OpenClaw GitHub Assistant

Query and manage GitHub repositories - list repos, check CI status, create issues, search repos, and view recent activity.

conorkenn

@conorkenn

What This Skill Does

Queries and manages GitHub repositories directly from an AI assistant. Supports listing repos, checking CI status, creating issues, searching repos, and viewing recent activity.

Replaces manually navigating the GitHub web interface or writing custom API scripts for common repository management tasks.

When to Use It

  • List all your Python repositories with a single command
  • Check the CI/CD pipeline status on your main project
  • Create a new issue in a repository from a conversation
  • Search your repositories by name or description
  • View recent commits across your repositories

Install

$ openclaw skills install @conorkenn/openclaw-github-assistant

GitHub Integration Skill

Query and manage GitHub repositories directly from your AI assistant.

Capabilities

CapabilityDescription
list_reposList your repositories with filters
get_repoGet detailed info about a specific repo
check_ci_statusCheck CI/CD pipeline status
create_issueCreate a new issue in a repo
create_repoCreate a new repository
search_reposSearch your repositories
get_recent_activityGet recent commits

Usage

You: List my Python repos
Bot: [lists your Python repositories]

You: Check CI status on my main project
Bot: [shows CI/CD status]

You: Create an issue about the bug
Bot: [creates the issue]

Setup

1. Generate GitHub Personal Access Token

  1. Go to https://github.com/settings/tokens
  2. Click "Generate new token (classic)"
  3. Name: openclaw-github-skill
  4. Scopes: repo (required), read:user (optional)
  5. Copy the token

2. Configure Credentials

Option A: Environment Variables (Recommended)

Set environment variables before starting OpenClaw:

export GITHUB_TOKEN="ghp_your_token_here"
export GITHUB_USERNAME="your_github_username"

Option B: OpenClaw Config

Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "github": {
    "token": "ghp_your_token_here",
    "username": "your_username"
  }
}

3. Restart OpenClaw

openclaw gateway restart

Security Notes

⚠️ Protect Your Token:

  • Never commit your token to git or share it publicly
  • Use the minimal required scopes (repo for private repos, public_repo for public-only)
  • Rotate your token if you suspect it was compromised
  • Consider using a secrets manager for production use

⚠️ Best Practices:

  • Don't store tokens in shell profiles (~/.zshrc) on shared machines
  • For local development, environment variables are acceptable
  • For production, use your platform's secret/credential store

Rate Limits

  • Unauthenticated requests: 60/hour
  • Authenticated requests: 5,000/hour

Requirements

  • OpenClaw gateway running
  • GitHub Personal Access Token with appropriate scopes

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