How to Unify GitHub, Jira, Asana, Linear & Email Tasks in One Dashboard Without Switching Tools

If you manage multiple clients or projects, you likely receive tasks in GitHub (pull requests, issues), Jira (tickets), Asana (deliverables), Linear (sprints), and emails (urgent requests). Checking each app separately forces you to remember where each task lives, manually copy deadlines, or risk missing dependencies between tools. Foco consolidates these tasks into a single dashboard while keeping the original context—no migration, no manual duplication. Here’s how it works:

• Automatic sync via OAuth: Connect GitHub, Jira, Asana, or Linear in 30 seconds. Foco pulls only tasks where you’re assigned or mentioned (e.g., GitHub issues assigned to you, Jira tickets with your user).
• Email capture: Forward emails to your unique Foco address (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com). The subject becomes the task title, the body attaches as a note, and dates/priorities auto-detect from the text.
• Two-way sync (optional): Enable "Complete in Origin" to close tasks in Foco and the original app simultaneously (e.g., marking a GitHub issue as done in Foco also closes it in GitHub).
• Workspace colors: Assign a color to each client/project (e.g., blue for "Client A - Dev"). Tasks from GitHub, Jira, or emails for that client appear in blue across all views, so you instantly recognize the context.

Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Connections and Avoid Common Mistakes

1. Choose Where Tasks Land: Fixed Workspace vs. AI Auto-Distribution

When connecting a tool (e.g., Jira), you decide where its tasks go in Foco:

• Fixed workspace: Assign all Jira tasks to a specific workspace (e.g., "Acme - Support"). Use this if all tasks from that tool belong to one client/project. Example: A freelancer who only uses Jira for Client X’s bug reports can route all Jira tasks to the "Client X - Bugs" workspace (red).
• Automatic (AI): Let Foco analyze task content (title, description, tags) to distribute them to the right workspace. Example: A task titled "[Frontend] Fix login button for Client Y" might auto-assign to the "Client Y - Dev" workspace (green). The AI learns from your edits—if you move a misassigned task, it adjusts future decisions.

Mistake to avoid: Using automatic distribution for tools where all tasks belong to one client (e.g., a dedicated Jira board for Client Z). The AI may misclassify tasks, forcing you to manually reassign them. For single-client tools, always use a fixed workspace.

2. Configure What Syncs (and What Doesn’t)

Foco doesn’t sync everything—only what’s relevant to you. Here’s what each tool brings in:

• GitHub: Issues assigned to you, pull requests where you’re requested for review, and pending reviews. Excludes: Issues you’re watching but not assigned to, or PRs where you’re just a commenter.
• Jira: Issues assigned to your user, with fields like title, description, priority (High/Medium/Low), due date, and status (To Do/In Progress/Done). Excludes: Issues in backlog or not assigned to you.
• Asana: Tasks assigned to you, including due dates, assignees, and tags. Excludes: Tasks in sections like "Ideas" or not assigned to you.
• Linear: Issues assigned to you, including sprints, priorities (P0/P1/P2), and due dates. Excludes: Issues in triage or not assigned to you.

Pro tip: If a tool (e.g., Jira) has custom fields you rely on (e.g., "Epic Link"), Foco includes them in the task description. For critical fields, add them as tags in Foco for filtering (e.g., tag a task with "epic:login-flow").

3. Capture Emails as Tasks: Exact Workflow for Urgent Requests

Emails with deadlines or action items often get buried. Here’s how to turn them into tasks without leaving your inbox:

• 1. Save your Foco capture address (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com) as a contact (e.g., "Foco Capture").
• 2. Forward the email to your capture address. Foco extracts:
• - Subject → Task title (e.g., "Review Q3 marketing plan").
• - Body → Attached as a note (with the original email for context).
• - Dates/times → Auto-detected from phrases like "due Friday at 3 PM" or "by EOD tomorrow."
• - Priority → High if words like "urgent" or "ASAP" appear; normal otherwise.
• 3. Review in Foco: The task appears in your chosen workspace (or auto-assigned by AI). The email remains attached, so you can reply from your usual client without losing context.

