Nudge stale open issues on a daily schedule
Once a day, GitHub is searched for open issues last updated before a cutoff date, and an Iterator posts a comment on each one asking whether the issue is still relevant.
Schedule
GitHub
Iterator4 steps Setup ~8 min Used on 1.4k sites Developer & DevOps Free to import
What this workflow does
Backlogs fill up with issues nobody has touched in months. Some are fixed, some no longer matter, and some still need work, but you can't tell which without asking. Going through them by hand is slow. This workflow asks the question for you, in a comment on each quiet issue.
A Schedule trigger runs it every day. The first GitHub step runs Search Issues and Pull Requests with the query repo:acme/app is:issue is:open updated:<2026-06-01, which finds open issues in that repository with no activity since 1 June 2026. The Iterator then loops through the results one at a time.
For each issue, GitHub's Create Comment on Issue posts a message saying the issue has been quiet for a while, asking if it is still relevant, and saying it will be closed if there is no update within a week. The workflow itself does not close anything, so you close issues yourself or add a step for it. GitHub treats a new comment as activity, so a nudged issue drops out of this search on the next run. Replace acme/app with your repository in both GitHub steps.
Clearing an open-source backlog
A maintainer with hundreds of old issues lets the workflow ask each reporter if the problem still happens, then closes the ones nobody answers.
Product teams before planning
Ahead of a planning cycle, quiet issues in the app repository get a comment, so owners confirm which ones should stay on the list.
Agency repositories for finished projects
Old client repositories with leftover open issues get a nudge, so the client can say what still needs attention.
How this workflow runs
What happens at each step once the workflow is on, and what you need before you import it.
Schedule Every DayStarts a run once every day. Each run repeats the search, so any issue matching the query on that day is picked up.
- GitHub Search Issues and Pull Requests
Searches GitHub for open issues in acme/app last updated before 2026-06-01. Change the repository and the date in the query to suit your project.
- Iterator Loop Through Array
Loops through the issues the search returned, one at a time, reading the search's items list. The comment step after it runs once for each issue.
- GitHub Create Comment on Issue
Posts a comment on each issue asking whether it is still relevant and warning that it will be closed without an update in the next week. Set the repository to match the search.
What you need
- FlowMatticCore
- GitHub AccountAccount
After importing, map your own data. To keep the template universal, not every step is pre-filled. Open each step in the builder and connect your accounts and fields (channels, lists, sheets, recipients) before you switch the workflow on.
Make it yours
Changes worth making after you import it.
- The cutoff date in the query is fixed, so issues that go quiet after it are never found. Add a Date/Time Formatter step before the search to work out the date 60 days ago and map it into the query.
- Tune the query to skip issues you want left alone, for example by adding -label:pinned so issues with that label are never nudged.
- Edit the comment text to match your team's policy. If you don't plan to close issues after a week, remove that warning so the comment doesn't promise it.
Questions about this workflow
Will the same GitHub issue be nudged every day?
Usually not. The comment counts as new activity, so the issue's last-updated date moves past the cutoff and the next day's search leaves it out. Check the first few runs in Task History to confirm.
Does the workflow close stale issues after a week?
No. It only posts the comment. Closing is up to you, or you can build a separate workflow that does it.
Does it include pull requests?
No. The query includes is:issue, so pull requests are left out. Remove that part or change it to is:pr if you want pull requests nudged too.
Can I watch more than one repository?
Yes. Duplicate the search, Iterator and comment steps for each extra repository, and set that repository in both its query and its comment step.
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