GitHub Token Configuration

Overview

The NX Projects Tracker uses GitHub's API to fetch repository information. GitHub has rate limits that affect how many requests you can make per hour.

Rate Limits

Token Type	Requests/Hour	Use Case
No Token	60	Unauthenticated requests
GITHUB_TOKEN	1,000	GitHub Actions default token
Personal Access Token	5,000	Higher limits for development

Automatic Token (GitHub Actions)

When running in GitHub Actions, the workflow automatically uses ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}:

env:
  GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

This token:

✅ Is automatically provided by GitHub
✅ Has 1,000 requests/hour limit
✅ Is sufficient for most use cases
✅ No setup required

Personal Access Token (Optional)

For local development or higher limits, you can create a personal access token:

Creating a Token

Go to GitHub Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens
Click "Generate new token (classic)"
Select scopes:
- public_repo (for public repositories)
- repo (for private repositories, if needed)
Copy the generated token

Using the Token

Local Development

export GITHUB_TOKEN=your_token_here
npm start

Environment File

Create a .env file:

GITHUB_TOKEN=your_token_here

GitHub Actions (Custom Token)

If you need higher limits in GitHub Actions, add your token as a repository secret:

Go to repository Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions
Add new repository secret named CUSTOM_GITHUB_TOKEN
Update the workflow:

env:
  GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CUSTOM_GITHUB_TOKEN }}

When You Need a Personal Token

Large project lists: More than 50 projects
Frequent updates: Running tracker multiple times per hour
Development: Testing and debugging
Private repositories: Access to private repos

Security Notes

Never commit tokens to version control
Use repository secrets in GitHub Actions
Personal tokens should have minimal required permissions
Rotate tokens regularly

Troubleshooting

Rate Limit Exceeded

Error: GitHub API error: 403 Forbidden

Solutions:

Wait for rate limit reset (usually 1 hour)
Use a personal access token
Reduce the number of projects
Increase delay between requests

Token Not Working

Error: GitHub API error: 401 Unauthorized