Managing Projects with GitHub Issues & Wiki

GitHub isn’t just for storing code — it’s also a powerful tool for organizing work, tracking bugs, planning features, and writing documentation. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to manage projects effectively using Issues, Wikis, and Project Boards.

What are GitHub Issues?

A GitHub Issue is like a digital sticky note. You can use it to:

• Report bugs
• Suggest features
• Ask questions
• Track tasks

Each issue can be assigned, labeled, commented on, and closed once resolved.

Creating an Issue

1. Go to your repository on GitHub.
2. Click the “Issues” tab.
3. Click “New Issue”.
4. Add a title and description.
   • Use @mention to tag team members.
   • Add # followed by another issue number to link them.

Example:

Title: Fix broken navbar on mobile

Description:
The navbar does not collapse properly on small screens. Steps to reproduce:

1. Open on mobile
2. Click on menu
3. Menu overlaps content

@frontend-team please review. Related to #22.

Labels, Assignees & Milestones

• Labels: Categorize issues (bug, enhancement, documentation, etc.)
• Assignees: Assign a team member responsible for resolving the issue
• Milestones: Group related issues for a version or goal (e.g., v1.0 launch)

✅ Closing an Issue

An issue is closed when the task or bug is resolved.

You can close it:

• Manually (click “Close Issue”)
• Automatically via a pull request using:

Fixes #23
Resolves #45
Closes #12

GitHub will close the linked issue when that PR is merged.

GitHub Wiki: Your Project’s Knowledge Base

Every GitHub repository includes an optional Wiki, perfect for:

• Writing documentation
• Creating tutorials or guides
• Explaining project structure or setup steps
• Maintaining API references

How to Use the Wiki:

1. Go to your repository → Click the “Wiki” tab
2. Click “Create the first page”
3. Use Markdown to format content easily (like headings, lists, links, code blocks)

Example:

# Installation Guide

## Step 1: Clone the Repository

You can add multiple pages and create a full sidebar navigation — just like a mini documentation site!

GitHub Project Boards: Organize Work Visually

GitHub Projects give you Kanban-style boards where you can manage tasks visually using columns.

Use Cases:

• “To Do / In Progress / Done” workflow
• Sprint planning
• Bug tracking

Creating a Project Board:

1. Go to your repo → Click “Projects”
2. Create a new project → Choose Board
3. Add columns (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done)
4. Link issues or pull requests as cards inside the board

This helps teams stay organized and gives a clear overview of the current project status.

🔁 Summary: Managing Your GitHub Project

Using these tools, even a single developer can manage an entire project efficiently — and when you’re working with a team, it becomes essential.