GitHub Discussions category form before question submit
Turn repeated support or setup questions into structured discussion forms so the first post arrives with the repro details, environment, and expected outcome you actually need.
Why this can grow a startup
A community archive gets expensive when every useful answer starts with the same cleanup questions. GitHub discussion category forms let the maintainer turn a category into a structured intake step with required fields and YAML-backed templates. That matters because the first post becomes easier to answer, easier to search later, and less likely to die in a vague back-and-forth. The quality gain is operational, but it compounds into better documentation and a stronger public answer inventory too.
Company example
GitHub Docs says discussion category forms use customizable web form fields, live in `/.github/DISCUSSION_TEMPLATE/`, and can be created per repository or organization to collect structured information before a discussion is posted.
Source and metric
Source: GitHub Docs: Creating discussion category forms
GitHub requires the form file in `/.github/DISCUSSION_TEMPLATE/FORM-NAME.yml`, mapped to the discussion category slug.
When to use it
Use this when GitHub, Community, Support is relevant to community intake, support quality, documentation ops and you can run a bounded test with a free budget.
When not to use it
Do not use it as a substitute for customer evidence, a clear owner, or a measurable stop condition. Local platform rules and market behavior still need checking.
Founder checklist
- Read GitHub Docs: Creating discussion category forms and identify what is directly supported.
- Choose one channel context: GitHub, Community, Support.
- Define the test around GitHub requires the form file in `/.github/DISCUSSION_TEMPLATE/FORM-NAME.yml`, mapped to the discussion category slug..
- Set an owner, evidence window, and stop condition before launch.
Explore the context
Apply this with an operator
Turn isolated search tactics into a crawlable visibility system tied to demand and proof.