GitHub issues and Jira tasks in one to-do list: how to unify them with Foco

If you work on multiple development projects at once, you likely use GitHub for some and Jira for others. Having GitHub issues and Jira tasks in one to-do list saves you from switching between tabs, wasting time checking each tool separately, or forgetting something important. Foco lets you see everything in one place, without duplicating work or losing track of each project’s context.

Why you need GitHub issues and Jira tasks in one to-do list

When managing multiple GitHub repositories and Jira boards, the usual approach is to check each tool separately. This means opening GitHub to see assigned issues, then Jira to review pending tasks, and repeating the process if anything changes. If you also work on personal projects or team tasks outside these platforms, you end up with scattered lists in notes, spreadsheets, or generic apps. The result is fragmentation: you don’t see the full picture of what you need to do today, what’s urgent, or how to prioritize across tools.

How Foco unifies GitHub issues and Jira tasks in one to-do list

• Connect GitHub and Jira to Foco with one click (using OAuth). No manual exports or copying tasks: Foco automatically pulls your GitHub issues (issues, pull requests, and reviews assigned to you) and Jira tasks assigned to you.
• Choose a 'destination workspace' for each connection: Automatic (Foco decides which task container to use based on the content) or a fixed project you select. For example, you can group all issues from a specific repository into a workspace called 'Frontend App' and Jira tasks from another project into 'Backend API'.
• Each task appears with the color of its workspace, so you can identify them instantly. In Panorama mode, you see all tasks from GitHub, Jira, and other projects (including personal tasks) in one list, each with its color. If you prefer to focus on one project, switch to Focus mode, and the dashboard filters only the tasks for that workspace.
• When you mark a task as done in Foco, you can enable the 'complete in source' option: Foco will close the issue in GitHub or comment on the task in Jira automatically, so you don’t have to do it manually.
• If you use other tools like Notion, Linear, or Asana, you can connect them too. Foco will bring all assigned tasks and unify them in the same list, alongside GitHub issues and Jira tasks.

What happens when you unify GitHub issues and Jira tasks in Foco

• See everything pending in one place, without switching apps. In List view, tasks are grouped by date (Today, This Week, Later, No Date) so you know what to tackle first. In Kanban, you drag tasks between customizable columns (e.g., 'To Do', 'In Progress', 'Blocked'). In Calendar view, you see tasks alongside your Google Calendar or Outlook events.
• Prioritize with context. Each task shows its priority (normal, important, urgent), and you can filter by tags, assignees, or due dates. If a GitHub issue is critical, mark it as urgent, and it will stand out in your list.
• Save time in meetings. With Listen mode, you record a meeting, Foco transcribes it, and saves the audio as a note attached to the relevant task. If someone mentions a GitHub issue or Jira task, you can link the note to that task to keep all context in one place.
• Don’t lose track of personal projects. Foco isn’t limited to GitHub and Jira: you can add manual tasks, dictate with voice (Foco transcribes and detects dates, priorities, and reminders), or use Burst to create multiple tasks at once. Everything coexists in the same list, with colors and filters.

Why Foco beats alternatives for managing GitHub issues and Jira tasks

The typical alternative is using generic task or note-taking apps to manually copy GitHub issues and Jira tasks. This has several drawbacks: you duplicate work (updating each tool and then the manual list), lose information (like links to the original issue or comments), and don’t see the full picture. Other developer-focused apps are usually designed for a single project or tool, not for unifying multiple sources into a personalized list.

Foco is built for people juggling multiple jobs at once (development projects, clients, personal tasks). It’s not a generic app or a tool for a single team: it’s a space where GitHub issues, Jira tasks, and any other tasks coexist, with filters to show only what you need at any given time. Plus, the two-way integration (marking a task as done in Foco updates the original issue or task) eliminates manual work and keeps everything in sync.