Registering a GitHub App using URL parameters
You can use URL query parameters to help other people quickly set up a new GitHub App with a specific configuration you have preselected.
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About URL parameters for registering GitHub Apps
You can use URL parameters to preselect the configuration settings of a new GitHub App registration and share a custom link with other people. The link will take people to a GitHub App registration page, where the app settings will be pre-filled according to the URL parameters you included in the URL.
This approach is useful for integrators who want customers to set up an app on their personal account or organization with certain specifications, or for customers using GitHub Enterprise Server who aren't able to install apps from the GitHub Marketplace.
Alternatively, you can create a GitHub App manifest. For more information, seeRegistering a GitHub App from a manifest.
Creating a custom configuration URL with query parameters
To create a custom configuration URL for a GitHub App on a personal or organization account, add query parameters after the following base URLs.
- To register an app on a personal account, add URL parameters to:
https://github.com/settings/apps/new - To register an app on an organization account, add URL parameters to:
https://github.com/organizations/ORGANIZATION/settings/apps/new. ReplaceORGANIZATIONwith the name of the organization where you'd like the customer to register the app.
On the app registration page, the person registering the app can edit the preselected values before submitting the app. If you do not include parameters for required values (likename) in the URL query string, the person registering the app will need to input a value before they can register the app.
For example, the following URL registers a new public app namedoctocat-github-app on a personal account. Using query parameters, the URL preconfigures a description and a callback URL. It also selects read and write permissions forchecks, activates webhooks using thewebhook_active parameter, subscribes to thecheck_run andcheck_suite webhook events, and selects the option to request user authorization (OAuth) during installation:
https://github.com/settings/apps/new?name=octocat-github-app&description=An%20Octocat%20App&callback_urls[]=https://example.com&request_oauth_on_install=true&public=true&checks=write&webhook_active=true&events[]=check_run&events[]=check_suiteGitHub App configuration parameters
You can use the following query parameters to select a specific configuration for the GitHub App registration. For example, to name the app "octocat-github-app", your query string would includename=octocat-github-app.
| Parameter name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | string | The name of the GitHub App. Give your app a clear and succinct name. Your app cannot have the same name as an existing GitHub user, unless it is your own user or organization name. A slugged version of your app's name will be shown in the user interface when your integration takes an action. |
description | string | A description of the GitHub App. |
url | string | The full URL of your GitHub App's website homepage. |
callback_urls | array of strings | A full URL to redirect to after someone authorizes an installation. You can provide up to 10 callback URLs. These URLs are used if your app needs to generate a user access token. For example,callback_urls[]=https://example.com&callback_urls[]=https://example-2.com. For more information, seeAbout the user authorization callback URL. |
request_oauth_on_install | boolean | If your app authorizes users using the OAuth flow, you can set this option totrue to allow people to authorize the app when they install it, saving a step. If you select this option, thesetup_url becomes unavailable and users will be redirected to yourcallback_url after installing the app. |
setup_url | string | The full URL to redirect to after someone installs the GitHub App if the app requires additional setup after installation. For more information, seeAbout the setup URL. |
setup_on_update | boolean | Set totrue to redirect people to the setup URL when installations have been updated, for example, after repositories are added or removed. |
public | boolean | Set totrue when your GitHub App is available to the public orfalse when it is only accessible to the owner of the app. This parameter does not apply to apps owned by enterprises. |
webhook_active | boolean | Set totrue to enable webhook. Webhook is disabled by default. |
webhook_url | string | The full URL that you would like to send webhook event payloads to. |
events | array of strings | Webhook events. Some webhook events requireread orwrite permissions for a resource before you can select the event when registering a new GitHub App. For more information, see theGitHub App webhook events section. You can select multiple events in a query string. For example,events[]=public&events[]=label. |
single_file_name | string | This is a narrowly-scoped permission that allows the app to access a single file in any repository. When you set thesingle_file permission toread orwrite, this field provides the path to the single file your GitHub App will manage. If you need to manage multiple files, seesingle_file_paths below. |
single_file_paths | array of strings | This allows the app to access up ten specified files in a repository. When you set thesingle_file permission toread orwrite, this array can store the paths for up to ten files that your GitHub App will manage. These files all receive the same permission set bysingle_file, and do not have separate individual permissions. When two or more files are configured, the API returnsmultiple_single_files=true, otherwise it returnsmultiple_single_files=false. |
GitHub App permissions
You can use query parameters to select the permissions for the GitHub App registration. For the URL query parameter, use the permission name as the query parameter name, and set the query value to one of the possible values for that permission set.
For example, to select "Read & write" permissions in the user interface forcontents, your query string would includecontents=write. To select "Read-only" permissions in the user interface forblocking, your query string would includeblocking=read. To select "No access" in the user interface forchecks, your query string would not include thechecks permission.
For more information about permissions and GitHub Apps, seeChoosing permissions for a GitHub App.
GitHub App webhook events
You can use query parameters to enable the GitHub App webhook, designate a webhook URL, and subscribe the app to receive webhook payloads for specific events.
To enable the GitHub App webhook, usewebhook_active=true in your query string. To designate a full URL that you would like to send webhook event payloads to, usewebhook_url in your query string. To subscribe the app to specific webhook payload events, useevents[] as the query parameter name, and set the query value to the name of the webhook event. For more information about the possible webhook events and the GitHub App permissions required to subscribe to each event, seeWebhook events and payloads.
For example, to subscribe a GitHub App to receive webhook payloads for activity relating to commit comments, the query string would include&webhook_active=true&webhook_url=https://example.com&events[]=commit_comment. Note that thecommit_comment webhook event requires the GitHub App to have at least read-level access for the "Contents" repository permission. So your query string should also include a parameter to set thecontents permission toread orwrite. For more information, seeGitHub app permissions.
You cannot use query parameters to set the value of a webhook secret. If an app requires a secret to secure its webhook, the value of the secret must be set in the GitHub UI by the person registering the app.
For more information about webhooks and GitHub Apps, seeUsing webhooks with GitHub Apps.