GitHub

Access the GitHub REST API with managed OAuth authentication. Manage repositories, issues, pull requests, commits, branches, users, and more.

Quick Start

CLI:

maton github repo list --sort updated

maton api '/github/user/repos?sort=updated&per_page=10'

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/github/user/repos?sort=updated&per_page=10')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Base URL

https://api.maton.ai/github/{native-api-path}

Maton proxies requests to api.github.com and automatically injects your OAuth token.

Installation

NPM:

npm install -g @maton/cli

Homebrew:

brew install maton-ai/cli/maton

Authentication

CLI:

maton login                          # Opens browser for API key
maton login --interactive            # Skip browser, paste API key directly
maton whoami                         # Show current auth state

Manual:

1. Sign in or create an account at maton.ai
2. Go to maton.ai/settings
3. Copy your API key
4. Set your API key as MATON_API_KEY:

export MATON_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"

Connection Management

Manage your GitHub OAuth connections at https://api.maton.ai.

List Connections

CLI:

maton connection list github --status ACTIVE

maton api -X GET /connections -f app=github -f status=ACTIVE

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections?app=github&status=ACTIVE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Create Connection

CLI:

maton connection create github

maton api /connections -f app=github

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({'app': 'github'}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Get Connection

CLI:

maton connection view {connection_id}

maton api /connections/{connection_id}

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections/{connection_id}')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Open the returned url in a browser to complete OAuth authorization.

Delete Connection

CLI:

maton connection delete {connection_id}

maton api -X DELETE /connections/{connection_id}

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections/{connection_id}', method='DELETE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Specifying Connection

If you have multiple GitHub connections, specify which one to use:

CLI:

maton github user --connection {connection_id}

maton api /github/user --connection {connection_id}

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/github/user')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Maton-Connection', '{connection_id}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

If you have multiple connections, always specify the connection to ensure requests go to the intended account.

Security & Permissions

• Access is scoped to repositories, issues, pull requests, commits, branches, and users within the connected GitHub account.
• All write operations require explicit user approval. Before executing any create, update, or delete call:
  1. Confirm the exact target (owner/repo, issue number, branch name) with the user.
  2. Verify the correct connection ID when multiple connections exist.
  3. State whether the action is reversible or destructive.
• Irreversible / high-risk operations (require extra caution):
  • Deleting repositories, branches, or releases
  • Force-pushing or rewriting history
  • Merging pull requests (cannot be unmerged)
  • Removing collaborators or transferring ownership
• Scope boundaries:
  • Only operate on repositories the user explicitly names. Never enumerate or modify repositories outside the current task context.
  • Organization-level actions (creating repos, managing members) require the user to confirm the target organization.
  • Do not request or use OAuth scopes beyond what the current task requires.

API Reference

Users

Get Authenticated User

GET /github/user

Example:

maton github whoami

Get User by Username

GET /github/users/{username}

List Users

GET /github/users?since={user_id}&per_page=30

Repositories

List User Repositories

GET /github/user/repos?per_page=30&sort=updated

Query parameters: type (all, owner, public, private, member), sort (created, updated, pushed, full_name), direction (asc, desc), per_page, page

Example:

maton github repo list --sort updated

List Organization Repositories

GET /github/orgs/{org}/repos?per_page=30

Example:

maton github repo list {org}

Get Repository

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}

Example:

maton github repo view --repo {owner}/{repo}

Create Repository (User)

POST /github/user/repos
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "my-new-repo",
  "description": "A new repository",
  "private": true,
  "auto_init": true
}

Example:

maton github repo create my-new-repo --description "A new repository" --visibility private

Create Repository (Organization)

POST /github/orgs/{org}/repos
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "my-new-repo",
  "description": "A new repository",
  "private": true
}

Example:

maton github repo create {org}/my-new-repo --visibility private

Update Repository

PATCH /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "description": "Updated description",
  "has_issues": true,
  "has_wiki": false
}

Example:

maton github repo edit --repo {owner}/{repo} --description "Updated description" --enable-issues --enable-wiki=false

Repository Contents

List Contents

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{path}

Get File Contents

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{path}?ref={branch}

Create or Update File

PUT /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{path}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "message": "Create new file",
  "content": "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh",
  "branch": "main"
}

Note: content must be Base64 encoded.

