How to Unify Tasks from GitHub, Jira, Asana, Notion & Emails in One Place Without Migrating Data

To unify tasks from GitHub, Jira, Asana, Notion, and emails in one place without migrating data, you need a tool that connects to these platforms via OAuth, imports tasks automatically, and displays them in a single dashboard while preserving the original context. Foco Plus does this by pulling tasks assigned to you in each tool (e.g., GitHub issues, Jira tickets, Asana tasks, Notion pages, or forwarded emails) and organizing them by client or project. Here’s how it works in practice:

• No manual copying: Tasks appear in Foco with their original title, description, due dates, and attachments (e.g., a GitHub issue’s comments or a Notion page’s links).
• No client disruption: Clients continue using their preferred tools (e.g., Jira for a dev team, Asana for a corporate client); you see their tasks in Foco without asking them to switch.
• Two-way sync (optional): Mark a task as done in Foco, and it can close the original issue in GitHub or add a comment in Jira—no double updates.
• Color-coded workspaces: Each client/project has a workspace with a unique color. Tasks from GitHub for Client A appear in blue, while Asana tasks for Client B appear in green, so you instantly recognize them in Panorama mode (all tasks) or filter them in Focus mode (one workspace).
• Unified views: See all tasks in a List (grouped by date), Kanban (custom columns), or Calendar (with time blocks for scheduled tasks).

Step-by-Step: How to Connect GitHub, Jira, Asana, Notion, and Emails to Foco Plus

1. Create workspaces for each client or project (before connecting tools)

Workspaces in Foco act as containers for tasks from a specific client or project. For example, if you manage a development team (Jira) and a marketing client (Asana), create two workspaces: "Dev Team - Backend" (red) and "Marketing Client - Campaigns" (blue). When Foco imports tasks from Jira or Asana, they’ll automatically appear with the workspace’s color. This prevents mixing contexts—for instance, a GitHub issue for the dev team won’t get lost among Asana tasks for the marketing client.

Pro tip: Use consistent naming conventions (e.g., "Client Name - Project Type") and colors (e.g., warm colors for urgent clients, cool colors for long-term projects). This makes it easier to scan tasks in Panorama mode, where all tasks from all workspaces appear together.

2. Connect tools via OAuth (no passwords or API keys)

Go to Settings > Connections in Foco and select the tool to connect (e.g., GitHub). Foco will redirect you to the tool’s login page, where you authorize access. After connecting, choose where tasks from that tool should go:

• Automatic (AI decides): Foco analyzes the task content (e.g., mentions of "Client A" in a GitHub issue) and assigns it to the correct workspace. Useful if a client uses multiple tools (e.g., GitHub and Notion).
• Fixed workspace: All tasks from the tool go to one workspace (e.g., all Asana tasks to "Marketing Client - Campaigns"). Best for clients who use only one tool.

Example: A freelancer connects GitHub (for a dev client) to the "Dev Team - Backend" workspace and Asana (for a marketing client) to the "Marketing Client - Campaigns" workspace. When a new GitHub issue is assigned to them, it appears in Foco with the dev workspace’s color, while Asana tasks appear in the marketing workspace’s color.

3. Capture emails as tasks (no manual entry)

Every Foco Plus user gets a unique email capture address (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com). Forward an email to this address, and Foco creates a task with:

• The email subject as the task title (e.g., "Review design mockups by Friday").
• The email body as an attached note (with original formatting and links).
• Detected dates/times as the due date or scheduled date (e.g., "by Friday" becomes a due date of Friday).
• The sender’s email as a responsible (if the client is invited to the workspace).

Example: A client emails "Can you fix the login bug by Wednesday? Here’s the link: [GitHub issue #123]". Forwarding this to your Foco email creates a task titled "Fix login bug" with a due date of Wednesday, the GitHub link in the notes, and the original email attached. If the client’s email matches a workspace member, the task is assigned to them automatically.

4. Review imported tasks and organize them

Foco imports tasks from connected tools in real time. Here’s what you’ll see for each platform:

• GitHub: Issues and pull requests where you’re assigned or mentioned (e.g., "Fix API endpoint"). The task includes a link to the original issue and any comments.
• Jira: Issues assigned to you in authorized projects (e.g., "Update database schema"). The task shows the issue key (e.g., "PROJ-456") and description.
• Asana: Tasks assigned to you in connected projects (e.g., "Draft blog post"). The task includes subtasks and attachments.
• Notion: Pages or tasks where you’re mentioned (e.g., "Review contract"). The task links to the original Notion page.
• Emails: Tasks created from forwarded emails (e.g., "Schedule meeting with Client A"). The task includes the email as a note.

How to organize them: Use the List view to group tasks by scheduled date (when you plan to work on them) or due date (deadlines). For example, filter by "Today" to see all tasks scheduled for today across all clients. In Kanban view, create columns like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Blocked" to track status. In Calendar view, see scheduled tasks as time blocks alongside your Google Calendar or Outlook events.

5. Sync task completion back to the source (optional)

Enable the "Complete also in the source" option in the connection settings to update the original tool when you mark a task as done in Foco. For example:

• GitHub: Closing a task in Foco adds a comment "Completed in Foco" and closes the issue in GitHub.
• Jira: Completing a task in Foco transitions the issue to "Done" in Jira.
• Asana: Marking a task as done in Foco checks it off in Asana.

When to use this: Enable it for tools where you want to avoid manual updates (e.g., Jira for a dev team). Disable it for tools where you prefer to update manually (e.g., Notion pages that require additional notes).

