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About automation for project boards

In this article

You can configure automatic workflows to keep the status of project board cards in sync with the associated issues and pull requests.

To set up automatic workflows for a repository project board, you must have write access to the repository. Organization owners and members can configure automatic workflows on an organization-wide project board. For more information, see "Project board permissions for an organization."

You can automate actions based on triggering events for project board columns. This eliminates some of the manual tasks in managing a project board. For example, you can configure a "To do" column, where any new issues or pull requests you add to a project board are automatically moved to the configured column. For more information, see "Configuring automation for project boards."

You can use a project board template to create a project board with automation already configured. For more information, see "About project boards."

Project board automation can also help teams develop a shared understanding of a project board's purpose and the team's development process by creating a standard workflow for certain actions.

When you close a project board, any workflow automation configured for the project board will pause. If you reopen a project board, you have the option to sync automation, which updates the position of the cards on the board according to the automation settings configured for the project. For more information, see "Reopening a closed project board" or "Closing a project board."

Automation options

Column presetConfiguration options
To do
  • Move all newly added issues here
  • Move all newly added pull requests here
  • Move all reopened issues here
  • Move all reopened pull requests here
In progress
  • Move all newly opened pull requests here
  • Move all reopened issues here
  • Move all reopened pull requests here
  • Move all pull requests that meet the base branch's minimum number of required reviews here
  • Move all pull requests that no longer meet the base branch's minimum number of required reviews here
Done
  • Move all closed issues here
  • Move all merged pull requests here
  • Move all closed, unmerged pull requests here

Project progress tracking

You can track the progress on your project board. Cards in the "To do", "In progress", or "Done" columns count toward the overall project progress. If progress tracking is enabled, a progress bar appears above the project board, on the project listing page, in the issue sidebar, and in references to the project on other project boards.

For more information, see "Tracking progress on your project board."

Further reading