issue / discussion template update

.github/DISCUSSION_TEMPLATE.md

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# Nuclei Discussion Guidelines
+
+## Before Creating a Discussion
+
+1. **Search existing discussions and issues** to avoid duplicates
+2. **Check the documentation** and README first
+3. **Browse the FAQ** and common questions
+
+## Bug Reports in Discussions
+
+When reporting a bug in [Q&A Discussions](https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/discussions/categories/q-a), please include:
+
+### Required Information:
+- **Clear title** with `[BUG]` prefix (e.g., "[BUG] Nuclei crashes when...")
+- **Current behavior** - What's happening now?
+- **Expected behavior** - What should happen instead?
+- **Steps to reproduce** - Commands or actions that trigger the issue
+- **Environment details**:
+  - OS and version
+  - Nuclei version (`nuclei -version`)
+  - Go version (if installed via `go install`)
+- **Log output** - Run with `-verbose` or `-debug` for detailed logs
+- **Redact sensitive information** - Remove target URLs, credentials, etc.
+
+### After Discussion:
+- Maintainers will review and validate the bug report
+- Valid bugs will be converted to issues with proper labels and tracking
+- Questions and misconfigurations will be resolved in the discussion
+
+## Feature Requests in Discussions
+
+When requesting a feature in [Ideas Discussions](https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/discussions/categories/ideas), please include:
+
+### Required Information:
+- **Clear title** with `[FEATURE]` prefix (e.g., "[FEATURE] Add support for...")
+- **Feature description** - What do you want to be added?
+- **Use case** - Why is this feature needed? What problem does it solve?
+- **Implementation ideas** - If you have suggestions on how it could work
+- **Alternatives considered** - What other solutions have you thought about?
+
+### After Discussion:
+- Community and maintainers will discuss the feasibility
+- Popular and viable features will be converted to issues
+- Similar features may be grouped together
+- Rejected features will be explained in the discussion
+
+## Getting Help
+
+For general questions, troubleshooting, and "how-to" topics:
+- Use [Q&A Discussions](https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/discussions/categories/q-a)
+- Join the [Discord server](https://discord.gg/projectdiscovery) #nuclei channel
+- Check existing discussions for similar questions
+
+## Discussion to Issue Conversion Process
+
+Only maintainers can convert discussions to issues. The process:
+
+1. **Validation** - Maintainers review the discussion for completeness and validity
+2. **Classification** - Determine if it's a bug, feature, enhancement, etc.
+3. **Issue creation** - Create a properly formatted issue with appropriate labels
+4. **Linking** - Link the issue back to the original discussion
+5. **Resolution** - Mark the discussion as resolved or close it
+
+This process ensures:
+- High-quality issues that are actionable
+- Proper triage and labeling
+- Reduced noise in the issue tracker
+- Community involvement in the validation process
+
+## Why This Process?
+
+- **Better organization** - Issues contain only validated, actionable items
+- **Community input** - Discussions allow for community feedback before escalation
+- **Quality control** - Maintainers ensure proper formatting and information
+- **Reduced maintenance** - Fewer invalid or duplicate issues to manage
+- **Clear separation** - Questions vs. actual bugs/features are clearly distinguished

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml

@@ -2,14 +2,22 @@ blank_issues_enabled: false
 
 contact_links:
 
-  - name: Ask an question / advise on using nuclei
+  - name: 🐛 Report a Bug (Start with Discussion)
     url: https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/discussions/categories/q-a
-    about: Ask a question or request support for using nuclei
+    about: Start by reporting your issue in discussions for proper triage. Issues will be created after review to avoid duplicate/invalid reports.
 
-  - name: Share idea / feature to discuss for nuclei
+  - name: 💡 Request a Feature (Start with Discussion)
     url: https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/discussions/categories/ideas
-    about: Share idea / feature to discuss for nuclei
+    about: Share your feature idea in discussions first. This helps validate and refine the request before creating an issue.
 
-  - name: Connect with PD Team (Discord)
+  - name: ❓ Ask Questions / Get Help
+    url: https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/discussions/categories/q-a
+    about: Get help and ask questions about using Nuclei. Many questions don't require issues.
+
+  - name: 🔍 Browse Existing Issues
+    url: https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/issues
+    about: Check existing issues to see if your problem has already been reported or is being worked on.
+
+  - name: 💬 Connect with PD Team (Discord)
     url: https://discord.gg/projectdiscovery
-    about: Connect with PD Team for direct communication
+    about: Join our Discord for real-time discussions and community support on the #nuclei channel.

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/reference-templates/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# Issue Template References
+
+## Overview
+
+This folder contains the preserved issue templates that are **not** directly accessible to users. These templates serve as references for maintainers when converting discussions to issues.
+
+## New Workflow
+
+### For Users:
+1. **All reports start in Discussions** - Users cannot create issues directly
+2. Bug reports go to [Q&A Discussions](https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/discussions/categories/q-a)
+3. Feature requests go to [Ideas Discussions](https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/discussions/categories/ideas)
+4. This helps filter out duplicate questions, invalid reports, and ensures proper triage
+
+### For Maintainers:
+1. **Review discussions** in both Q&A and Ideas categories
+2. **Validate the reports** - ensure they're actual bugs/valid feature requests
+3. **Use reference templates** when converting discussions to issues:
+   - Copy content from `bug-report-reference.yml` or `feature-request-reference.yml`
+   - Create a new issue manually with the appropriate template structure
+   - Link back to the original discussion
+   - Close the discussion or mark it as resolved
+
+## Benefits
+
+- **Better triage**: Avoid cluttering issues with questions and invalid reports
+- **Community involvement**: Discussions allow for community input before creating issues
+- **Quality control**: Maintainers can ensure issues follow proper format and contain necessary information
+- **Reduced noise**: Only validated, actionable items become issues
+
+## Reference Templates
+
+- `bug-report-reference.yml` - Use when converting bug reports from discussions to issues
+- `feature-request-reference.yml` - Use when converting feature requests from discussions to issues
+
+## Converting a Discussion to Issue
+
+1. Identify a valid discussion that needs to become an issue
+2. Go to the main repository's Issues tab
+3. Click "New Issue"
+4. Manually create the issue using the reference template structure
+5. Include all relevant information from the discussion
+6. Add a comment linking back to the original discussion
+7. Apply appropriate labels
+8. Close or mark the discussion as resolved with a link to the created issue