Easy Tech TutsHow to Connect GitHub to Claude AI | Full Setup Guide | Easily 2026
By Impran M NLast checked against official docs
Linking GitHub to Claude brings your repositories into a conversation instead of pasting files back and forth. The connection starts from the same + button used to attach anything else to a chat, not a separate settings page, and it only ever pulls file names, file contents and branch content; never commit history, pull requests, issues or other repository metadata. This guide walks through starting the connection from a chat and from a project, what the GitHub authorization screen grants, and how to keep the content current or revoke access later.
Before you start
- A GitHub account with at least one repository you can access
- A Claude.ai account — the GitHub integration is available on every plan, including Free
01Check your GitHub dashboard is ready
Before starting the connection, sign in to the GitHub account you want Claude working against. The dashboard's left sidebar lists your top repositories, a quick way to confirm you're in the right account if you manage more than one.
You don't need to change anything here. If you work across a personal account and an organization account, decide up front which one you're connecting; switching later means repeating the authorization from GitHub's side.
02Start the connection from the + button
In Claude, open a chat and click the + button in the lower-left corner of the message box, then choose Add from GitHub. Inside a project instead, click the + button in the project knowledge section and choose GitHub from the dropdown.
Either way, that's the whole starting point. There's no separate Connectors page to visit first for a basic connection.
03Authorize Claude to access your GitHub account
If you aren't already authenticated with GitHub, clicking Add from GitHub redirects you to a GitHub authorization screen headed "Claude by Anthropic wants access to your GitHub account." Read the permission list before continuing; it covers verifying your identity, knowing which resources you can access, and acting on your behalf. Click Authorize and you land back in Claude automatically, inside the file browser.
04Browse and select repositories
Search for the repository you want or paste its URL, then use the file browser to pick specific files and folders instead of handing over an entire codebase at once. If a warning appears after you enter a valid private repository URL, follow the link to the GitHub App: grant access yourself, choosing between all repositories or specific ones, or request access, which emails an organization administrator so you can sync once they approve it.
05Know what Claude can and can't see
The integration syncs a snapshot of the branch you selected. Everything else about a repository's history stays out of reach unless you paste it in yourself.
06Keep content current, or revoke access later
Once a repository is attached, use the Sync icon to pull its latest commits on that branch, and the Configure files icon to change which files and folders are included. To remove the connection entirely, open Settings, then Customize, then Connectors, where GitHub is listed among your connected integrations.
Removing it there, or revoking access from GitHub's own Settings under Applications, both work. Do either one after you've changed which repositories an AI tool should see.
| Retrieved | Not retrieved |
|---|---|
| File names | Commit history |
| File contents | Pull requests |
| Branch content | Issues |
| Repository metadata |
From Claude's official GitHub integration documentation.
When it doesn't work
A private repository URL comes back with a warning
Why: Claude doesn't have access yet, the expected behavior for private repositories until you grant it.
Fix: Follow the link to the GitHub App to grant access yourself, or request it. An organization administrator gets an email and approves it from their side.
Claude's answers reference outdated code
Why: The integration only reflects branch content from when it was added or last synced, not live commits.
Fix: Click Sync on the attached repository before asking anything that depends on recent changes.
Claude can't answer questions about a pull request or issue
Why: The GitHub integration retrieves file names, file contents and branch content only. Pull requests, issues, commit history and repository metadata aren't pulled in.
Fix: Paste the relevant PR description, issue text or commit message into the chat directly.
Frequently asked questions
What can I do once GitHub is connected to Claude?
Claude can read the files and folders you've selected: summarizing code, drafting a pull request description grounded in the real diff, or answering questions about the repository. It can't see commit history, existing pull requests, issues or other metadata unless you paste that in.
Where do I start the connection?
Click the + button in a chat's message box and choose Add from GitHub, or the + button in a project's knowledge section and choose GitHub. There's no separate settings page to visit first.
What access does the GitHub authorization screen grant?
It's GitHub's own screen, headed "Claude by Anthropic wants access to your GitHub account." It covers verifying your identity, knowing which resources you can access, and acting on your behalf. Review that list before clicking Authorize.
Why does Claude say my repository is out of date?
The integration doesn't refresh automatically. Click the Sync icon on the attached repository to pull its latest branch content.
How do I disconnect GitHub later?
Remove it from Settings, Customize, Connectors in Claude, or revoke it from GitHub's own Settings under Applications. Either side works.
Sources and last check
Click path and screens come from a walkthrough recorded in July 2025. The connection's starting point and what content the integration retrieves were re-checked against Claude's official documentation and Help Center article in September 2026. That check corrected the article's claim that the connection starts from a Settings, Connectors page; it now starts from the + button in a chat or project instead.
About the author
Impran M N
I've been hooked on technology for as long as I can remember — especially the new tools and AI apps that seem to land every other week. Easy Tech Tuts is where I write up whatever I've just worked out: I do the task in the real product, record the screen, and turn it into the guide I wish I'd found first.