Example: A client emails you: "Hi, can you update the API docs by Friday at 5 PM? It’s urgent—the dev team is blocked." Forwarding this to Foco creates a task titled "Update API docs," with a due date of Friday at 5 PM, priority set to urgent, and the email attached as a note.

How to Prioritize Tasks Across GitHub, Jira, Asana, and Emails

1. Use Panorama Mode to Spot Conflicts and Dependencies

Panorama mode shows all tasks from every workspace in one view, each with its workspace color. This reveals:

• Overlaps: A day with 3 red tasks (urgent) from Client A’s Jira board and 2 blue tasks (high priority) from Client B’s Asana may signal a scheduling conflict. Use the Calendar view to reschedule one client’s tasks to the next day.
• Dependencies: A GitHub PR (green) blocked by a Jira ticket (red) becomes obvious when both appear in the same list. You can prioritize the Jira ticket to unblock the PR.

Real scenario: A developer sees in Panorama mode that they have a GitHub PR due today (green, "Client X - Frontend") but also a Jira ticket due tomorrow (red, "Client Y - Bug"). The Jira ticket is blocking the PR’s deployment. They prioritize the Jira ticket first, avoiding a last-minute scramble.

2. Filter by Scheduled Date vs. Due Date

Foco lets you assign two dates to each task:

• Scheduled date: When you’ll work on the task (e.g., "tomorrow from 2–4 PM"). Shows up in the Calendar view.
• Due date: The deadline (e.g., "Friday at 5 PM"). Shows up in List view under "This Week" or "Today."

How to use this:

• - Group by scheduled date to see what you’ve planned for today/this week (regardless of deadline). Example: A task with a due date next month but scheduled for today appears under "Today."
• - Group by due date to see what’s urgent (regardless of when you’ll work on it). Example: A task due tomorrow but not scheduled appears under "This Week."

Example: A freelancer has 5 tasks due this week: 2 from GitHub (due Wednesday), 2 from Asana (due Thursday), and 1 email request (due Friday). In List view, they group by due date to see the order of deadlines. In Calendar view, they assign scheduled dates to each task (e.g., GitHub tasks on Tuesday, Asana on Wednesday) to avoid overloading one day.

3. Kanban View for Blocked Tasks

Use Kanban columns to track progress and blockers:

• To Do: Tasks not started (e.g., a GitHub issue assigned to you).
• In Progress: Tasks you’re actively working on (e.g., a Jira ticket you’ve started).
• Blocked: Tasks waiting on someone else (e.g., a PR awaiting review). Add a note like "Waiting on @client for feedback" to document the blocker.
• Done: Tasks completed in Foco (and optionally in the original app if "Complete in Origin" is enabled).

Pro tip: Create a column called "Waiting" for tasks dependent on others. Example: A task titled "Deploy to production" stays in "Waiting" until the GitHub PR is merged (which moves to "Done").

When to Use Foco vs. Asana/Jira for Task Consolidation

Foco and tools like Asana or Jira serve different purposes. Here’s when to choose each:

• Use Foco if you:
• - Manage multiple clients/projects with tasks in different tools (e.g., GitHub for Client A, Jira for Client B, emails for Client C).
• - Need a single dashboard to prioritize across all tools without switching apps.
• - Want automatic sync (no manual copying) and two-way updates (closing a task in Foco closes it in the original app).
• - Work alone or with small teams (Foco’s free plan allows unlimited workspaces and tasks; paid plans start at 4 €/month for one user).
• Use Asana/Jira if you:
• - Work on one large project with a team (e.g., a single product with 10+ collaborators).
• - Need advanced features like Gantt charts, workload management, or custom automations.
• - Require deep customization (e.g., Jira’s workflows for Agile teams).

Cost comparison (as of July 2026):

• - Foco: Free plan (unlimited tasks/workspaces, no collaboration). Foco 4 €/month (calendar, collaboration, task assignment). Plus 20 €/month (AI features, email capture, tool connections).
• - Asana: Free for 2 users (limited features). Starter plan: 10.99 USD/user/month (minimum 2 users = 21.98 USD/month).
• - Jira: Free for 10 users (basic features). Standard plan: 7.75 USD/user/month (minimum 1 user).

