OpenClaw + GitHub

Prerequisites

• OpenClaw running (see our deployment guide)
• A GitHub account (personal or organization)
• Admin access to repositories you want to connect

Step 1: Create a GitHub App

1. Go to GitHub → Settings → Developer settings → GitHub Apps
2. Click New GitHub App
3. Fill in the details:
- GitHub App name: "OpenClaw Bot" (or your preferred name) - Homepage URL: Your OpenClaw instance URL or https://openclaw.ai - Webhook: Uncheck "Active" (not needed for basic integration)
4. Set permissions:
- Repository permissions: - Issues: Read and write - Pull requests: Read and write - Contents: Read only
5. Click Create GitHub App

Step 2: Generate a Private Key

1. In your new GitHub App settings, scroll to Private keys
2. Click Generate a private key
3. Save the .pem file securely — you'll need it for configuration

Step 3: Install the App

1. In your GitHub App settings, click Install App
2. Select your account or organization
3. Choose repositories (all or select specific ones)
4. Click Install

Note the Installation ID from the URL (e.g., github.com/settings/installations/12345678 → ID is 12345678)

Configuration

Add the GitHub channel to your OpenClaw config:

# In your openclaw config
channels:
  github:
    enabled: true
    app_id: "YOUR_GITHUB_APP_ID"
    private_key_path: "/path/to/private-key.pem"
    installation_id: "YOUR_INSTALLATION_ID"

Or via environment variables in your docker-compose.yml:

environment:
  - GITHUB_ENABLED=true
  - GITHUB_APP_ID=YOUR_GITHUB_APP_ID
  - GITHUB_PRIVATE_KEY=-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
YOUR_KEY_HERE
-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
  - GITHUB_INSTALLATION_ID=YOUR_INSTALLATION_ID

Step 4: Restart OpenClaw

docker compose restart openclaw

Verification

Try asking OpenClaw to list your repositories or create an issue:

"List my GitHub repositories"
"Create an issue in owner/repo titled 'Test issue'"

Check logs for API calls:

docker compose logs -f openclaw | grep -i github

Common Issues

Authentication failed: Verify your App ID, Installation ID, and private key are correct. The private key must include the -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY----- headers.

Permission denied: Ensure your GitHub App has the required repository permissions. Go to your app settings → Permissions → adjust as needed.

Rate limits: GitHub API has rate limits (5000 requests/hour for authenticated requests). OpenClaw caches responses to stay within limits.

Organization apps: For organization repositories, the app must be installed on the organization, not your personal account.