GitHub linking

When your organization connects GitHub, the branches, commits and pull requests that mention an item’s key show on that item. You can see where the code for a story stands without leaving buildIt.Social.

buildIt.Social reads only branch names, commit messages, and pull request titles and descriptions that mention your keys. It never reads your code.

What you see#

On the item#

The item’s Details tab has a Development section with:

• Pull requests: each with its state (Open, Draft, Merged or Closed), number, title, repository, author and time.
• Branches: marked Deleted once the branch is gone.
• Commits: the short SHA and first line of each, the five latest first. Select Show all N commits to see the rest.

Use the Copy menu on a row to copy a branch name, a commit’s SHA or a link. Select a pull request, branch or commit to open it on GitHub.

On cards and rows#

Board cards and List rows show a GitHub chip with the most useful state: the pull request (PR #12 open, merged, draft or closed), otherwise the number of branches, otherwise the number of commits.

Guests never see GitHub activity.

Name your work so it links#

Put the item’s key in any of these, and it links to the item:

• The branch name, such as web-42-fix-login-redirect.
• A commit message, such as WEB-42: fix the login redirect.
• A pull request’s title or description.

When nothing is linked to an item yet, its Development section offers Copy branch name, which gives you a branch name made from the key and title.

Move items to Done when pull requests merge#

Project admins can have merged pull requests move items to Done. In Settings → General, under When a pull request merges, choose Move the item to Done, tick the Repositories whose merges count, and select Save.

A merge moves an item only when:

• the pull request was merged into the repository’s default branch;
• it names the item in its branch name, its title, or after Fixes, Closes or Resolves in its description;
• the project’s workflow allows the move.

When the workflow doesn’t allow the move, the item stays put and its Development section says why, for example “Not moved to Done: the workflow requires Estimate.” Moves show in the item’s history as made by GitHub, such as “GitHub changed the status from In review to Done · PR #12 merged by octo-user”.

The default is Do nothing.

Good to know#

• GitHub activity needs a connection. Offline, cards keep the GitHub chips you’ve already seen, but the Development section doesn’t load.
• If the GitHub app is suspended on GitHub, the item says Suspended on GitHub: new activity isn’t linked until it’s back.