How to unify GitHub issues, Jira tasks, and Asana projects in one place with Foco Plus Connections

If you manage multiple technical projects at once, chances are you have GitHub issues, Jira tasks, and Asana projects scattered across different tools. Constantly switching between tabs, remembering deadlines, and prioritizing across platforms wastes time and increases the risk of missing critical details. The solution isn’t migrating everything to a single tool (which is often impossible without losing key features), but unifying GitHub, Jira, and Asana tasks in one place where you can view, filter, and act without duplicating effort. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do this step-by-step using Foco Plus Connections, designed for technical teams who need to centralize without complexity.

Why unify GitHub, Jira, and Asana tasks in a single dashboard

Fragmenting tasks across multiple tools has hidden costs: every time you open a new tab, you lose 10 to 20 seconds recovering context (Foco internal study, 2024). If you work across three platforms, that adds up to up to 2 hours per week just switching between tools. Additionally, when tasks are scattered:

• You lose the big picture: you can’t see which GitHub issues are due the same day as a Jira task or an Asana milestone, making prioritization harder.
• You duplicate work: if a task requires actions in both GitHub and Jira, you must update both manually.
• You miss deadlines: notifications from each tool compete for your attention, and it’s easy to overlook a critical date.
• You can’t filter by context: for example, seeing only tasks for a specific client who uses Asana, Jira, and GitHub simultaneously.

Unifying these tasks in a single dashboard solves these problems, but most solutions require migrating data or using complex integrations. Foco Plus Connections work differently: they automatically bring GitHub, Jira, and Asana tasks into Foco without moving anything from their original location. Each task retains its link to the source tool, its status, and its metadata (like labels or assignees), but appears in a unified board with the color of its work (e.g., "Client X" in blue).

Prerequisites for setting up Connections

Before you start, make sure you have:

• A Foco Plus account (the 20 €/month plan that includes Connections, Copilot, and AI features). If you don’t have it yet, you can try it free for 7 days.
• Admin access to the GitHub, Jira, and Asana accounts you want to connect (you’ll need permissions to authorize the OAuth connection).
• Your works already created in Foco: each connection must be assigned to a work (e.g., "Project Alpha" or "Client Beta"). If you haven’t created them yet, do so before setting up the Connections.

Step-by-step: how to connect GitHub, Jira, and Asana to Foco

1. Access the Connections settings

Open Foco on desktop (the Connections setup is not available on mobile). Go to Settings > Connections and click Add connection. You’ll see the list of available tools: GitHub, Jira, Asana, Notion, and Linear, plus the option to connect an MCP server via URL.

2. Connect GitHub: issues and pull requests in Foco

Select GitHub and click Connect. An OAuth window will open where you’ll need to log in to your GitHub account and authorize Foco to access your repositories. Once authorized, configure these settings:

• Repositories: choose the repositories from which you want to import issues and pull requests. You can select all or only those relevant to your current projects.
• Task types: by default, Foco imports issues assigned to you and pull requests where you’re mentioned or need to review. If you want to include other types (like issues you created), check the corresponding option.
• Destination work: choose whether you want GitHub tasks to go to a fixed work (e.g., "Frontend Development") or let Foco’s AI assign them automatically based on content (option Automatic).
• Complete also in source: enable this option if you want, when marking a task as done in Foco, to automatically close the issue or pull request in GitHub. This avoids updating both tools manually.

Save the configuration. Foco will start syncing GitHub tasks in real time. Each issue or pull request will appear as a task in Foco with:

• Title: the name of the issue or pull request.
• Execution date: the date you plan to work on it (editable in Foco).
• Due date: the issue’s deadline in GitHub (if it has one).
• Status: To do, Doing, or Done (syncs with GitHub’s status if Complete also in source is enabled).
• Priority: Foco automatically detects if the issue has labels like urgent or high priority and assigns them as Urgent or Important.
• Labels: the original GitHub labels (e.g., bug, enhancement) are imported as Foco labels with their corresponding color.
• Assignees: users assigned in GitHub appear as assignees in Foco.
• Notes: the issue or pull request body is attached as a note in the task, along with a direct link to GitHub.

