Lesson 01 · GitHub platform · issues
The unit of work on GitHub that isn't a commit. What it's for, how it links to your PRs, and the one syntax trick that closes it automatically.
You know commits and PRs cold (see the git course). An issue is different: it's not a change to code, it's a tracked conversation — a bug report, a task, a question — that lives on GitHub, not in your git history at all. It exists so work can be planned and discussed before a commit exists to fix it.
- [ ] item renders as a live checkbox), screenshots.Anyone with repo access can open one — it needs no code, no branch, no permission beyond "can comment here." That's the point: it's the cheapest way to record "this needs doing" before anyone has written a line to do it.
Write a specific keyword + issue number in a commit message or PR description, and merging that PR closes the issue automatically — no separate click.
git commit -m "Fix mobile nav overflow
Fixes #12"| Keyword | Effect when merged into the default branch |
|---|---|
Fixes #12, Closes #12, Resolves #12 | Issue #12 closes automatically |
plain #12 | Just links — commit shows up in the issue's timeline, issue stays open |
Works the same in a PR description, not just a commit message — and it's the more common place to put it, since a PR is usually reviewed before merge while a raw commit message isn't.
Fixes #<number> to the message and push — watch the issue close itself when the change lands on main.
Primary source — read this one: GitHub Docs — Linking a pull request to an issue. Covers every closing keyword and the edge cases (multiple issues, cross-repo linking).
Then do it for real: GitHub Skills — Communicate using Markdown, or just use the real issue you opened above.