Request for a native CircleCI feature that automatically posts comments on GitHub Pull Requests when CI tests fail, eliminating the need for manual scripting and improving developer workflow.

Problem Statement

Currently, when tests fail in CircleCI jobs, developers must navigate between GitHub and CircleCI platforms to understand failure details. This context switching creates friction in the development feedback loop and delays issue resolution.

Current Pain Points:

Test failures are only visible in CircleCI job output

No direct connection between PR discussion and test results

Manual implementation requires complex scripting with GitHub API

Additional maintenance overhead for custom solutions

Error handling complexity for API integrations

Proposed Solution

A first-party CircleCI integration that automatically detects test failures and posts contextual comments directly on associated GitHub Pull Requests.

Core Requirements

Failure Detection

Monitor specific jobs for test failure status

Support multiple test frameworks and output formats

Configurable failure thresholds and criteria

Comment Management

Automatically post new comments on test failures

Update existing comments for subsequent runs

Option to delete/resolve comments when tests pass

Configurable Content

Test names and failure summaries

Links to full CircleCI logs

Custom message templates

Severity indicators and categorization

Authentication & Security

Seamless integration with GitHub API authentication

Support for project-level GitHub tokens

Respect repository permissions and access controls

Implementation Options

Option 1: Native CircleCI Feature

Built-in configuration option in .circleci/config.yml:

yamljobs:

test:

github_pr_comments:

enabled: true

on_failure: true

template: "custom"

include_logs: true

Option 2: Official CircleCI Orb

Reusable orb with standardized commands:

yamlorbs:

github-pr: circleci/github-pr@1.0.0

jobs:

test:

steps:

- run: npm test

- github-pr/comment-on-failure:

template: test-failure

Benefits

Developer Experience

Centralized feedback within PR discussions

Reduced context switching between platforms

Faster identification and resolution of issues

Improved visibility for code reviewers

Team Productivity

Streamlined CI/CD workflow

Reduced manual maintenance overhead

Consistent failure reporting across projects

Better integration with existing GitHub workflows

Technical Advantages

First-party support with guaranteed reliability

Optimized authentication and API usage

Built-in error handling and retry logic

Consistent with CircleCI's existing GitHub integration

Use Cases

Primary Use Case

Development teams using GitHub PRs with CircleCI want immediate visibility of test failures without leaving the GitHub interface.

Secondary Use Cases

Code review processes requiring test status context

Teams with junior developers who need guided failure information

Organizations with compliance requirements for documented test results

Projects with multiple test suites requiring consolidated reporting

Success Metrics

Reduced time from test failure to developer acknowledgment

Decreased CircleCI dashboard visits during PR review

Improved test failure resolution times

Higher adoption of comprehensive testing practices

Implementation Priority

High Priority - This addresses a common workflow friction point that affects daily developer productivity across many CircleCI users.

Alternative Workarounds

While custom scripting solutions exist using GitHub API and CircleCI environment variables, they require:

Significant setup and maintenance overhead

Custom error handling and retry logic

Security token management

Framework-specific test output parsing

A native solution would eliminate these complexities while providing a more reliable and maintainable approach.