Real-World Example: How a Freelancer Uses Foco Plus to Manage 3 Clients

Scenario: A freelance developer manages three clients:

• Client A (Dev Team): Uses Jira for issues and GitHub for code reviews. The freelancer connects both tools to the "Dev Team - Backend" workspace (red). Tasks from Jira and GitHub appear in Foco with red labels. The freelancer enables "Complete also in the source" for Jira to close issues automatically when done in Foco.
• Client B (Startup): Uses Asana for tasks and Notion for documentation. The freelancer connects Asana to the "Startup - Product" workspace (blue) and Notion to the same workspace. Tasks from both tools appear in blue. The freelancer disables "Complete also in the source" for Notion, as they prefer to update pages manually.
• Client C (Agency): Sends requests via email. The freelancer forwards emails to their Foco capture address (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com), and tasks appear in the "Agency - Design" workspace (green). The freelancer uses voice capture for quick tasks (e.g., "Call Client C about the logo by 3 PM, urgent").

Result: The freelancer sees all tasks in Panorama mode, color-coded by client. They filter by Focus mode to work on one client at a time, use the Calendar view to schedule tasks without overlaps, and rely on the daily briefing to see what’s due across all clients. When a GitHub issue is completed, it closes automatically in GitHub, and the freelancer doesn’t need to switch apps.

Why Foco Plus Wins Over Generic Task Managers for Multiple Clients

Generic task managers (e.g., Todoist, Trello) or project tools (e.g., ClickUp) force you to manually copy tasks from GitHub, Jira, or emails, which leads to:

• Lost context: Copying a Jira issue to Trello means losing the original issue link, comments, or attachments. Foco Plus keeps the original task intact and attaches it as a note.
• Double work: Updating a task in two places (e.g., marking a GitHub issue as done in Trello and GitHub) is error-prone. Foco Plus syncs completion back to the source.
• No client separation: In Todoist, tasks from different clients mix in one list. Foco’s workspaces and color-coding let you see tasks by client at a glance.
• No time blocking: Tools like Trello don’t show tasks as time blocks in a calendar. Foco’s Calendar view lets you schedule tasks with durations (e.g., "Review PR - 2 hours") and avoid overlaps. Learn how to avoid time-blocking overlaps with multiple clients.

Foco Plus is built for freelancers and small teams who need to unify tasks from multiple apps in one place without migrating data. It’s not a replacement for GitHub or Jira—it’s a layer on top that keeps you from switching between them.

Key Decisions When Setting Up Foco Plus

1. Automatic vs. fixed workspaces for connections

Use automatic workspaces if a client uses multiple tools (e.g., GitHub and Notion) and you want Foco to assign tasks based on content. For example, a GitHub issue mentioning "Client A" goes to the Client A workspace, while a Notion page mentioning "Client B" goes to the Client B workspace.

Use fixed workspaces if a client uses only one tool (e.g., Asana for Client C). All tasks from Asana go to the Client C workspace, regardless of content.

2. When to enable "Complete also in the source"

Enable it for tools where you want to avoid manual updates (e.g., Jira for a dev team). This ensures the original issue is closed when you mark it as done in Foco.

Disable it for tools where you need to add context before closing (e.g., Notion pages that require notes). This lets you update the original tool manually after completing the task in Foco.

3. How to handle overlapping deadlines

Use the Calendar view to schedule tasks with durations (e.g., "Write API docs - 3 hours"). If two tasks overlap, adjust their scheduled times or split them into smaller blocks. For example, if a GitHub issue and an Asana task are both due today, schedule the GitHub issue for the morning and the Asana task for the afternoon. Learn more about time blocking for freelancers with multiple clients.

How to Avoid Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Connecting all tools to one workspace. Fix: Create separate workspaces for each client/project to avoid mixing contexts. For example, don’t connect GitHub (dev client) and Asana (marketing client) to the same workspace.
• Mistake: Not using the email capture address. Fix: Forward client emails to u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com instead of manually creating tasks. This saves time and preserves the original email as a note.
• Mistake: Ignoring the daily briefing. Fix: Set up the briefing to run at the start of your day. It highlights what’s due, what needs attention, and updates from your calendar—so you don’t miss deadlines across clients.
• Mistake: Overcomplicating views. Fix: Start with the List view (grouped by date) for daily planning. Use Kanban only if you need custom columns (e.g., "Blocked," "Waiting for Review").

Unifying tasks from multiple apps isn’t about replacing the tools you use—it’s about preventing your attention from fragmenting between them.

FAQ

FAQ

Can I connect tools that aren’t GitHub, Jira, Asana, or Notion?

Foco Plus supports GitHub, Jira, Asana, Notion, and any MCP server (via URL). If you need to connect another tool, check if it supports MCP or contact support to request an integration.

What happens if I disconnect a tool from Foco?

Disconnecting a tool stops Foco from importing new tasks from it, but existing tasks in Foco remain unchanged. You can still edit or complete them, but they won’t sync back to the original tool.

Can I assign tasks to clients or team members in Foco?

Yes. Invite collaborators to a workspace via email, and assign tasks to them. They’ll see the task in their Foco dashboard but won’t access the original tool (e.g., GitHub or Jira).

How does Foco handle recurring tasks from connected tools?

Foco imports recurring tasks as single instances. If a task in Asana is set to recur weekly, Foco will import the current instance. When you complete it in Foco, the next instance won’t appear until it’s created in Asana.

Is there a limit to how many tasks Foco can import?

No. Foco imports all tasks assigned to you in connected tools, regardless of quantity. However, tasks older than 30 days may not be imported by default—check the connection settings to adjust this.