Delete File

DELETE /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{path}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "message": "Delete file",
  "sha": "{file_sha}",
  "branch": "main"
}

Branches

List Branches

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches?per_page=30

Get Branch

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches/{branch}

Rename Branch

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches/{branch}/rename
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "new_name": "new-branch-name"
}

Merge Branches

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/merges
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "base": "main",
  "head": "feature-branch",
  "commit_message": "Merge feature branch"
}

Commits

List Commits

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/commits?per_page=30

Query parameters: sha (branch name or commit SHA), path (file path), author, committer, since, until, per_page, page

Get Commit

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/commits/{ref}

Compare Two Commits

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/compare/{base}...{head}

Issues

List Repository Issues

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues?state=open&per_page=30

Query parameters: state (open, closed, all), labels, assignee, creator, mentioned, sort, direction, since, per_page, page

Example:

maton github issue list --repo {owner}/{repo} --state open

Get Issue

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}

Example:

maton github issue view {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo}

Create Issue

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "Found a bug",
  "body": "Bug description here",
  "labels": ["bug"],
  "assignees": ["username"]
}

Example:

maton github issue create --repo {owner}/{repo} --title "Found a bug" --body "Bug description here" --label bug --assignee username

Update Issue

PATCH /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "state": "closed",
  "state_reason": "completed"
}

Example:

maton github issue close {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --reason completed

Lock Issue

PUT /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}/lock
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "lock_reason": "resolved"
}

Example:

maton github issue lock {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --reason resolved

Unlock Issue

DELETE /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}/lock

Example:

maton github issue unlock {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo}

Issue Comments

List Issue Comments

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}/comments?per_page=30

Example:

maton github issue view {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --comments

Create Issue Comment

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}/comments
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "body": "This is a comment"
}

Example:

maton github issue comment {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --body "This is a comment"

Update Issue Comment

PATCH /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/comments/{comment_id}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "body": "Updated comment"
}

Delete Issue Comment

DELETE /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/comments/{comment_id}

Labels

List Labels

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/labels?per_page=30

Example:

maton github label list --repo {owner}/{repo}

Create Label

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/labels
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "priority:high",
  "color": "ff0000",
  "description": "High priority issues"
}

Example:

maton github label create "priority:high" --repo {owner}/{repo} --color ff0000 --description "High priority issues"

Milestones

List Milestones

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/milestones?state=open&per_page=30

Create Milestone

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/milestones
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "v1.0",
  "state": "open",
  "description": "First release",
  "due_on": "2026-03-01T00:00:00Z"
}

Pull Requests

List Pull Requests

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls?state=open&per_page=30

Query parameters: state (open, closed, all), head, base, sort, direction, per_page, page

Example:

maton github pr list --repo {owner}/{repo} --state open

Get Pull Request

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}

Example:

maton github pr view {pull_number} --repo {owner}/{repo}

Create Pull Request

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "New feature",
  "body": "Description of changes",
  "head": "feature-branch",
  "base": "main",
  "draft": false
}

Example:

maton github pr create --repo {owner}/{repo} --base main --head feature-branch --title "New feature" --body "Description of changes"

Update Pull Request

PATCH /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "Updated title",
  "state": "closed"
}

Example:

maton github pr edit {pull_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --title "Updated title"

List Pull Request Commits

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/commits?per_page=30

List Pull Request Files

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/files?per_page=30

Example:

maton github pr diff {pull_number} --repo {owner}/{repo}

Check If Merged

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/merge

Merge Pull Request

PUT /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/merge
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "commit_title": "Merge pull request",
  "merge_method": "squash"
}

Merge methods: merge, squash, rebase

Example:

maton github pr merge {pull_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --squash --delete-branch

Pull Request Reviews

List Reviews

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/reviews?per_page=30

Create Review

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/reviews
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "body": "Looks good!",
  "event": "APPROVE"
}

Events: APPROVE, REQUEST_CHANGES, COMMENT

Example:

maton github pr review {pull_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --approve --body "Looks good!"

