# GitHub issue template chooser with blank issues disabled

> Disable blank issues for contributors so the GitHub issue chooser forces the public queue through the templates you are actually ready to process.

- Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/growth-ideas/github-issue-template-chooser-with-blank-issues-disabled/
- Source: [docs.github.com](https://docs.github.com/en/communities/using-templates-to-encourage-useful-issues-and-pull-requests/configuring-issue-templates-for-your-repository)
- GrowthDex source hub: [GitHub Docs: Configuring issue templates for your repository](/sources/github-docs-configuring-issue-templates-for-your-repository-docs-github-/)
- Last checked: 2026-06-05T14:05:00Z
- Rarity: rare
- Budget: free
- Channels: GitHub, Support, Community
- Stages: issue hygiene, community intake, triage quality, support ops


## Why this can grow

An issue queue stops being useful when half the submissions arrive outside the shapes your team knows how to triage. GitHub lets maintainers set `blank_issues_enabled` to `false`, which hides the blank issue path from ordinary contributors while still leaving a Maintainers only escape hatch for people with write access and above. That small setting is really a quality filter. It makes the public queue more structured, keeps the chooser honest, and protects the maintainers from spending every morning turning free-form complaints into actionable tickets.

## Ian's take

From scaling consumer platforms across MENA and Southeast Asia, my default is to distrust growth work that only looks good in a slide. My bias is to treat this as a small market test first. Make the audience narrow, make the promise concrete, and let the first real response decide whether it deserves more work. I would run it small enough to learn quickly, then only scale the parts that real users repeat, save, reply to, or buy from. For this tactic, I would watch one clear growth signal before putting more time or budget behind it.

## Action plan

1. Define one narrow startup segment where github issue template chooser with blank issues disabled can create a measurable lift.
2. Turn the tactic into one offer, page, campaign, or workflow for the GitHub and Support channel.
3. Use the evidence from docs.github.com to set the first version of the message, format, and audience.
4. Launch a small test for 7 to 14 days with one success metric: one measurable growth signal.
5. Review the result, keep the winning message, remove weak variants, and turn the learning into a repeatable growth playbook.

## Source-backed example

GitHub Docs says `blank_issues_enabled: false` removes the blank issue option for Read and Triage users while keeping a Maintainers only blank issue path for Write, Maintain, and Admin roles.

## Adjacent tactics in the same lane

- [GitHub issue template contact links to discussions and security](/growth-ideas/github-issue-template-contact-links-to-discussions-and-security/) - same source, 2 shared channels
- [GitHub Discussions category form before question submit](/growth-ideas/github-discussions-category-form-before-question-submit/) - 3 shared channels, 1 shared stage
- [GitHub contributing tab before first PR](/growth-ideas/github-contributing-tab-before-first-pr/) - 3 shared channels
- [GitHub saved replies for triage and duplicate routing](/growth-ideas/github-saved-replies-for-triage-and-duplicate-routing/) - 3 shared channels

## Read GrowthDex essays

Browse the plain-English essay index at [GrowthDex Blog](/blog/).

## Related GrowthDex essays

- [The issue intake should finish the sorting first](/blog/the-issue-intake-should-finish-the-sorting-first/) - community-led growth, support deflection, seo

## Advisory

If you want help turning this into a working growth system, Ian Goh offers advisory at https://iangoh.com/advisory.