How to Sync GitHub, Jira, Asana, Notion, Linear, and Emails into One Task List Without Switching Tools

If you manage tasks across GitHub, Jira, Asana, Notion, Linear, and your inbox, you spend 23% of your workday switching between apps (based on Foco user data). The solution isn’t migrating everything to one tool—it’s pulling tasks from all of them into a single dashboard while keeping the original workflows intact. Foco’s Connections (Plus plan) do this automatically: they fetch tasks assigned to you in other apps, organize them by work (client, project, or team), and let you update status without leaving Foco. Tasks remain in their source tools, but you work from one list.

Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Connections for GitHub, Jira, Asana, Notion, and Linear

1. Link Your Tools via OAuth (No API Keys or Manual Imports)

Go to Settings > Connections in Foco (Plus plan) and select the apps you use. Foco supports:

• Notion: Pages and tasks where you’re mentioned or assigned (e.g., a client’s roadmap page or a task with '@you').
• Linear: Issues assigned to you (e.g., a bug fix or feature request).
• GitHub: Issues, pull requests, and reviews awaiting your action (e.g., a PR needing your approval).
• Jira: Issues assigned to you (e.g., a sprint task or support ticket).
• Asana: Tasks assigned to you (e.g., a client deliverable or internal meeting action item).
• MCP servers: Any Mattermost, Slack (with plugins), or custom MCP server via URL (e.g., a client’s internal task board).

Each connection uses OAuth, so Foco only accesses the data you permit (e.g., your tasks in Asana, not the entire team’s). If you use multiple accounts in one tool (e.g., two GitHub orgs for different clients), set up a separate connection for each.

2. Assign Tasks to the Right Work (Automatic or Manual)

Foco organizes tasks into works (containers with a name and color you define). When setting up a connection, choose where its tasks should appear:

• Automatic (AI): Foco analyzes the task content (e.g., a GitHub issue mentioning 'Client X') and assigns it to the matching work. Works best if your works are named after clients, projects, or teams (e.g., 'Acme Corp', 'Internal Dev').
• Fixed work: Manually select an existing work (e.g., all Asana tasks go to 'Client Y'). Use this if you already have a clear work structure in Foco.

Example: You manage two projects in Linear—one for a client (work: 'Acme Corp') and one for your internal team (work: 'Dev'). Create two Linear connections and assign each to its respective work. When you enter Focus mode for 'Acme Corp', you’ll only see tasks from that connection.

3. Enable Two-Way Sync to Close Tasks in Source Apps

By default, Foco pulls tasks from other apps but doesn’t modify the source. Enable the 'Complete in source too' option to automatically close or comment on tasks in the original app when you mark them as done in Foco. This keeps both systems in sync without duplicate work.

How it works: If you mark a Jira task as done in Foco with this option enabled, Foco adds a comment to the original issue (e.g., 'Closed from Foco') and moves it to 'Done'. Your team in Jira sees the change without you opening the app.

When to use it: Enable this for tools where your team relies on status updates (e.g., Jira sprints). Skip it for tools where you only need visibility (e.g., a client’s Notion board where they don’t check statuses).

How to Capture Tasks from Emails (Without Manual Copy-Pasting)

Foco’s email capture (Plus plan) turns emails into tasks with one forward. Each user gets a unique address like u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com (visible in Settings > Copilot). Forward an email to this address, and Foco extracts:

• The subject as the task title (e.g., 'Review Q3 budget proposal').
• The email body as an attached note (with original formatting and attachments).
• Due dates detected in the text (e.g., 'by EOD Friday' → due date set to Friday).
• The destination work assigned based on rules (e.g., emails from '@acme.com' go to 'Acme Corp').

Example: A client emails you with a last-minute change: 'Can you update the landing page copy by tomorrow? Here’s the new text: [attached doc].' Forward the email to your Foco address. The task appears in your list with the doc attached, a due date of tomorrow, and the client’s work color. No manual copying.

How to Work with Consolidated Tasks in Foco (Without Losing Context)

1. Use Panorama Mode to See All Tasks at Once

Foco’s Panorama mode shows tasks from every work in a single list, each with its container’s color. Use it to:

• Prioritize at the start of the day (filter by due date or priority).
• Spot bottlenecks (group by work to see which client has the most overdue tasks).
• Review what’s due today (tasks with red due dates are urgent).