Example: A freelancer managing 3 clients (GitHub for Client A, Jira for Client B, emails for Client C) would pay 20 €/month for Foco Plus to consolidate everything. Using Asana, they’d need 3 separate projects (one per client) and pay 21.98 USD/month for 2 seats—even if they work alone.

How to Handle Edge Cases (With Examples)

1. Tasks with No Due Date

Some tasks (e.g., "Review the new design mockups") have no deadline. In Foco:

• - They appear in the "No Date" section of List view.
• - Assign a scheduled date (e.g., "this Friday") to plan when to work on them.
• - Use tags to categorize them (e.g., "design-review") for filtering.

Example: A designer receives an email: "Can you review the new landing page mockups when you have time?" They forward it to Foco, tag it as "design-review," and schedule it for Thursday. It appears in Thursday’s calendar slot without a due date.

2. Recurring Tasks (e.g., Weekly Reports)

Foco supports recurring tasks (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly). When you complete a recurring task, the next occurrence auto-generates with the same settings (dates, priorities, etc.).

• - Weekly: Choose specific days (e.g., every Monday and Thursday).
• - Monthly: Choose a date (e.g., the 1st of every month) or a day (e.g., the first Monday of every month).

Example: A freelancer sets up a recurring task: "Send weekly progress report to Client X," due every Friday at 4 PM. When they mark it as done on Friday, Foco creates the next occurrence for the following Friday.

3. Tasks Assigned to Others

Foco lets you assign tasks to collaborators (if they’re invited to the workspace). Example workflow:

• 1. Invite a teammate to the "Client A - Dev" workspace via email.
• 2. Create a task (e.g., "Fix login bug") and assign it to them.
• 3. The task appears in their Foco dashboard under the "Client A - Dev" workspace (blue).
• 4. They mark it as done, and it updates for everyone in the workspace.

Limitation: You can’t assign tasks to people outside Foco (e.g., clients). For external stakeholders, use public task links: Generate a shareable link for a task (e.g., a GitHub issue) that lets them view it without accessing your Foco workspace.

The goal isn’t to eliminate tools like GitHub or Jira—it’s to stop letting them fragment your attention. A single dashboard that shows what’s urgent in GitHub, pending in Jira, and upcoming in Asana lets you decide what to do next without mental juggling.

faq

FAQ

Does Foco store my GitHub/Jira/Asana credentials?

No. Foco uses OAuth to connect to these tools, meaning you authorize access through the tool’s official login page (e.g., GitHub’s OAuth screen). Foco never sees or stores your passwords. You can revoke access at any time from the tool’s settings.

What happens if I mark a task as done in Foco but not in the original app?

If you enable "Complete in Origin" for a connection (e.g., GitHub), marking a task as done in Foco will also close it in the original app (e.g., move a GitHub issue to "Done"). If you disable this option, the task only updates in Foco, and you’ll need to manually close it in the original app.

Can I edit tasks in Foco and sync the changes back to GitHub/Jira/Asana?

No. Foco is a read-only mirror for tasks from these tools—it pulls data in but doesn’t push edits back (except for marking tasks as done when "Complete in Origin" is enabled). This prevents conflicts with the original app’s workflows.

How does Foco handle tasks with subtasks (e.g., Asana subtasks)?

Foco imports the parent task but not subtasks. The parent task’s description includes a link to the original item (e.g., an Asana task with subtasks). Clicking the link opens the original app where you can manage subtasks.

What if a task is assigned to me in GitHub/Jira but I don’t want it in Foco?

Foco only pulls tasks where you’re explicitly assigned or mentioned. If a task appears in Foco but you don’t want it, you can: 1) Delete it from Foco (it won’t affect the original app), or 2) Adjust the connection settings to exclude certain task types (e.g., filter out GitHub issues with the label "low-priority").