and group them by client or project.
• When you mark a task as done in Foco, you can automatically close the issue in GitHub, the ticket in Jira, or the task in Asana (if you enable the option).

Prerequisites for Consolidating Tasks with Foco

Before you start, ensure you meet these requirements:

• Foco Plus Plan: Connections with GitHub, Jira, and Asana are available only in the Plus plan (20 €/month). The plan also includes unlimited voice capture, Burst mode, and the daily briefing.
• Access to the tools: You need permissions to connect Foco to your GitHub, Jira, and Asana accounts. For Jira, for example, you must have at least read permissions for the projects you want to sync.
• Workspaces created in Foco: Each connection must be assigned to a workspace (a task container in Foco). For example, you can create a workspace called "Client X - Development" and assign GitHub and Jira tasks for that client to it.

Step-by-Step: How to Consolidate GitHub Issues, Jira Tickets, and Asana Tasks in Foco

1. Create Workspaces in Foco to Organize Your Tasks

In Foco, a workspace is a task container that you can customize with a name and a color. For example, if you work with three clients, create a workspace for each (e.g., "Client A - Frontend," "Client B - Backend," "Personal Project"). To create a workspace:

• Open Foco on mobile or desktop and tap the "+" button next to the workspace list.
• Assign a descriptive name (e.g., "GitHub - Pending Issues") and choose a color (e.g., green for GitHub, blue for Jira).
• Repeat the process for each client or project you want to consolidate.

The colors will help you quickly identify which tool or client each task comes from in Panorama mode (where you see all tasks together).

2. Connect Foco to GitHub, Jira, and Asana

Foco’s Connections use OAuth to access your data without storing your credentials. To set them up:

• GitHub: Go to Settings > Connections > GitHub. Log in with your account and authorize access. Foco will bring in issues, pull requests, and reviews assigned to you.
• Jira: In Settings > Connections > Jira, enter your Jira instance URL (e.g., "yourteam.atlassian.net") and log in. Select the projects you want to sync.
• Asana: In Settings > Connections > Asana, log in and authorize access. Foco will import tasks assigned to you in the selected projects.

Each connection will ask you to choose a destination workspace in Foco. You can select a specific one (e.g., "Client A - Development") or let Foco’s AI assign it automatically based on the task content.

3. Configure Which Tasks You Want to Sync

By default, Foco brings in all tasks assigned to you in each tool, but you can filter which issues, tickets, or tasks sync:

• GitHub: Foco brings in open issues, pull requests where you’re mentioned or requested for review, and pending reviews. You can exclude specific repositories in the connection settings.
• Jira: Syncs issues assigned to you with "To Do" or "In Progress" status. In the settings, you can filter by issue type (e.g., only bugs or tasks).
• Asana: Imports tasks assigned to you in the selected projects. You can exclude sections or tasks marked as "On Hold."

Synced tasks appear in Foco with their original title, the link to the original element, and key fields (due date, priority, tags). For example, a GitHub issue will look like this in Foco:

A consolidated task in Foco isn’t a static copy: it maintains the link to the original issue, ticket, or task, so any changes in the source tool are reflected in Foco (and vice versa, if you enable the auto-close option).

4. Customize How Tasks Appear in Foco

Once synced, you can organize tasks in Foco using the available views:

• List View: Groups tasks by due date (Today, This Week, Later) or deadline. Ideal for prioritizing based on deadlines.
• Kanban View: Organizes tasks in customizable columns (e.g., "To Do," "In Progress," "Blocked"). On desktop, drag and drop; on mobile, use tabs.
• Calendar View: See tasks with due dates in a weekly or monthly calendar, alongside your Google Calendar or Outlook events (if synced).

To filter tasks by source tool, use the tags that Foco adds automatically (e.g., "GitHub," "Jira," "Asana"). You can also create custom tags to group tasks by client, work type, or priority.

5. Close Tasks in Foco and Sync with the Source

When you complete a task in Foco, you can choose whether to close it in the source tool as well. To enable this option:

• Go to Settings > Connections and select the connection (GitHub, Jira, or Asana).
• Enable the "Complete also in the source" option.
• When you mark a task as done in Foco, it will automatically close in GitHub (as a closed issue), in Jira (as "Done"), or in Asana (as completed).

If you prefer to review manually before closing, leave the option disabled and use the task link to update it in the original tool.