Note: GitHub does not allow approving your own pull requests; --approve returns 422 Can not approve your own pull request in that case. Use --comment or --request-changes instead.

Search

Search Repositories

GET /github/search/repositories?q={query}&per_page=30

Example queries:

• tetris+language:python - Repositories with "tetris" in Python
• react+stars:>10000 - Repositories with "react" and 10k+ stars

Example:

maton github repo search tetris --language python

Search Issues

GET /github/search/issues?q={query}&per_page=30

Example queries:

• bug+is:open+is:issue - Open issues containing "bug"
• author:username+is:pr - Pull requests by author

Example:

maton github issue search "bug" --state open

Search Code

GET /github/search/code?q={query}&per_page=30

Example queries:

• addClass+repo:facebook/react - Search for "addClass" in a specific repo
• function+extension:js - JavaScript functions

Note: Code search may timeout on broad queries.

Search Users

GET /github/search/users?q={query}&per_page=30

Organizations

List User Organizations

GET /github/user/orgs?per_page=30

Note: Requires read:org scope.

Get Organization

GET /github/orgs/{org}

List Organization Members

GET /github/orgs/{org}/members?per_page=30

Rate Limit

Get Rate Limit

GET /github/rate_limit

Pagination

GitHub uses page-based pagination. The CLI automatically paginates with '--paginate'.

Example:

maton github repo list --paginate

Code Examples

CLI

# Get repos as JSON (full objects)
maton github repo list --json

# Project specific fields with jq
maton github repo list --json --jq '.[] | {name, full_name, private}'

# Filter — e.g., only public repos
maton github repo list --json --jq '.[] | select(.private == false) | .name'

# Extract a single field
maton github issue list --repo owner/repo --json --jq '.[].title'

JavaScript

const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.maton.ai/github/repos/owner/repo/issues?state=open&per_page=10',
  {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.MATON_API_KEY}`
    }
  }
);
const issues = await response.json();

Python

import os
import requests

response = requests.get(
    'https://api.maton.ai/github/repos/owner/repo/issues',
    headers={'Authorization': f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}'},
    params={'state': 'open', 'per_page': 10}
)
issues = response.json()

Notes

• Repository names are case-insensitive but the API preserves case
• Issue numbers and PR numbers share the same sequence per repository
• Content must be Base64 encoded when creating/updating files
• Rate limits: 5000 requests/hour for authenticated users, 30 searches/minute
• Search queries may timeout on very broad patterns
• Some endpoints require specific OAuth scopes (e.g., read:org for organization operations). If you receive a scope error, contact Maton support at support@maton.ai with the specific operations/APIs you need and your use-case
• IMPORTANT: When using curl commands, use curl -g when URLs contain brackets to disable glob parsing
• IMPORTANT: When piping curl output to jq or other commands, environment variables like $MATON_API_KEY may not expand correctly in some shell environments

Error Handling

Status	Meaning
400	Missing GitHub connection
401	Invalid or missing Maton API key
403	Forbidden - insufficient permissions or scope
404	Resource not found
408	Request timeout (common for complex searches)
422	Validation failed
429	Rate limited
4xx/5xx	Passthrough error from GitHub API

Troubleshooting: API Key Issues

CLI:

1. Check your auth state:

maton whoami

2. Verify the API key is valid by listing connections:

maton connection list

Manual:

1. Check that the MATON_API_KEY environment variable is set:

echo $MATON_API_KEY

2. Verify the API key is valid by listing connections:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Troubleshooting: Invalid App Name

1. Ensure your URL path starts with github. For example:

• Correct: https://api.maton.ai/github/user
• Incorrect: https://api.maton.ai/api.github.com/user

Resources

• GitHub REST API Documentation
• Repositories API
• Issues API
• Pull Requests API
• Search API
• Rate Limits
• Maton CLI Manual
• Maton Community
• Maton Support