---
url: >-
  https://developer-portal.gainsight.com/docs/custom-widgets/v2/connect-github.md
description: >-
  Connect your GitHub account or organization to enable widget, script, and
  stylesheet repository management
---

# Connect Your GitHub Account

Connect your GitHub account or organization so the platform can access your repositories and publish widgets, scripts, and stylesheets.

## Prerequisites

* A GitHub account with access to the organization you want to connect
* Access to your Sources settings in the platform

## Step 1: Start the Connection

Go to **Integrations** → **Developer Studio** → **Sources**.

![Screenshot placeholder: Sources settings page](../screenshots/widget-sources-page.png)

1. Locate the  button
2. Click to begin the connection process
3. You'll be redirected to GitHub

## Step 2: Authorize with GitHub

GitHub will ask you to authorize the application.

![Screenshot placeholder: GitHub OAuth authorization page](../screenshots/github-sign-in.png)

1. Review the permissions requested
2. Click **Authorize** to grant access
3. You'll be redirected back to select your installation

> **Note**: The application only requests read access to repository contents and metadata. It cannot modify your code.

> **Note**: The connection session expires after approximately 30 minutes. If you step away during the process, you may need to start over by clicking  again.

## Step 3: Select Your Installation

After authorization, you'll see the **Manage GitHub accounts** page.

![Screenshot placeholder: Manage GitHub accounts page](../screenshots/manage-github-accounts.png)

**What you'll see:**

* **Connected** — GitHub accounts already linked to your community, each with a checkmark. You can disconnect an account using the **Disconnect** button; this only removes the link for your community and does not uninstall the app from GitHub.
* **Available to connect** — Installations you can link. Select one and click **Connect Selected**.
* Option to **Install on New Account** at the bottom

**To connect an existing installation:**

1. Under "Available to connect", select the installation
2. Click **Connect Selected**
3. The connection completes automatically

**To install on a new account:**

1. Click "Install on New Account"
2. Follow GitHub's installation wizard
3. Select which repositories to grant access to

:::info Repository access scope
During installation, GitHub asks you to grant access to specific repositories or all repositories in the organization. The platform only reads from repositories you explicitly **Enable** in your [Repository & Branch Settings](repository-settings) — it does not process or use any other repositories you grant access to. However, it is your responsibility to grant access only to the repositories you intend to use. You can adjust repository access at any time from your GitHub organization's **Settings > GitHub Apps** page.
:::

> **Note**: If your organization requires admin approval, see [Admin Approval](admin-approval) for details.

## Step 4: Confirm Connection

After selecting your installation, you'll see a success confirmation.

![Screenshot placeholder: Success confirmation page](../screenshots/connection-success.png)

**Confirmation indicates:**

* Your GitHub organization is now connected
* Repositories are ready to configure
* You can begin setting up widget, script, and stylesheet publishing

## Disconnecting an account

To remove a GitHub account from your community (without uninstalling the app from GitHub):

1. In Sources settings, click 
2. On the Manage GitHub accounts page, find the account under **Connected**
3. Click **Disconnect** next to that account

The account moves to "Available to connect." You can reconnect later by selecting it and clicking **Connect Selected**.

## Troubleshooting

### "My organization doesn't appear in the picker"

* Verify you're a member of the organization on GitHub
* The app may not be installed on that organization yet—click "Install on New Account"
* Your organization may require admin approval—see [Admin Approval](admin-approval)

### "OAuth error during authorization"

* Try signing out of GitHub and signing back in
* Clear your browser cache and cookies
* Talk to your Gainsight team if the issue persists

### "Connection seems to hang or timeout"

* Check your internet connection
* Try using a different browser
* Disable browser extensions that might interfere

### "Connection keeps failing after multiple attempts"

If you've tried connecting several times in quick succession and it keeps failing:

1. **Wait an hour** before trying again — repeated attempts can trigger rate limiting
2. Clear your browser cache and cookies
3. Try using a different browser or incognito mode

### "Approval was granted but nothing happened"

If your organization admin approved the installation but you're still waiting:

1. Return to your Sources settings page
2. Click  again
3. Your approved installation should now appear in the picker

> **Tip**: If you had the Sources page open in another tab while waiting for approval, it will automatically detect when approval is complete.

For more detailed troubleshooting, see [Common Issues](common-issues).

## Next Steps

* [Admin Approval](admin-approval) — Handle enterprise approval requirements
* [Multiple Organizations](multiple-organizations) — Connect multiple GitHub organizations
* [Repository & Branch Settings](repository-settings) — Choose which repositories sync and which branch to watch
* [Registry Reference](registry-reference) — Fields for the `extensions_registry.json` file your connected repositories must declare