GitHub Issues are the standard way to track work, bugs, and discussion that should exist outside a pull request.
What an issue is for
An issue is a tracked piece of work or discussion.
Examples include:
- a bug report
- a feature request
- a task that should be completed later
- a question that needs follow-up
Issues are useful because they give work a stable place to live before or beyond the code change itself.
What makes an issue useful
A good issue usually has:
- a clear title
- enough description to explain the problem or task
- labels or assignees if the repository uses them
The goal is not to create perfect project management. The goal is to make the next step clearer.
Issue vs pull request
The distinction matters:
- an issue describes work or a problem
- a pull request proposes a code change
One common relationship is:
- an issue describes the task
- a branch is created for the work
- a pull request implements the change
Why issues belong in a beginner workflow
Issues help beginners learn that not every important project conversation belongs inside code review.
Sometimes the work needs to be identified, described, prioritized, or assigned before code changes even start.