GitHub Issues integration
Connect ReplyRabbit to GitHub Issues so support conversations in FreeScout can become structured issues in the right repository. Agents can create an issue from a conversation, keep the linked issue visible in FreeScout, and let ReplyRabbit prepare the engineering handoff.
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Overview
The GitHub Issues integration adds a GitHub panel to ReplyRabbit in a FreeScout conversation. When GitHub is configured, ReplyRabbit can create an issue with a developer-friendly title, a useful summary, labels, assignees, repository context, and a link back to the support conversation.
Each mailbox chooses one issue tracker: none, Linear, or GitHub. GitHub and Linear are alternatives for the same support-to-engineering workflow, not two trackers that run together in one mailbox.
Manual GitHub issue creation is available on Pro and Team. Automatic GitHub issue creation from new customer emails is available on Team.
Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have:
- A working FreeScout installation.
- ReplyRabbit installed and activated.
- A ReplyRabbit plan that includes the GitHub feature you want to use.
- Access to a GitHub account or organization where issues should be created.
- A repository with GitHub Issues enabled.
If ReplyRabbit is not installed yet, start with How to install the ReplyRabbit module, then finish How to set up ReplyRabbit.
Permissions and token scope
ReplyRabbit connects to GitHub with a personal access token that you provide in the mailbox settings. A fine-grained token is recommended, limited to the repositories ReplyRabbit should use. You can create one from GitHub's fine-grained token settings.
Grant the token enough access to read repository metadata, read labels and assignees, create and update issues, and add issue comments. For a fine-grained token, start with Metadata: read, Contents: read, and Issues: read and write for the selected repositories.
For stricter audit trails, create the token from a dedicated GitHub bot account that only has access to the repositories ReplyRabbit should use.
Keep the token private. If the token is rotated or removed in GitHub, update the mailbox settings before creating more issues.
Connect GitHub Issues
Open the mailbox settings
In FreeScout, open the mailbox that should create GitHub issues, then open Settings and choose ReplyRabbit.Choose GitHub as the issue tracker
In the issue tracker selector, choose GitHub Issues. ReplyRabbit shows the GitHub settings and hides the Linear settings for that mailbox.Paste the token
Paste your GitHub Personal Access Token. If you already saved a token, ReplyRabbit shows a masked preview instead of the full secret.Load repositories
Click the button to load repositories from GitHub, then choose the default repository where new issues should be created.Save settings
Save the mailbox settings. ReplyRabbit stores the GitHub connection for that mailbox.
Configure defaults
After the default repository is selected, configure the issue defaults your agents should start from:
- Default repository: choose where issues are created when no routing rule matches.
- Auto-submit issues: on the Team tier, let ReplyRabbit automatically create GitHub issues when the triage result says engineering work is needed.
- Repository routing: enable automatic repository selection when you want ReplyRabbit to match conversations to available repositories.
- Domain mappings: map customer email domains to specific repositories when you need deterministic routing.
- Labels: choose labels ReplyRabbit can apply for issue type, priority, or other workflow tags.
- Priority labels: map ReplyRabbit priority levels to GitHub labels, since GitHub Issues does not have a native priority field.
- Default assignee: choose the GitHub user who should receive new issues by default.
- Review notice: when automatic issue creation is enabled, add a FreeScout note that tells agents the issue was created automatically and should be reviewed.
Repository routing is optional. If no repository is confidently matched, ReplyRabbit uses the default repository.
Create a GitHub issue from a FreeScout conversation
Open a conversation in a mailbox where GitHub is configured. The ReplyRabbit panel can create a GitHub issue from the customer thread, then show the linked issue in FreeScout.
The issue content is generated for an engineering handoff, not copied blindly from the whole email thread. Review the title, summary, labels, assignees, and repository before creating the issue when manual creation is used.
ReplyRabbit can also add the email thread context as a GitHub issue comment, so engineering has the customer details without asking support to paste the same thread again.
Keep conversations and issues in sync
Once an issue is linked, the FreeScout conversation can show the current GitHub issue identifier, title, state, labels, and assignees. Agents can open the issue in GitHub when they need the full engineering view.
ReplyRabbit also supports a completion loop: it checks linked GitHub issues on a schedule, typically every 5 minutes. When GitHub closes an issue, ReplyRabbit can help draft the customer follow-up so support can close the conversation with context. If your team uses GitHub close reasons, you can restrict completion drafts to issues closed as completed.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| Repositories will not load | Confirm the token is current and can access the selected GitHub repositories. |
| Issues are not created | Confirm GitHub is the selected issue tracker, a default repository is selected, and your ReplyRabbit plan includes the feature. |
| Automatic issues are not created | Confirm you are on the Team tier and Auto-submit issues is enabled. |
| Repository is wrong or missing | Confirm repository routing or domain mappings are configured. ReplyRabbit uses the default repository when there is no confident match. |
| Labels or assignees will not update | Reload the conversation, then confirm the token still has access to the linked repository. |
| GitHub returns rate limit errors | Wait for the token's GitHub API limit to reset, then consider narrowing repository access or reducing automated issue activity. |
| Closed issues do not generate drafts | Confirm Auto Draft on Done is enabled and, if completed-only mode is on, the GitHub issue was closed as completed. |
For broader fixes, see Troubleshooting ReplyRabbit.
Privacy and data handling
ReplyRabbit sends GitHub the issue content needed for the engineering handoff. That can include relevant customer context, the generated issue title, the generated summary, labels, assignees, and the FreeScout conversation link or identifier.
Do not put sensitive information into a GitHub issue unless the repository is allowed to receive it. If customer data must stay entirely on your own server, keep GitHub disabled for that mailbox.
Next steps
- Continue with How to set up ReplyRabbit if the mailbox still needs provider, context, or style settings.
- Read Slack integration if your team wants issue creation or completion notifications in Slack.
- Compare with Linear integration if you are deciding which issue tracker a mailbox should use.
FAQ
Do I need a GitHub personal access token?
Yes. ReplyRabbit connects to GitHub with a token from your own GitHub account or organization.
Can one mailbox use Linear and GitHub at the same time?
No. Each mailbox chooses one issue tracker: none, Linear, or GitHub.
Can ReplyRabbit choose the GitHub repository?
Yes, when repository routing is configured. ReplyRabbit supports domain mappings and AI repository matching for repositories your token can access.
Which plan includes GitHub Issues?
Manual GitHub issue creation is a Pro feature. Automatic GitHub issue creation is a Team feature.
Does ReplyRabbit send the whole customer conversation to GitHub?
ReplyRabbit sends the issue content needed for the engineering handoff, including relevant customer context and the generated summary.