Example: You have 12 tasks due today—3 from GitHub (work: 'Acme Corp'), 5 from Asana (work: 'Client B'), and 4 from Linear (work: 'Internal Dev'). Panorama mode shows them all in one list, color-coded, so you can decide which to tackle first.

2. Enter Focus Mode to Work Without Distractions

Click on a work to filter the dashboard to only its tasks. This is critical for avoiding context-switching when working on a specific project. Switch between views based on your needs:

• List: Groups tasks by date (Today, This Week, Later) and priority. Ideal for daily planning (e.g., 'What’s due today for Client X?').
• Kanban: Customizable columns (e.g., 'To Do', 'In Progress', 'Blocked'). On desktop, drag and drop tasks; on mobile, use tabs. Useful for tracking workflow stages (e.g., 'Design', 'Review', 'Done').
• Calendar: View tasks with target dates in a weekly or monthly layout, alongside your Google Calendar or Outlook events (synced read-only). Helps avoid double-booking (e.g., scheduling a client call during a time block for a GitHub PR review).

Example: You’re working on 'Acme Corp' tasks. Enter Focus mode for that work, switch to Kanban view, and see only its tasks. Move a task from 'To Do' to 'In Progress' without seeing unrelated tasks from other clients.

3. Use Task Metadata to Avoid Losing Context

Every task in Foco includes fields to preserve details from the source app:

• Target date: When you’ll work on the task (appears in the calendar). Different from the due date (e.g., a task due Friday might have a target date of Wednesday to allow time for review).
• Due date: The deadline (e.g., a Jira issue due EOD). Tasks with overdue due dates appear in red in the list.
• Priority: Normal, important, or urgent (displayed with an icon). Urgent tasks appear at the top of the list.
• Recurrence: For repeating tasks (e.g., 'Review pull requests every Monday'). The next occurrence auto-generates when you complete the current one.
• Tags: Unlimited and color-coded (e.g., '#bug', '#documentation'). Use them to categorize tasks within a work (e.g., all '#bug' tasks for 'Acme Corp').
• Assignees: Assign tasks to team members in Foco (only if they’re invited to the work). Useful for delegating subtasks (e.g., assign a '#design' task to a designer in your team).

Example: A GitHub task has a due date of today, 'urgent' priority, and the tag '#bug'. In Panorama mode, it appears at the top of your list in red with a bug icon. In Focus mode for 'Acme Corp', you see it alongside other tasks but can filter by '#bug' to focus on bugs only.

How Foco Compares to Alternatives for Consolidating Tasks

1. Foco vs. Generic Task Apps (Todoist, Things, Apple Reminders)

Generic task apps force you to manually copy tasks from other tools, losing metadata like priorities, due dates, and assignees. Foco’s Connections pull tasks automatically with all their context. Example:

• Todoist: You’d need to manually create a task for each GitHub issue, copy the due date, and add a link to the issue. If the issue’s priority changes in GitHub, you must update it in Todoist too.
• Foco: The GitHub issue appears in Foco with its due date, priority, and a link to the original issue. Mark it as done in Foco, and it updates in GitHub (if two-way sync is enabled).

2. Foco vs. Project Management Tools (Asana, ClickUp)

Project management tools are designed for single projects or teams, not multiple clients or tools. Example:

• Asana: To consolidate tasks from GitHub and Jira, you’d need to manually import them or use Asana’s API (requires technical setup). Asana’s free plan limits you to 2 users, so collaborating with multiple clients would require paid seats for each. Foco’s Plus plan (20 EUR/month) has no user minimums.
• ClickUp: While it supports integrations, they’re limited to one-way sync (e.g., GitHub → ClickUp, but not ClickUp → GitHub). Foco’s two-way sync keeps both systems updated. ClickUp’s calendar view is also less flexible (e.g., no weekly/monthly toggle on mobile).

3. Foco vs. Custom Scripts or Zapier

Custom scripts or Zapier automations require maintenance and break when APIs change. Foco’s Connections are built and maintained by the Foco team. Example:

• Zapier: You could set up a Zap to create a task in Todoist when a GitHub issue is assigned to you. But you’d need separate Zaps for each tool (Jira, Asana, etc.), and metadata like priorities or due dates might not transfer. If GitHub changes its API, your Zap breaks until you update it.
• Foco: Connections pull tasks from all supported tools with full metadata, and updates are handled by Foco. No maintenance required.

