Sync GitHub Issues, Jira Tasks & Emails in One List (No Manual Copy-Pasting)

If you manage software projects, you likely toggle between GitHub (for issues and pull requests), Jira (for sprints and roadmaps), and your inbox (for client requests and reminders). The problem isn’t using multiple tools—it’s that each one forces you to switch contexts. GitHub issues appear in one tab, Jira tasks in another, and important emails get buried in your inbox. Foco Plus solves this by automatically syncing GitHub issues, Jira tasks, and emails into a single dashboard, where you can see, prioritize, and act on them without leaving the app.

How Foco Plus Syncs GitHub, Jira, and Emails (Exact Workflow)

Foco Plus’s Connections (exclusive to the 20 €/month plan) pull tasks from GitHub, Jira, and emails into your dashboard while preserving their original data: due dates, priorities, assignees, and descriptions. Here’s how it works in practice:

1. Connect GitHub and Jira to Foco (OAuth, No Passwords)

• Step 1: Authorize the connection – Go to Settings > Connections in Foco and select GitHub or Jira. Log in with your account (OAuth, so Foco never sees your password).
• Step 2: Choose a destination workspace – Decide where tasks from each tool should appear. Options:
• - Fixed workspace: Assign all GitHub tasks to a workspace like 'Frontend Development' and Jira tasks to 'Sprints'.
• - Automatic (AI-powered): Foco analyzes the task’s title, description, and metadata to assign it to the most relevant workspace (e.g., a GitHub issue about a client’s API bug goes to the 'Client X' workspace).
• Step 3: Enable 'Complete also in the source' – When you mark a task as done in Foco, it automatically closes the issue in GitHub or the task in Jira (or adds a comment, depending on the tool). This keeps both systems in sync without manual updates.

2. Turn Emails into Tasks (No Copy-Pasting)

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

• Title: The email subject.
• Note: The full email body (attached as a note, so you don’t lose context).
• Autodetected fields: Dates, times, and priorities if mentioned in the email (e.g., 'Review this by Friday at 3 PM' sets a due date and time).
• Destination workspace: Like GitHub/Jira, you can assign emails to a fixed workspace (e.g., 'Clients') or let the AI decide based on content.

Example: You forward a client email with the subject 'Bug in checkout flow – urgent' to your Foco address. Foco creates a task titled 'Bug in checkout flow – urgent' in the 'Client Y' workspace, sets the priority to 'urgent,' and attaches the email as a note.

3. Organize Synced Tasks in Foco’s Dashboard

Once synced, tasks appear in Panorama mode (all workspaces) or Focus mode (one workspace at a time). Use these features to manage them:

• Color-coding: Tasks from GitHub appear in one color (e.g., blue), Jira in another (e.g., green), and emails in a third (e.g., red). This visual distinction helps you spot priorities at a glance.
• Group by due date or scheduled date: In List view, sort tasks by 'Due date' to see which Jira issues are due this week or by 'Scheduled date' to plan when to work on GitHub pull requests.
• Prioritize with labels: Assign 'urgent' or 'important' labels to tasks from any tool. Even if they’re mixed with other workspaces, you’ll know which ones need immediate attention.
• Filter by tool or project: Use the search bar to find all tasks from a specific GitHub repository or Jira project, or filter by tags like 'bug' or 'feature'.

What You Can (and Can’t) Do with Synced Tasks

Foco’s Connections aren’t just a mirror of GitHub or Jira—they let you interact with tasks without leaving the app. Here’s what’s possible and what’s not:

✅ What You Can Do

• Mark as done: Completing a task in Foco closes it in GitHub/Jira (if 'Complete also in the source' is enabled).
• Edit fields: Change due dates, priorities, or add notes to tasks from GitHub/Jira. These edits stay in Foco (they don’t sync back to the original tool to avoid conflicts).
• Assign to teammates: Invite collaborators to a workspace in Foco and assign them tasks from GitHub/Jira. They’ll see them in their dashboard but can’t edit the original tool unless they have permissions there.
• Search and filter: Find tasks by repository, project, or tags (e.g., 'bug', 'feature').

❌ What You Can’t Do

• Create new issues/tasks in GitHub/Jira from Foco: Connections are read-only for creation. To add a new task, you must do it in the original tool.
• Sync changes bidirectionally: Edits in GitHub/Jira reflect in Foco at the next sync (every few minutes), but changes in Foco don’t sync back to the original tool. This prevents conflicts when multiple people work on the same task.
• See full comments or history: Foco brings the title, description, priority, and basic metadata, but not the comments or change history of an issue. For that, you need to open the task in GitHub or Jira.

