# GitHub setup for PopMCP You paste one value into PopMCP: a GitHub personal access token, either a classic token starting with ghp_ (the link on the connect form pre-ticks its scopes) or a fine-grained token starting with github_pat_. - Auth: API credentials - Setup time: 3 min - API base URL: https://api.github.com - Credentials screen: https://github.com/settings/tokens - Provider docs: https://github.com/settings/tokens/new?description=PopMCP&scopes=repo,workflow,project,gist,read:org,notifications,read:user,user:email ## Before you begin - A GitHub account with a verified email address, since GitHub asks for one before it issues a token - Access to the repositories and organizations you want the MCP to reach. A token can never see more than your own account can - For organizations that use SAML single sign-on, an active SSO session so you can authorize a classic token for that organization - A decision on classic or fine-grained: classic reaches every repository you can open, fine-grained reaches one owner and the repositories you pick ## Get your credentials ### 1. Open GitHub's token page from the PopMCP form Sign in to GitHub, then click the link under Personal access token on the PopMCP connect form. It opens New personal access token (classic) with the note `PopMCP` and the recommended scopes already ticked. To get there by hand: your profile picture, Settings, Developer settings, Personal access tokens, Tokens (classic), then Generate new token and Generate new token (classic). Screen: https://github.com/settings/tokens/new?description=PopMCP&scopes=repo,workflow,project,gist,read:org,notifications,read:user,user:email ### 2. Choose an expiry and generate the token Under Expiration, pick how long the token should last, or Custom for a date. When it expires the connection stops working and you paste a new token, so choose a period you are comfortable renewing. Leave the ticked scopes as they are and click Generate token at the bottom of the page. Screen: https://github.com/settings/tokens/new?description=PopMCP&scopes=repo,workflow,project,gist,read:org,notifications,read:user,user:email ### 3. Copy the token while it is on screen GitHub shows the new token once, at the top of Tokens (classic). Click the copy icon next to it. The value starts with `ghp_`. Screen: https://github.com/settings/tokens ### 4. Or create a fine-grained token for chosen repositories If you want the MCP limited to particular repositories, open Fine-grained tokens and click Generate new token instead. Enter a Token name, pick the Resource owner (you or one organization) and an Expiration, set Repository access to Only select repositories and pick them. Under Permissions, give Read and write to the repository permissions the tools need, such as Contents, Issues, Pull requests, Actions and Workflows, then click Generate token and copy the `github_pat_` value. Screen: https://github.com/settings/personal-access-tokens/new ### 5. Authorize a classic token for SAML single sign-on, if your organization uses it Back on Tokens (classic), click Configure SSO next to the token and click Authorize beside each organization the MCP should reach. Skip this for personal repositories and for fine-grained tokens, which are authorized when you create them. Screen: https://github.com/settings/tokens ### 6. Paste the token into PopMCP In PopMCP, paste the token into Personal access token and connect. PopMCP checks it against GitHub straight away and labels the connection with your GitHub login. ## Fields PopMCP asks for - Personal access token (personalAccessToken) [required]: Open the link below: it takes you to GitHub's token page with the right permissions already ticked. Press Generate token, copy it and paste it here. Fine-grained tokens (github_pat_) work too if you want to limit access to chosen repositories. Stored encrypted. ## Verify PopMCP marks the GitHub connection Verified and labels it with your login, such as @octo-dana. Asking the AI to list your repositories, or the open pull requests in one of them, returns real results. ## Troubleshooting ### "GitHub rejected this token. It may be mistyped, expired or revoked." Cause: The token was copied incompletely, has passed its expiry date, or was deleted on GitHub. Fix: Generate a new token from the link on the PopMCP form and paste the whole value, with no `Bearer` prefix or quotes. ### "That does not look like a GitHub token." Cause: Something other than a personal access token was pasted, such as an OAuth app's client secret, an SSH key or a GitLab token. Fix: Paste a classic token (`ghp_`) or a fine-grained token (`github_pat_`) from **Developer settings**, **Personal access tokens**. ### Your organization's repositories return 403 or 404 while personal ones work Cause: The organization enforces SAML single sign-on and the classic token is not authorized for it, or the organization blocks classic tokens. GitHub answers 404 for anything a token cannot see. Fix: On **Tokens (classic)**, click **Configure SSO** and **Authorize** the organization. If the organization blocks classic tokens, create a fine-grained token with that organization as **Resource owner**. ### A fine-grained token only reads public data in an organization Cause: The organization requires approval for fine-grained tokens, and the token is still pending. Fix: Ask an organization owner to approve the request under the organization's personal access token settings. Until then the token can only read public resources. ### Check runs, packages or your personal projects fail with a fine-grained token Cause: GitHub does not let fine-grained tokens call the Checks API, read Packages or reach user-owned Projects. Fix: Connect a classic token instead if you need checks_list_for_ref, the packages_ tools or projects owned by your user account. ### Editing a file under .github/workflows is refused Cause: The token lacks the workflow scope (classic) or the Workflows permission (fine-grained). Fix: Create a new token with workflow ticked, or add the Workflows permission to the fine-grained token, and reconnect. ### "GitHub is rate limiting this token right now." Cause: The token used up its 5,000 requests for the hour, or hit a secondary limit such as too many writes in a minute. Fix: Wait for the hourly window to reset (GitHub reports it in the `x-ratelimit-reset` header), then ask for fewer or smaller pages. --- Source: https://www.docs.popmcp.com/docs/integrations/github/