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What are GitHub Autolinks?

GitHub autolinks allow you to automatically convert text references in pull requests, issues, commit messages, and release descriptions into clickable links to external resources. This feature is particularly useful for connecting your code changes to external project management tools, issue trackers, or documentation. When properly configured, typing a reference like JIRA-123 or TICKET-456 in your pull request description or comments will automatically create a hyperlink to the corresponding resource in your external system. Graphite fully supports GitHub’s autolinks feature. Any autolinks you configure in your GitHub repository settings will automatically work in:
  • Pull request titles and descriptions
  • Pull request comments and reviews
  • Commit messages
  • Stack descriptions
Since Graphite maintains 2-way sync with GitHub, autolinks configured through GitHub will be rendered correctly in the Graphite interface, making it easy to navigate to related tickets, issues, or documentation while reviewing code.

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Configuration

Autolinks must be configured through your GitHub repository settings. Once configured, they will work automatically in both GitHub and Graphite.

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Prerequisites

  • Repository admin permissions
  • GitHub Pro, GitHub Team, GitHub Enterprise Cloud, or GitHub Enterprise Server
To set up autolinks for your repository:
  1. Navigate to your repository on GitHub
  2. Click Settings in the repository menu
  3. In the left sidebar, click Autolinks under the “Integrations” section
  4. Click Add autolink reference
  5. Configure your autolink:
    • Reference prefix: A short identifier that will trigger the autolink (e.g., JIRA-, TICKET-, DOC-)
    • Target URL: The URL template with <num> as a placeholder for the identifier (e.g., https://your-jira.atlassian.net/browse/JIRA-<num>)
    • Format: Choose between alphanumeric or numeric identifiers
  6. Click Add autolink reference to save
For detailed instructions, see GitHub’s official documentation on configuring autolinks.

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Common Use Cases

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Issue Tracking Systems

Link to your project management and issue tracking tools: Jira
  • Prefix: JIRA-
  • URL: https://your-company.atlassian.net/browse/JIRA-<num>
  • Example: JIRA-123 → Links to Jira ticket JIRA-123
Linear
  • Prefix: LIN-
  • URL: https://linear.app/your-team/issue/LIN-<num>
  • Example: LIN-456 → Links to Linear issue LIN-456
Zendesk
  • Prefix: TICKET-
  • URL: https://your-company.zendesk.com/agent/tickets/<num>
  • Example: TICKET-789 → Links to Zendesk ticket #789

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Documentation Systems

Connect to internal documentation: Confluence
  • Prefix: CONF-
  • URL: https://your-company.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=<num>
  • Example: CONF-100 → Links to Confluence page
Notion
  • Prefix: NOTION-
  • URL: https://notion.so/your-workspace/<num>
  • Example: NOTION-abc123 → Links to Notion page

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Design Systems

Link to design mockups and specifications: Figma
  • Prefix: FIG-
  • URL: https://www.figma.com/file/your-file-id/?node-id=<num>
  • Example: FIG-250 → Links to Figma design

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Best Practices

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Choose Clear Prefixes

Use prefixes that clearly indicate the external system:
  • Make them short but descriptive (2-5 characters + hyphen)
  • Use uppercase for consistency
  • Include a hyphen at the end (e.g., JIRA- not JIRA)

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Avoid Prefix Conflicts

GitHub doesn’t allow overlapping prefixes. For example, you cannot configure both TICK and TICKET as prefixes, as TICK would match first. Consider documenting your team’s autolink conventions in:
  • Your repository’s README
  • Pull request templates
  • Team onboarding documentation
This helps team members know which references are available and how to use them effectively.

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Use in PR Descriptions

Include relevant autolink references in your PR descriptions to provide context: 
## Summary
This PR implements the new authentication flow requested in JIRA-1234.

## Related Issues
- JIRA-1234: Add OAuth2 support
- DOC-567: Authentication architecture guide
- FIG-890: Login flow mockups
When viewing this PR in Graphite, all these references will be clickable links to the external resources.

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Limitations

  • Admin permissions required: Only repository administrators can configure autolinks
  • No overlapping prefixes: Reference prefixes cannot overlap with each other
  • Case sensitivity: Autolinks are case-sensitive by default
  • Configuration location: Autolinks must be configured through GitHub settings (not configurable directly in Graphite)
  • Alphanumeric support: While GitHub supports both numeric and alphanumeric identifiers, some older systems may only support numeric references

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Troubleshooting

If your autolinks aren’t rendering correctly:
  1. Verify configuration: Check that the autolink is properly configured in your GitHub repository settings
  2. Check permissions: Ensure you have admin access to configure autolinks
  3. Verify prefix: Confirm you’re using the exact prefix including any hyphens or special characters
  4. Check plan: Autolinks require GitHub Pro or higher
  5. Clear cache: Try refreshing the page or clearing your browser cache
If autolinks are rendering but pointing to the wrong location:
  1. Verify URL template: Double-check that your target URL includes <num> as the placeholder
  2. Test the URL: Manually construct a URL with a test identifier to verify it works
  3. Check identifier format: Ensure you’ve selected the correct format (numeric vs. alphanumeric)
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