3. Connect Jira: issues assigned to you

Repeat the process for Jira: go to Settings > Connections > Add connection > Jira. Authorize the connection with your Jira account and configure:

• Projects: select the Jira projects from which you want to import issues. You can filter by issue type (e.g., only Bug or Task).
• Destination work: same as GitHub, choose a fixed work or the Automatic option.
• Complete also in source: if enabled, when marking a task as done in Foco, the Jira issue will move to Done and add an automatic comment with the completion date.

Jira tasks in Foco will include:

• Custom fields: if the issue has fields like Sprint or Epic, they’re imported as Foco labels.
• Dependencies: if an issue depends on another, Foco notes this in the attached note.
• Transitions: if Complete also in source is enabled, Foco applies the correct transition in Jira (e.g., from In Progress to Done).

4. Connect Asana: tasks and projects

For Asana, follow the same flow: Settings > Connections > Add connection > Asana. Authorize the connection and configure:

• Projects and tasks: choose the Asana projects from which you want to import tasks. You can filter by sections (e.g., only tasks in the In Progress section).
• Destination work: assign tasks to a fixed work or use the Automatic option.
• Complete also in source: if enabled, when marking a task as done in Foco, it will be completed in Asana.

Asana tasks in Foco will include:

• Subtasks: if an Asana task has subtasks, they’re imported as a list in the attached note.
• Custom fields: imported as Foco labels (e.g., Priority: High).
• Comments: the latest comments on the Asana task are attached as notes in Foco.

How to organize unified tasks in Foco

Once all three tools are connected, all your tasks will appear in Foco’s Panorama mode, each with the color of its work. To get the most out of it:

1. Use Focus mode to concentrate on one project

If you need to work only on tasks for a specific client or project, click on its work in the sidebar. Foco will filter the board and show only tasks from that work, whether they’re from GitHub, Jira, or Asana. For example, if you enter the Client X work, you’ll see its GitHub issues, Jira tasks, and Asana projects in one place, without distractions from other works.

2. Filter by execution or due date

In the List view, you can group tasks by execution date (when you plan to work on them) or due date (the deadline). This is useful for seeing, for example, which GitHub and Jira tasks are due today or this week. To change the filter, click the Group by button and select your preferred option.

3. Prioritize with labels and colors

Foco automatically detects priorities from GitHub (labels like urgent), Jira (fields like Priority: High), and Asana (custom fields) and assigns them as Urgent or Important in Foco. You can also add your own labels to group tasks by context. For example:

• Label @client: to filter all tasks for a specific client, regardless of whether they’re from GitHub, Jira, or Asana.
• Label #bug: to see only GitHub and Jira issues marked as bugs.
• Label $meeting: to group tasks related to meetings (e.g., preparing a report for Asana or reviewing a pull request before a demo).

4. Use the calendar to plan time blocks

In the Calendar view, you’ll see all your tasks with an execution date (the day and time you plan to work on them) alongside your Google Calendar or Outlook events. This lets you block time for GitHub issues or Jira tasks without overlaps. For example, if a GitHub issue requires 2 hours, you can drag it in the calendar to reserve that time.

What happens when you complete a task in Foco

If you enabled the Complete also in source option when setting up the Connections, marking a task as done in Foco will trigger the following in each tool:

• GitHub: the issue or pull request will be closed, and an automatic comment with the completion date will be added.
• Jira: the issue will move to the Done status (or the final status you configured in Jira) and add a comment.
• Asana: the task will be marked as completed.

If you didn’t enable this option, the task will be marked as done only in Foco, but won’t update in the source tool. This is useful if you prefer to review manually before closing an issue or task.

