openclaw/docs/plugins/github.md

---
summary: "Read public GitHub issues, pull requests, commits, and comments beside chat"
title: "GitHub"
doc-schema-version: 1
read_when:
  - You want GitHub links to open beside your conversation
  - You need to enable or disable GitHub link previews and the reader
---

# GitHub

The bundled GitHub plugin adds public-repository link previews and a read-only
reader to the [Control UI](/web/control-ui). It is separate from the
[GitHub Copilot model provider](/providers/github-copilot).

## Upgrading with an existing plugin allowlist

GitHub previews that previously lived in core now belong to the bundled
`github` plugin. A nonempty `plugins.allow` list remains authoritative: if it
omits `github`, both hovercards and the reader stay unavailable, and links open
externally. OpenClaw does **not** add a plugin to an existing allowlist during
an upgrade or Doctor repair.

To restore previews, append `github` to your **existing** `plugins.allow` list
without removing its other entries, then enable GitHub in **Plugins**. Keep
`plugins.deny` and explicit disabled entries consistent with your choice. Doctor
explains this recovery when an implicit allowlist exclusion blocks the feature.
To intentionally keep it off and silence that notice, set
`plugins.entries.github.enabled: false`.

## Read an item beside chat

The plugin is enabled by default. Connect to the Gateway, then click a public
GitHub issue, pull request, or commit link in chat. The reader opens beside the
conversation with a GitHub icon and an **Open on GitHub** link. Hover or focus
an issue or pull request link to see its preview. Login, OAuth, profile,
repository, and other general GitHub pages remain ordinary links: neither
native item previews nor the generic page-preview fallback fetches them.
A PR or issue URL inside a login redirect query does not make the login link
previewable.

Each reader tab has its own Back and Forward history. Opening the same URL
selects its existing tab. Links inside the reader navigate the current tab;
the **+** button starts another tab. Up to ten tabs stay in memory. Closing the
page discards the documents and history. The reader follows the session panel’s
responsive layout; on a phone it can sit below chat or expand with the panel.

The reader includes descriptions, discussion comments, published inline PR
review comments with file and diff context, commit comments, and expandable
file diffs. The header separates the item state, author, change counts, and PR
branches. **Overview**, **Checks**, **Files**, and **Discussion** shortcuts jump
to the relevant section without leaving the reader.

Pull requests show check runs and commit statuses for the exact head commit.
Expand the checks summary to inspect individual results and open their source
logs. Failed checks expand by default. Pending, failed, passed, skipped, empty,
and unavailable results remain distinct; a partial response never implies that
all checks passed. These results describe CI, not approval or merge readiness.
Use **Refresh** to fetch the current PR and its checks again.

HTML comments in descriptions and replies stay hidden, matching
GitHub; literal comment examples inside code remain visible.
Markdown images and standalone HTML image attachments can display inline. The
GitHub plugin fetches public user attachments anonymously through the Gateway,
including GitHub's attachment redirects, so they do not need browser CORS headers.
Requests send no GitHub credentials, cookies, or referrer. PNG, JPEG, GIF, and WebP
attachments up to 2 MiB are supported by the resolver. If resolution fails, the
reader preserves the original anonymous-CORS image path; images that still
cannot load retain a full-size external link. Each loaded document bounds concurrent requests and
cached image data; closing its tab or replacing the document retires that cache.
Script and connection policies are unchanged; remote content cannot run scripts
or app widgets.

## Enable or disable the plugin

Open **Plugins** in the Control UI to manage the GitHub plugin. The corresponding
configuration is:

```json5
{
  plugins: {
    entries: {
      github: { enabled: false },
    },
  },
}
```

Apply the configuration through the normal Gateway configuration flow. Capability
updates remove disabled readers without requiring a browser reconnect. When disabled, the plugin contributes no reader or
hovercard, and GitHub links open externally.

## Limits and unavailable content

- The reader is public-only and read-only. Use **Open on GitHub** for private
  repositories, posting comments, or merging pull requests.
- Previews and reader documents use the selected agent’s managed GitHub identity,
  or the configured Control UI GitHub token and Gateway environment fallback when
  no managed identity is selected. Without credentials they use GitHub’s shared
  anonymous IP quota. Authenticated documents remain public-only: the reader checks
  repository visibility and identity before returning fresh or cached content.
  Identity changes abort stale requests. Attachment images remain anonymous.
- Each comment collection is limited to 20 entries; PR discussion and inline
  review comments have separate limits. Up to 30 changed files are shown.
- PR checks use at most one page each of check runs and commit statuses and show
  up to 100 results. Incomplete or unavailable checks retain a link to GitHub.
- Long text and patches are bounded. Incomplete content is labeled rather than
  presented as a complete conversation or diff.
- **Refresh** requests the current item again. Rate limits, deleted items, and
  unavailable services show their specific explanation in the reader and hovercards,
  including GitHub's retry delay when available. Cached preview details stay visible
  with the failure notice. Use the reader's **Retry** action or **Open on GitHub**;
  the server's API quota is separate from your signed-in browser session.

## Plugin author integration

GitHub uses the generic docked link-reader contribution in the
[Plugin SDK](/plugins/sdk-overview/host-hooks#docked-link-readers). The plugin owns URL matching, GitHub API
requests, caching, and mapping source data into the passive reader model. The
Control UI owns tabs, layout, safe rendering, and keyboard interaction.