How to Create an Issue on GitHub: Step-by-Step Guide

To create an issue on GitHub, go to the repository's Issues tab and click New issue. Fill in the title and description, then click Submit new issue. Alternatively, use the GitHub CLI command gh issue create to create an issue from your terminal.

Syntax

There are two main ways to create an issue on GitHub:

• Web interface: Navigate to the repository, click the Issues tab, then New issue.
• GitHub CLI: Use the command gh issue create with optional flags to specify title, body, labels, and assignees.

Example CLI syntax:

gh issue create --title "Issue title" --body "Detailed description" --label bug --assignee username

bash

gh issue create --title "Issue title" --body "Detailed description" --label bug --assignee username

Example

This example shows how to create a new issue on GitHub using the CLI with a title and description.

bash

gh issue create --title "Fix login bug" --body "Users cannot log in with correct credentials."

Output

Created issue #42: Fix login bug

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when creating issues include:

• Not providing a clear, descriptive title.
• Leaving the description empty or too vague.
• Forgetting to assign labels or assignees if needed.
• Trying to create issues in repositories where you don't have permission.

Using the CLI without authenticating first will cause errors.

bash

gh issue create --title "" --body ""
# Wrong: empty title and body

# Correct:
gh issue create --title "Add user profile page" --body "Create a new page for user profiles with editable info."

Quick Reference

Action	Command / Location	Description
Create issue (web)	Repository > Issues > New issue	Fill title and description, then submit
Create issue (CLI)	gh issue create --title "..." --body "..."	Create issue from terminal
Add label	--label	Tag issue for categorization
Assign user	--assignee	Assign issue to a collaborator
Authentication	gh auth login	Login to GitHub CLI before creating issues

Key Takeaways

Use the GitHub web interface or CLI to create issues easily.

Always provide a clear title and detailed description for your issue.

Authenticate with GitHub CLI before creating issues from terminal.

Add labels and assignees to organize and track issues better.

Ensure you have permission to create issues in the repository.