How to Connect WordPress to Github Easily 2026

Log into wp-admin and take stock of what you're about to put under version control: active theme, installed plugins, and the general shape of the site under Appearance and Plugins in the left-hand menu. This is also the point to confirm you have admin access, since connecting to GitHub means installing a plugin, which needs the Plugins screen. You don't need SSH or SFTP credentials for the method in this guide; WP Pusher's documentation states it works without either, on any host where the standard WordPress theme and plugin installer works.

On github.com, create a new repository to hold your theme or plugin code, private if the code isn't meant to be public. Name it something recognizable months later, like the site's domain or client name, and add a short README describing what it deploys to.

You don't need to upload anything yet; an empty repository is enough to connect to in the next step. Decide now whether you're tracking a single theme folder, a plugin, or the whole wp-content directory, since that scope is harder to change once files are pushed.

Download WP Pusher from wppusher.com, then install it in WordPress the normal way, through Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin. WP Pusher is free for deploying from public repositories.

A paid license is required for private repositories, and separately for Push-to-Deploy (automatic deployment on every push), even on a public repo. If either applies to you, pick a plan before going further; there's no partial free tier for those two features.

A token isn't required to install from a public repository with no Push-to-Deploy. It is required for a private repository and for Push-to-Deploy on any repository.

From the GitHub section of WP Pusher's settings, click "Obtain a GitHub token" and WP Pusher will request one on your behalf with the access it needs; you can also generate your own token manually in GitHub and paste it in, scoped only to the repositories WP Pusher should reach. Either way, GitHub shows the token once, so copy it straight into WP Pusher's settings field instead of closing the tab and hunting for it again. Treat it like a password: it grants real access to your repositories.

Under WP Pusher > Install Plugin/Theme, enter the repository as username/repository-name, or use the "Pick from GitHub" button. Leave the branch field blank to install from master, or name a specific branch or tag; add a subdirectory path if the plugin or theme code doesn't sit at the repo root.

WP Pusher pulls the repository's current contents down as the initial install; after that, updates come from a fresh push, not a manual upload. Turn on Push-to-Deploy if you want a push to trigger an automatic live deploy, and confirm both your license and token cover it, since this is one of the two features the free tier doesn't include. Test it on a staging site before trusting it against production.

The most common snag is a permissions error: WP Pusher can't write to wp-content because the file owner on the server doesn't match the user PHP runs as, which your host's support can usually fix in one ticket. The second is a token that's expired, scoped too narrowly, or missing on an account that needs one, which shows up as an authentication failure when WP Pusher tries to reach the repo; regenerating the token in GitHub, or confirming your license is active if you're using Push-to-Deploy, resolves it. If files pull down but the site doesn't reflect the change, clear any caching plugin before assuming the deploy failed.