Track GitHub Issue Checklist Progress Using 1 Simple Script

Until recently, GitHub issues had a handy indicator showing how many check list items are inside, and how many of them are checked.

Not anymore. It’s gone.

If it bothers you, stay with me, this article is how to compensate it.

The solution is to create a GitHub action that would add the check list summary to the issue title.

Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. Create the .github/workflows/update-progress.yml file in your repository with the following contents. Due the location of the file and the on: section, GitHub executes the script written in the script: section any time you open or edit an issue. The script logic is simple - it read the issue, counts the completed/total check items in the body and adds these counts to the end of the issue title, or updates them if it’s not the first time:

    name: Update Project Progress
   
    on:
      issues:
        types: [edited, opened]
   
    jobs:
      update-progress:
        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
        steps:
          - name: Update project progress
            uses: actions/github-script@v7
            with:
              github-token: "${{ secrets.PAT_TOKEN }}"
              script: |
                const {repository} = await github.graphql(`
                    query {
                        repository(owner: "${context.repo.owner}", name: "${context.repo.repo}") {
                            issue(number: ${context.issue.number}) {
                                id
                                title
                                body
                            }
                        }
                    }
                `);
   
                const body = repository.issue.body;
                const totalItems = (body.match(/- \[([ x])\]/g) || []).length;
                const completedItems = (body.match(/- \[x\]/g) || []).length;
                const progress = totalItems ? ` [${completedItems} / ${totalItems}]` : '';
   
                // Remove existing progress count if present and add new one
                const title = repository.issue.title.replace(/\s*\[\d+\s*\/\s*\d+\]$/, '') + progress;
   
                if (title === repository.issue.title) {
                    return;
                }
   
                await github.graphql(`
                    mutation {
                        updateIssue(input: {
                            id: "${repository.issue.id}"
                            title: "${title}"
                        }) {
                            issue {
                                id
                                title
                            }
                        }
                    }
                `);
   

2. The github-token: "${{ secrets.PAT_TOKEN }}" line in the file tells GitHub under the name of which user to perform the action. Let’s say it’s you 😀Then, perform the next two steps to specify that.

3. Click on your avatar in the right top corner, and go to Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens → Tokens (classic). There, click Generate new token → Generate new token (classic), and fill in the form making sure you select repo (Full control of private repositories). Copy the generated token(it should start with ghp_…) to the clipboard.

   

4. In your repository, go to Settings → Security → Secrets and variables → Actions, click the New repository secret, name it PAT_TOKEN, paste the token that you copied in the previous step, and save.

   

That’s it.

Now, create an issue with a check list item in it, wait a little and see that check list stats apeared in the title.

Enjoy!