When to Use Foco’s Connections (and When to Skip Them)

Use Foco’s Connections if you:

• Manage tasks across 2+ tools (e.g., GitHub for code, Asana for clients, Jira for internal work).
• Work with multiple clients or teams who use different tools (e.g., one client on Linear, another on Notion).
• Want to see all tasks in one place without losing context (e.g., priorities, due dates, assignees).
• Need to update task status in the source app without opening it (e.g., close a Jira issue from Foco).

Skip Foco’s Connections if you:

• Only use one tool for tasks (e.g., only Asana). Foco’s value comes from consolidating multiple sources.
• Don’t need to update task status in the source app (e.g., you only need visibility into tasks, not to close them).
• Work in a large team with complex workflows (e.g., portfolios, workload management). Foco is designed for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small teams.

Real-World Example: How a Freelancer Uses Foco to Manage 3 Clients and 4 Tools

Scenario: A freelance developer manages tasks for three clients and their internal projects. Their tools:

• Client A: Asana for tasks, Google Calendar for meetings.
• Client B: Linear for issues, Notion for documentation.
• Client C: GitHub for code reviews, emails for ad-hoc requests.
• Internal: Jira for internal dev work.

How they set up Foco:

• Created 4 works: 'Client A', 'Client B', 'Client C', and 'Internal Dev'.
• Set up Connections for Asana (Client A), Linear (Client B), GitHub (Client C), and Jira (Internal Dev). Assigned each to its respective work.
• Enabled two-way sync for Asana and Jira (where their team relies on status updates).
• Set up email capture for Client C’s emails (forwarded to u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com).
• Connected Google Calendar to see meetings alongside tasks in Foco’s calendar view.

How they work in Foco:

• Morning: Open Panorama mode to see all tasks due today. Filter by priority to tackle urgent tasks first (e.g., a GitHub PR review for Client C).
• Client A session: Enter Focus mode for 'Client A', switch to Kanban view, and move tasks from 'To Do' to 'In Progress'. Mark a task as done, and it updates in Asana automatically.
• Client B session: Enter Focus mode for 'Client B', switch to List view, and see tasks grouped by date. Filter by '#bug' to focus on bug fixes.
• End of day: Review Panorama mode to check for overdue tasks. Use the calendar view to plan tomorrow’s time blocks (e.g., '9-11 AM: Client B bugs').

The goal isn’t to replace your tools—it’s to replace the mental load of remembering where each task lives and what’s urgent. Foco gives you one dashboard to see everything, update everything, and focus on the work.

FAQ: Syncing Tasks from GitHub, Jira, Asana, Notion, Linear, and Emails

FAQ

How do I sync tasks from Jira to a Covey planner or daily task list?

Foco’s Connections pull Jira issues assigned to you into your task list automatically. Use Foco’s List view to group tasks by date (Today, This Week, Later) and prioritize them alongside tasks from other tools. If you use a Covey-style prioritization system, assign priorities (urgent/important) to tasks in Foco to mimic the planner’s quadrants.

Can I consolidate tasks from GitHub, Jira, and Asana without paying for Foco Plus?

No. Foco’s Connections (which sync tasks from GitHub, Jira, Asana, Notion, Linear, and MCP servers) are only available in the Plus plan (20 EUR/month). The free and 4 EUR/month plans include unlimited tasks and works but no Connections.

What happens if I mark a task as done in Foco but don’t enable two-way sync?

The task will be marked as done in Foco but remain unchanged in the source app (e.g., GitHub, Jira). Enable the 'Complete in source too' option to automatically close or comment on the task in the original app when you mark it as done in Foco.

How does Foco handle tasks with dependencies (e.g., a GitHub PR that depends on a Jira issue)?

Foco doesn’t natively support task dependencies across tools. However, you can use tags (e.g., '#depends-on-JIRA-123') or notes to document dependencies. For example, add a note to a GitHub task: 'Depends on JIRA-123 (due Friday).'

Can I use Foco to consolidate tasks from tools not listed (e.g., Trello, Monday.com)?

No. Foco’s Connections currently support Notion, Linear, GitHub, Jira, Asana, and MCP servers. For other tools, you’d need to manually create tasks in Foco or use the email capture feature (forward emails from the tool to your Foco address).