Comparison: Foco vs. Asana for Consolidating Tasks from Multiple Tools

Asana is a powerful project management tool, but it has limitations when it comes to consolidating GitHub issues, Jira tickets, and Asana tasks in one place, especially for freelancers or small teams working with multiple clients. Here are the key differences:

• Native integrations: Asana allows integrating GitHub and Jira, but synced tasks appear as subtasks within an Asana project. There’s no unified view of all external tasks without duplicating structures. In Foco, GitHub, Jira, and Asana tasks appear in the same list, with their color and link to the source.
• Collaboration with clients: Asana’s free plan limits you to 2 users, forcing you to pay for at least 2 seats (21.98 USD/month on the Starter plan) even if you work alone. Foco allows unlimited collaborators on the 4 €/month plan, with no minimum seats.
• Views and flexibility: Asana requires the Starter plan (10.99 USD/user/month) to access views like Timeline or custom fields. Foco includes all views (List, Kanban, Calendar) in the 4 €/month plan, with no restrictions.
• Automation: Asana offers automation rules in the Starter plan, but they’re limited to actions within Asana. Foco automatically closes tasks in GitHub, Jira, or Asana when you mark them as done, without needing to set up additional rules.

Foco isn’t a direct alternative to Asana for complex project management, but it wins for those who need to consolidate tasks from multiple tools without migrating data or paying for features they don’t use. If your priority is seeing GitHub issues, Jira tickets, and Asana tasks in one place—without duplicating structures or losing context—Foco is the most efficient option.

Tips to Get the Most Out of Foco’s Connections

These practices will help you maximize the benefits of consolidating tasks:

• Use consistent colors: Assign a fixed color to each client or tool (e.g., green for GitHub, blue for Jira, red for Asana). This way, you’ll quickly identify the source of each task in Panorama mode.
• Leverage tags: Create tags like "Client X," "Urgent," or "Review" to filter tasks by work type or priority. Tags are unlimited and sync with GitHub or Jira tags if they exist.
• Review the daily briefing: Foco’s Copilot generates a daily summary of tasks due, updates from your connections, and urgent deadlines. Set it up to receive it via email or view it when you open the app.
• Combine with voice capture: If you receive a task via message or in a meeting, use voice capture to dictate it. Foco transcribes the audio, detects dates and priorities, and attaches the recording as a note. Ideal for not missing details while working.

If you manage multiple projects, you might also be interested in learning how to apply the Energy Circles Method to prioritize tasks across multiple jobs without burning out or how to adapt the Bullet Journal method for managing multiple jobs in one place.

Conclusion: Consolidating Tasks Without Migrating Data Is Possible

Consolidating GitHub issues, Jira tickets, and Asana tasks in one place doesn’t require migrating data or switching tools. With Foco’s Connections, you can view all your tasks in a unified list, prioritize them based on real deadlines, and close them automatically in the source without losing context. This is especially useful for freelancers, developers, or small teams working with multiple clients who need a global view without sacrificing the flexibility of their current tools.

If you try this method, you’ll see how you reduce time lost switching tabs, minimize the risk of forgetting urgent tasks, and gain clarity to decide what to do at any given moment. Start by creating your workspaces in Foco, connect your tools, and set up the syncs: in less than 10 minutes, you’ll have a unified list of all your tasks, without duplicating effort.

FAQ

Can I consolidate GitHub, Jira, and Asana tasks in Foco without paying?

No. Connections with GitHub, Jira, and Asana are available only in Foco’s Plus plan (20 €/month). The Free plan allows unlimited workspaces and tasks but doesn’t include integrations with external tools.

What happens if I close a task in Foco but don’t want it to close in GitHub or Jira?

You can disable the "Complete also in the source" option in the connection settings. This way, marking a task as done in Foco won’t automatically close it in the original tool.

Does Foco sync comments or attached files from GitHub, Jira, or Asana?

Foco syncs the title, description, due date, priority, and link to the original element. Comments and attached files aren’t imported automatically, but you can access them by clicking the task link.

Can I assign GitHub or Jira tasks to other team members from Foco?

No. Foco allows assigning tasks only to members you’ve invited to a workspace in Foco. To assign GitHub issues or Jira tickets to others, you must do it directly in the original tool.

What other tools can I connect to Foco besides GitHub, Jira, and Asana?

In addition to GitHub, Jira, and Asana, Foco allows connecting Notion (pages and tasks where you’re mentioned or assigned) and any MCP server via its URL. All connections are available in the Plus plan.