OpenClaw Agent Hub

OpenClaw GitHub Guide

A practical platform guide for using OpenClaw with GitHub issues, repositories, and engineering support workflows.
Mar 12, 2026

OpenClaw GitHub Guide

GitHub is one of the highest-leverage OpenClaw connections because it connects the assistant to real engineering work. This page shows you how to set it up and what to do with it.

Before you start

Make sure your basic setup is working:

You should also have a channel connected (Discord or Telegram) so the assistant can deliver outputs somewhere visible.

Step 1: create a GitHub personal access token

  1. Go to GitHub → Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens
  2. Generate a new token (classic) with these scopes:
    • repo (if you need access to private repos)
    • public_repo (if only public repos)
    • read:org (if you need org-level visibility)
  3. Copy the token

For read-only workflows (recommended first), you only need read access. Do not grant write permissions until the read workflow is useful.

Step 2: add GitHub config to OpenClaw

Add the GitHub configuration to your workspace config:

{
  "integrations": {
    "github": {
      "token": "your-github-token",
      "repos": [
        "owner/repo-name"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Start with one repository. Do not add your entire GitHub account on the first setup.

Step 3: choose your first GitHub workflow

Pick one workflow to start with:

Option A: daily issue digest

Every morning, the assistant summarizes new issues from your repos and sends the summary to your channel. Good for maintainers who want to stay informed without watching GitHub all day.

Option B: issue triage helper

When a new issue is created, the assistant reads it, identifies missing context, and drafts a clarifying response. Good for projects with high issue volume.

Option C: repo health check

On a schedule, the assistant checks for stale PRs, untagged issues, or missing labels and reports the findings. Good for keeping repos organized.

Do not run all three on day one. Pick one and validate it.

Step 4: test and validate

After configuring:

  1. Restart Gateway
  2. Trigger the workflow (or wait for the schedule)
  3. Check that the assistant reads the GitHub data correctly
  4. Check that the output appears in your delivery channel

Common issues:

  • 401 errors: token is invalid or expired
  • empty results: repo name is wrong or the token lacks access
  • no output: delivery channel is not configured

Good first workflows

Start with something low risk and review-friendly:

  • summarize new issues every morning
  • flag items waiting on maintainers
  • group issues by likely theme
  • create a short weekly repo digest

What to avoid first

  • auto-closing issues
  • auto-commenting everywhere
  • making write actions the default before the read workflow is useful

The first GitHub workflow should improve visibility before it automates action.