Comparison with the alternative: why Foco wins for technical teams

The most common alternative for unifying GitHub, Jira, and Asana tasks is using Asana as a central tool and connecting the other platforms via native integrations or tools like Zapier. However, this solution has significant limitations for technical teams or people managing multiple jobs at once:

• Asana’s free plan limits: Asana’s Personal plan only allows 2 users, making it impractical to collaborate with multiple clients without paying. Additionally, key features like Timeline (Gantt) view or custom fields require the Starter plan (10.99 USD/user/month, with a minimum of 2 seats).
• Minimum 2 seats in paid plans: if you work alone, Asana forces you to pay for 2 users even if you only need one. Foco, on the other hand, charges 20 €/month per user with no minimums.
• Limited integrations: Asana’s native integrations with GitHub and Jira are basic. For example, the GitHub integration only lets you create issues from Asana, not import existing ones or sync statuses. With Foco, all tasks are imported automatically and updated in real time.
• Lack of technical context: Asana is designed for generic project management, not technical workflows. Foco, however, automatically detects priorities, labels, and metadata from GitHub and Jira (like Sprint or Epic) and displays them in a format useful for developers.
• No focus mode: in Asana, all tasks appear mixed in a flat list. In Foco, you can filter by work (e.g., see only tasks for a client) or use Focus mode to concentrate on one project without distractions.

That said, Asana is a great option if:

• You work on a single large project with a fixed team and don’t need to integrate technical tools like GitHub or Jira.
• You need advanced project management features like portfolios or workload management (available in Asana’s Advanced plan).
• Your team already uses Asana and doesn’t want to switch (though in that case, Foco can be used as a complement to centralize technical tasks).

But if you manage multiple jobs or clients at once and need to unify GitHub, Jira, and Asana tasks without migrating data or paying for unnecessary seats, Foco is the most efficient option. The Asana prices mentioned are as of 2026-07-09 and may change.

Practical example: a day in the life of a developer using Foco

Imagine you’re a freelance developer working on two projects: Client A (an e-commerce with tasks in Asana and GitHub) and Client B (a mobile app with issues in Jira). Here’s how your workflow would look with Foco:

• Morning: you open Foco and see in Panorama mode that you have 3 urgent tasks today: a GitHub issue for Client A (label bug), an Asana task for the same client (prepare a demo), and a Jira issue for Client B (review a pull request). All appear with their work’s color (blue for Client A, green for Client B).
• Block time in the calendar: you drag the tasks to Foco’s calendar to reserve 1-hour blocks for each, alongside your Google Calendar meetings.
• Work in Focus mode: you enter the Client A work and see only its tasks. First, you resolve the GitHub bug, mark it as done in Foco, and it automatically closes in GitHub. Then, you prepare the Asana demo and complete it in Foco (it updates in Asana).
• Switch context: you enter the Client B work and review the Jira pull request. You approve it in GitHub and mark the task as done in Foco (the Jira issue moves to Done).
• Review the daily briefing: at the end of the day, Foco sends you a summary of what you accomplished, which tasks are due tomorrow, and what’s new in your calendar.

Unifying GitHub, Jira, and Asana tasks in one place isn’t about replacing tools, but eliminating the friction of switching between them. With Foco, each task retains its origin, but you gain control to see them all in a single board, prioritize, and act without duplicating effort.

Frequently asked questions about unifying GitHub, Jira, and Asana tasks

FAQ

Can I connect private GitHub repositories or private Jira and Asana projects?

Yes. Foco Connections use OAuth to access your private repositories and projects. You just need admin permissions on the accounts you want to connect.

What happens if a task is updated in GitHub, Jira, or Asana after importing it to Foco?

Foco syncs changes in real time. If someone updates a task in the source tool (e.g., changes the due date in Jira), the update will reflect in Foco within seconds.

Can I assign GitHub or Jira tasks to other team members in Foco?

Yes, but only if those members are invited to the corresponding work in Foco and have accepted the invitation. You can’t assign tasks to people who don’t use Foco.

Do Foco Connections consume AI credits?

No. Connections are part of Foco Plus’s Copilot and don’t consume AI credits. Credits are used for features like Ráfaga or the daily briefing.

Can I disconnect a tool if I no longer use it?

Yes. Go to Settings > Connections, select the tool you want to disconnect, and click Disconnect. Tasks imported up to that point will remain in Foco, but no new updates will sync.