github-templates

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.

GitHub Templates

Guidelines for GitHub repository configuration and community files.

Essential Files

| File | Purpose | Required | |------|---------|----------| | README.md | Project overview | MUST | | LICENSE | Legal terms | MUST for open source | | CONTRIBUTING.md | Contribution guidelines | SHOULD | | CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md | Community standards | SHOULD | | SECURITY.md | Vulnerability reporting | MUST for public repos | | CODEOWNERS | Review assignments | RECOMMENDED | | .github/copilot-instructions.md | AI coding assistant context | RECOMMENDED |

Issue Templates

Place in .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/. Use YAML form format for structured input.

Key elements for bug_report.yml:

• Description, steps to reproduce, expected/actual behavior (required)
• Version, OS dropdown, logs textarea (optional)

Key elements for feature_request.yml:

• Problem statement, proposed solution (required)
• Alternatives considered, additional context (optional)

Add config.yml to disable blank issues and add contact links.

See assets/bug_report.yml.template for full example.

Pull Request Template

Place at .github/pull_request_template.md.

## Summary
<!-- Brief description of changes -->

## Type of Change
- [ ] Bug fix
- [ ] New feature
- [ ] Breaking change
- [ ] Documentation update

## Testing
<!-- How was this tested? -->

## Checklist
- [ ] Tests pass locally
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] No breaking changes (or documented)

CODEOWNERS

Place at .github/CODEOWNERS or CODEOWNERS in root.

# Default owners
*       @org/team-leads

# Directory ownership
/src/   @org/developers
/docs/  @org/tech-writers

# File patterns
*.js    @org/frontend-team
*.py    @org/backend-team

# Specific files
/config/prod.yml @org/devops @security-lead

Rules:

• Later rules override earlier ones
• Order from general to specific
• Use teams (@org/team) over individuals when possible
• Review groups MUST have write access to request reviews

Branch Protection

Recommended settings for main/master:

1. Require pull request reviews - At least 1 approval, dismiss stale reviews, require CODEOWNERS review
2. Require status checks - Branches must be up to date, select required CI checks
3. Restrict who can push - Limit to maintainers/admins
4. Additional - Signed commits (sensitive repos), no force pushes, no deletions

GitHub Actions Basics

Place workflows in .github/workflows/.

name: CI
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20'
      - run: npm ci
      - run: npm test

Common triggers: push, pull_request, schedule (cron), workflow_dispatch (manual)

Copilot Instructions

Place at .github/copilot-instructions.md for workspace-level AI context.

Purpose: Project-specific context for GitHub Copilot including tech stack, coding standards, patterns, and domain terminology.

Key sections:

• Project overview and tech stack
• Coding standards and naming conventions
• Preferred patterns (repository, service layer, DTOs)
• Domain terminology glossary
• Common task workflows

See assets/copilot-instructions.md.template for full example.

Dependabot Configuration

Place at .github/dependabot.yml.

version: 2
updates:
  - package-ecosystem: "npm"
    directory: "/"
    schedule:
      interval: "weekly"
    open-pull-requests-limit: 10
    labels: ["dependencies"]
    groups:
      dev-dependencies:
        dependency-type: "development"

  - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
    directory: "/"
    schedule:
      interval: "weekly"

.gitattributes

Place in repository root for consistent line endings.

* text=auto
*.sh text eol=lf
*.bat text eol=crlf
*.png binary
*.jpg binary
*.pdf binary
package-lock.json -diff
yarn.lock -diff

Quick Setup Checklist

1. [ ] README.md with project overview
2. [ ] LICENSE file selected
3. [ ] .gitignore appropriate for stack
4. [ ] .gitattributes for line endings
5. [ ] CONTRIBUTING.md with guidelines
6. [ ] SECURITY.md for vulnerability reporting
7. [ ] Issue templates in .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
8. [ ] PR template at .github/pull_request_template.md
9. [ ] CODEOWNERS with team assignments
10. [ ] Branch protection on main
11. [ ] CI workflow in .github/workflows/
12. [ ] Dependabot configuration
13. [ ] Copilot instructions (optional)

Templates Location

Asset templates available in this skill's assets/ directory:

• CONTRIBUTING.md.template - Contribution guidelines
• SECURITY.md.template - Vulnerability reporting process
• CODEOWNERS.template - Code ownership patterns
• pull_request_template.md.template - PR template
• bug_report.yml.template - Bug report issue form
• copilot-instructions.md.template - AI assistant context