Foco vs. Alternatives: Why It Wins for Multiple Workspaces

If you’ve tried unifying your workflows before, you’ve likely tested these options. Here’s how Foco compares:

1. Generic Task Apps (Todoist, Trello, ClickUp)

• Problem: Integrations are superficial. For example, Todoist creates a card with a link to a GitHub issue but doesn’t pull in the due date, priority, or assignees. You still need to open GitHub to see the context.
• Foco’s advantage: Tasks from GitHub/Jira appear as native tasks in Foco, with all original data (due dates, priorities, etc.). No manual copy-pasting.

2. Spreadsheets or Shared Documents (Google Sheets, Notion)

• Problem: Manual maintenance. Every time an issue is created or updated in GitHub/Jira, someone must update the spreadsheet. No automatic reminders or calendar views.
• Foco’s advantage: Tasks sync automatically, and you can group them by due date, scheduled date, or priority. Learn how to prioritize critical tasks with Foco’s system here.

3. Development-Focused Tools (Linear, Shortcut)

• Problem: No email capture. Linear and Shortcut don’t offer a way to turn emails into tasks automatically. You’d still need a separate system for client requests.
• Foco’s advantage: Forward an email to your Foco address, and it becomes a task with the email attached as a note. No context lost.

Real-World Example: Managing a Sprint with GitHub, Jira, and Emails

Scenario: You’re a freelance developer working on a client’s e-commerce site. Your tasks come from:

• - GitHub: Pull requests and issues for the frontend (e.g., 'Fix checkout button alignment').
• - Jira: Backend tasks for the client’s team (e.g., 'API endpoint for discount codes').
• - Email: Client requests (e.g., 'Add a new payment method by Friday').

How Foco handles this:

• Day 1: You forward the client’s email to your Foco address. Foco creates a task titled 'Add new payment method' in the 'Client X' workspace, sets the due date to Friday, and attaches the email as a note.
• Day 2: A GitHub issue appears for 'Fix checkout button alignment.' Foco’s AI assigns it to the 'Client X – Frontend' workspace. You schedule it for Wednesday using Foco’s time blocking feature. See how to avoid overlaps with time blocking here.
• Day 3: A Jira task for 'API endpoint for discount codes' syncs to Foco. You mark it as 'urgent' and assign it to your teammate in Foco. When they complete it, Foco closes the task in Jira automatically.
• Day 4: In Panorama mode, you see all tasks color-coded: GitHub (blue), Jira (green), and emails (red). You filter by 'urgent' and see the API task and the payment method task. You work on them first.

When Foco Isn’t the Right Fit

Foco is designed for managing multiple workspaces (clients, projects, personal tasks) in one place. It’s not ideal if:

• - You only work on one project and don’t need to separate contexts. A tool like Linear or GitHub Projects might suffice.
• - You need full bidirectional sync (e.g., editing a GitHub issue in Foco and having it update in GitHub). Foco’s sync is one-way (from GitHub/Jira to Foco).
• - You rely heavily on GitHub/Jira comments or history. Foco doesn’t pull these into the task.

Syncing GitHub, Jira, and emails in one dashboard isn’t about replacing tools—it’s about eliminating the friction between them. The goal isn’t to do more; it’s to waste less time switching contexts.

FAQ

FAQ

Does Foco support other tools besides GitHub and Jira?

Yes. Foco Plus also connects to Notion (pages and tasks where you’re mentioned or assigned), Linear (issues assigned to you), Asana (tasks assigned to you), and any MCP server via URL. Each connection can be assigned to a fixed workspace or handled automatically by Foco’s AI.

What happens if I forward a long email chain to Foco?

Foco extracts the subject as the task title and the entire email body as an attached note. If the email chain is very long, you can edit the note in Foco to keep only the relevant parts before saving the task.

Can I use Foco’s email capture to turn Slack messages into tasks?

No. Foco’s email capture only works with emails forwarded to your u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com address. For Slack, you’d need to copy-paste the message into an email or use Foco’s voice capture to dictate the task.

How often does Foco sync with GitHub and Jira?

Foco checks for updates every few minutes. If a task is created or updated in GitHub/Jira, it will appear in Foco within 5 minutes. Changes you make in Foco (e.g., marking a task as done) sync back to the original tool immediately if 'Complete also in the source' is enabled.

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

No. Foco can sync an unlimited number of tasks from GitHub, Jira, and other connected tools. However, the free plan only allows 5 uses of voice capture per month, and the Plus plan is required for Connections, email capture, and AI features.