ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md

ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md is a convention file placed in a GitHub (or GitLab) repository that pre-populates the body of every new issue with a structured prompt, so contributors supply the information maintainers actually need. Rather than a free-form text box, a reporter is handed sections to fill out — steps to reproduce, expected behavior, environment, and more. It is a small governance artifact that shapes the quality of inbound bug reports and feature requests.

• Repository Convention - Lives at the repo root or under .github/, where the platform automatically applies it to new issues.
• Structured Prompts - Predefined headings and checklists steer contributors toward complete, actionable reports.
• Multiple Templates - Providers can ship separate templates for bugs, features, and questions via an issue-template directory or form config.
• Low-Cost Signal - Its presence is a quick indicator that a project takes contributor experience and triage seriously.

For an API provider running its developer program on GitHub, ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md is where support and community management meet the repository. A well-designed template turns a noisy issue tracker into a usable feedback channel, capturing the version, spec, and reproduction details a team needs to route and resolve problems quickly. I read it as one of the many small repository signals — alongside a README, CONTRIBUTING, and a changelog — that separate a maintained, integration-ready API from an abandoned one.