This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Alexis Zamanidis
If you maintain an open source project, you’ve probably seen this scenario:
- Someone opens a GitHub issue with almost no details.
You get something like:
“It doesn’t work!”
No steps to reproduce, no environment info, not even the version they’re using. Frustrating, right?
For maintainers, these vague issues can become a huge time sink. You spend more time chasing details than actually solving the problem.
Why this happens
Many contributors are new to GitHub or open source. They know there’s a problem but don’t know what information is important.
As a project maintainer, it’s up to you to make it easy for them to communicate clearly.
Your solution: GitHub Issue Templates
If you have an open source project, issue templates are your best friend. They guide contributors to provide the right details upfront.
For example, a Bug Report Template can ask for:
- Steps to reproduce
- Expected vs. actual behavior
- Environment details (OS, browser, versions)
A Feature Request Template can ask for:
- Motivation for the feature
- Use cases
- Possible implementation ideas
By providing a clear structure, you reduce back-and-forth and get issues that are actionable from day one.
How it looks when a contributor creates a new issue
- Create new issue
- Bug Report
My experience as a maintainer
After adding issue templates to my projects, I noticed a huge improvement:
- Contributors provided detailed information from the start
- Debugging and fixing issues became faster
- Overall collaboration improved
Even a small project benefits from templates: they save time, reduce frustration, and keep your community happy.
Takeaway
If you maintain an open source project, don’t wait for contributors to “figure it out.” Set up GitHub issue templates.
It’s a simple way to improve communication, streamline your workflow, and help your project thrive.
Open source works best when everyone knows how to collaborate effectively, and issue templates make that easy.
Bonus: How to add an issue template on GitHub
- Go to your repository on GitHub.
- Click Settings → Issues → Set up templates.
- Choose Bug report, Feature request, or Custom template.
- Fill out the sections to guide contributors.
- Save and commit the template.
Now, every new issue will prompt the contributor to fill out the relevant details.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Alexis Zamanidis