GitHub Issue Visibility

Control repository issue access for workspace members without full GitHub permissions

What GitHub Issue Visibility Does

GitHub Issue Visibility allows workspace members to see issues from specific repositories even without GitHub read access to those repositories. This feature gives you granular control over which repository issues are visible within each workspace.

When you enable this feature for a repository, workspace members gain limited access to GitHub issues. They can view issue titles and descriptions, but cannot comment or modify GitHub metadata like labels, assignees, or milestones. However, they retain full access to Zenhub-specific features including pipeline management (except closing issues), sprints, estimates, epics, and releases.

This controlled visibility enables cross-team collaboration without exposing code repositories or granting full GitHub access. Team members can track relevant issues and update Zenhub project management data while your code remains secure.

Enabling GitHub Issue Visibility

Navigate to your workspace settings by clicking "Edit Workspace" in the left sidebar. Locate the "Workspace Issue Sources" section, which displays all repositories connected to your current workspace.

Each repository shows an eye icon indicating whether GitHub Issue Visibility is enabled, along with a three-dot menu providing configuration options. Click this menu to access visibility settings for that specific repository.

Choose your visibility preference from the available options:

Enable for all workspace members: Any workspace member can see issues from this repository, regardless of GitHub access level.

Enable for GitHub users only: Only workspace members with GitHub access to this repository can see its issues.

Permission Requirements

GitHub Issue Visibility configuration requires GitHub admin access for the target repository. If you don't have admin permissions, the three-dot menu shows limited options without visibility controls.

Request admin access from your GitHub organization administrator or repository owner if you need to configure visibility settings. You can verify and manage GitHub admin permissions through the repository's Settings page in GitHub.

Once someone with admin access enables the feature, it applies to all workspace members according to the configured visibility level. Individual workspace members don't need any special permissions to benefit from enabled visibility.

How Visibility Affects Access

When GitHub Issue Visibility is enabled for a repository, it overrides GitHub's standard read permissions for workspace members. Users without GitHub access to the repository can now see its issues within the workspace context, subject to the limitations described below.

What workspace members CAN access:

• Issue titles and descriptions (read-only)

• Pipeline status and movement (except closing issues)

• Sprint assignments

• Story point estimates

• Epic relationships

• Release associations

What workspace members CANNOT access:

• Commenting on issues

• Modifying GitHub metadata (labels, assignees, milestones)

• Closing issues (even when moving to "Closed" pipeline)

• Pull request code or diff views

• Any repository code or files

Disabling GitHub Issue Visibility returns access control to GitHub's standard permissions. Only workspace members with GitHub read access will see issues from that repository once the feature is disabled.

Code Security Guarantees

GitHub Issue Visibility applies exclusively to issue metadata and does not grant any code repository access. Workspace members without GitHub permissions cannot view repository code, pull request diffs, or any files within the repository.

This feature enables secure cross-team visibility into project status without compromising code security. Product managers, designers, and other non-engineering team members can track relevant work without accessing proprietary code.

Pull request titles and descriptions become visible when Issue Visibility is enabled, but the code changes, file diffs, and technical implementation details remain completely inaccessible to users without GitHub read permissions.

Visual Indicators for Limited Access

Issues with limited visibility display differently in the Zenhub interface to help users understand their access level. Look for visual cues indicating when you're viewing an issue through Issue Visibility rather than full GitHub access.

Limited-access issues show grayed-out or disabled controls for actions unavailable without GitHub permissions. For example, the comment section and GitHub metadata fields appear but cannot be modified.

Zenhub metadata controls remain fully functional, allowing you to update project management information even on issues where you have limited access. This distinction helps you quickly identify which aspects of the issue you can manage.

Managing Multiple Repositories

Configure GitHub Issue Visibility independently for each repository in your workspace. Different repositories can have different visibility settings based on security requirements and team collaboration needs.

Review visibility settings regularly as team composition changes or project requirements evolve. Enable visibility for repositories where cross-team coordination is valuable, while keeping sensitive repositories restricted to team members with GitHub access.

Use the repository list in "Workspace Issue Sources" to audit current visibility settings across all connected repositories. The eye icon provides quick visual confirmation of which repositories have Issue Visibility enabled.

FAQ

Q: If I enable GitHub Issue Visibility, can non-technical team members accidentally access our code?
A: No, this feature only affects issue metadata visibility. Users without GitHub read permissions cannot view repository code, pull request diffs, or any files, even with Issue Visibility enabled.

Q: Why can't I enable GitHub Issue Visibility for a repository in my workspace?
A: You need GitHub admin access to the repository to configure visibility settings. Contact your repository administrator or GitHub organization owner to request admin permissions or ask them to enable the feature.

Q: What happens to existing workspace members when I enable or disable this feature?
A: Enabling visibility immediately grants limited issue access to all workspace members (or only GitHub users, depending on your setting). Disabling it immediately removes access for users without GitHub read permissions. No restart or re-login required.

Q: Can I enable visibility for some repositories but not others in the same workspace?
A: Yes, GitHub Issue Visibility is configured per repository within each workspace. You can enable it for repositories requiring cross-team visibility while keeping other repositories restricted to users with GitHub access.

Q: Do users know they have limited access to an issue?
A: Yes, the Zenhub interface shows visual indicators like grayed-out controls for actions unavailable with limited access. Users can distinguish between full-access and limited-access issues through these interface cues.

Q: Can limited-access users close issues by moving them to the "Closed" pipeline?
A: No, closing issues requires GitHub write permissions even when GitHub Issue Visibility is enabled. Limited-access users can move issues to other pipelines but cannot close them.