n8n GitHub Triage Demo

An automated GitHub issue triage system using n8n workflows and AI classification. This system automatically categorizes new GitHub issues with appropriate labels based on their content.

Overview

This project demonstrates how to build an intelligent GitHub issue triage system that:

1. Enforces consistent labeling - Automatically applies "needs-triage" label to all new issues
2. AI-powered classification - Uses AI to analyze issue content and suggest appropriate labels
3. Automated workflow - Runs daily to process and categorize issues awaiting triage

System Architecture

GitHub Actions Workflow

• Trigger: Automatically runs when new issues are opened
• Function: Adds "needs-triage" label to all new issues
• Purpose: Ensures all new issues are marked for AI classification

n8n Workflow

• Trigger: Daily cron job (with manual execution option for testing)
• Process:
  • Fetches all open issues with "needs-triage" label
  • Sends issue content to AI for classification
  • Applies appropriate labels based on AI response
  • Removes "needs-triage" label
  • Optionally adds AI-generated summary as comment

AI Classification System

The AI analyzes issue titles and descriptions to provide structured classification:

Output Format

{
  "type": "bug | enhancement | question | documentation | tech-debt",
  "priority": "priority: high | priority: medium | priority: low",
  "complexity": "good-first-issue | regular | complex",
  "summary": "<short summary of the issue in less than 50 words>"
}

Classification Rules

Issue Types

• bug: Broken functionality or unexpected behavior
• enhancement: Feature requests or improvements
• question: User inquiries or clarification requests
• documentation: Documentation-related issues
• tech-debt: Refactoring, internal cleanup, maintenance tasks

Priority Levels

• priority: high: Critical or urgent issues requiring immediate attention
• priority: medium: Important but not urgent issues
• priority: low: Minor, trivial, or cosmetic issues

Complexity Levels

• good-first-issue: Simple, well-defined issues easy for new contributors (styling, copy changes, small fixes). Priority is NOT high.
• regular: Standard issues that require some experience or understanding of the codebase
• complex: Difficult issues that may involve multiple components, advanced knowledge, or high-risk changes

Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

• GitHub repository with Issues enabled
• n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted)
• GitHub Personal Access Token with repo permissions

GitHub Actions Setup

The GitHub Actions workflow is automatically triggered and requires no additional setup beyond having the workflow file in your repository.

n8n Workflow Setup

• Build the n8n workflow following the diagram shown in images/workflow.png
• Configure GitHub credentials in n8n with your Personal Access Token
• Set up the AI node with your preferred AI service (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
• Configure the cron trigger for execution (daily, weekly or as needed)
• Test the workflow using the manual trigger option

Building the Workflow

Refer to the workflow diagram in images/workflow.png to recreate the complete workflow structure. The diagram shows all the necessary nodes and their connections for the automated GitHub issue triage system.

Project Structure

n8n-github-triage-demo/
├── README.md                       # Project documentation
├── prompt.txt                      # AI prompt template for issue classification
├── images/                         # Project screenshots and visual documentation
│   ├── before-running-workflow.png # Screenshot showing issues before workflow execution
│   ├── after-running-workflow.png  # Screenshot showing issues after workflow execution
│   └── workflow.png                # n8n workflow diagram
└── .github/
    └── workflows/
        └── add-needs-triage-label.yml  # GitHub Actions workflow

Benefits

• Consistent labeling across all issues
• Reduced manual triage workload for maintainers
• Better issue organization and prioritization
• Improved contributor experience with clear categorization
• Scalable solution that works with high issue volumes

Customization

The system can be easily customized by:

• Modifying the AI prompt in prompt.txt
• Adjusting label categories and priorities
• Changing the cron schedule in n8n
• Adding additional classification criteria

License

This project is provided as-is for demonstration purposes.