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272 changes: 272 additions & 0 deletions docs/06-concepts/11-authentication/04-providers/06-github/01-setup.md
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# Setup

To set up **Sign in with GitHub**, you must create OAuth2 credentials on [GitHub](https://github.com/settings/apps) and configure your Serverpod application accordingly.

:::caution
You need to install the auth module before you continue, see [Setup](../../setup).
:::

## Choosing Your GitHub App Type

GitHub offers two ways to obtain OAuth2 credentials:

- **GitHub Apps**: more suitable when building integrations or bots that belong to an organization or repository, operate with their own identity, continue functioning regardless of which users come and go, and only access the repositories and permissions explicitly granted. They provide fine‑grained control, short‑lived tokens, and are the modern, secure choice for most automation and service scenarios.
- **OAuth Apps**: preferred when the primary need is authenticating users with "Sign in with GitHub" or performing actions strictly as the currently logged‑in user under broad OAuth scopes. Similar to other OAuth providers like Google or Apple, they allow access to a user’s GitHub resources within the scopes granted, but lack the flexibility and security of GitHub Apps.

:::tip
[GitHub Apps](https://github.com/settings/apps) are the preferred choice for most scenarios — especially mobile and modern integrations.
See the official comparison here: [Differences between GitHub Apps and OAuth Apps](https://docs.github.com/en/apps/oauth-apps/building-oauth-apps/differences-between-github-apps-and-oauth-apps).
:::

## Create your credentials

1. Go to [GitHub Developer Settings](https://github.com/settings/apps).
2. Click **New GitHub App** (recommended) or **New OAuth App**.

![GitHub App Setup](/img/authentication/providers/github/1-register-app.png)

3. Fill in the required fields:
- **App name**
- **Homepage URL**
- **Callback URL(s)** (use your app's redirect URI, e.g., `myapp://auth` for mobile)
- **Permissions** (at minimum: account permission = profile; add others as needed)
- **Webhook URL** (disable if not required; serves to receive events like commits, pull requests, and repo changes)

![GitHub App Setup](/img/authentication/providers/github/2-add-permission.png)

![GitHub App Setup](/img/authentication/providers/github/3-add-permission.png)

:::tip
Webhooks let your GitHub App automatically receive notifications about repository activity.
If your app doesn’t need to react to events (like commits or pull requests), it’s best to disable the webhook URL to reduce unnecessary traffic and complexity.
:::

4. Click **Create GitHub App** (for GitHub Apps) or **Register application** (for OAuth Apps). This will save your app and generate the **Client ID**.

5. After the app is created, click **Generate a new client secret** to obtain the **Client Secret**. Copy both the **Client ID** and **Client Secret** for later use.

![GitHub App Setup](/img/authentication/providers/github/4-get-credentials.png)

## Server-side Configuration

### Store the Credentials

This can be done by adding your credentials to the `githubClientId` and `githubClientSecret` keys in the `config/passwords.yaml` file, or by setting them as the values of the `SERVERPOD_PASSWORD_githubClientId` and `SERVERPOD_PASSWORD_githubClientSecret` environment variables.

```yaml
development:
githubClientId: 'YOUR_GITHUB_CLIENT_ID'
githubClientSecret: 'YOUR_GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET'
```

:::warning
Keep your Client Secret confidential. Never commit this value to version control. Store it securely using environment variables or secret management.
:::

### Configure the GitHub Identity Provider

In your main `server.dart` file, configure the GitHub identity provider:

```dart
import 'package:serverpod/serverpod.dart';
import 'package:serverpod_auth_idp_server/core.dart';
import 'package:serverpod_auth_idp_server/providers/github.dart';

void run(List<String> args) async {
final pod = Serverpod(
args,
Protocol(),
Endpoints(),
);

pod.initializeAuthServices(
tokenManagerBuilders: [
JwtConfigFromPasswords(),
],
identityProviderBuilders: [
GitHubIdpConfig(
oauthCredentials: GitHubOAuthCredentials.fromJson({
'clientId': pod.getPassword('githubClientId')!,
'clientSecret': pod.getPassword('githubClientSecret')!,
}),
Comment on lines +87 to +91
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Suggestion: Use the GitHubOAuthCredentials constructor directly, since the contents of the config are never a JSON (like on Firebase and Google). This is more like Apple, that also exposes individual configs and no downloadable JSON file.

Suggested change
GitHubIdpConfig(
oauthCredentials: GitHubOAuthCredentials.fromJson({
'clientId': pod.getPassword('githubClientId')!,
'clientSecret': pod.getPassword('githubClientSecret')!,
}),
GitHubIdpConfig(
oauthCredentials: GitHubOAuthCredentials(
clientId: pod.getPassword('githubClientId')!,
clientSecret: pod.getPassword('githubClientSecret')!,
),

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yes, I like your suggestion but GitHubOAuthCredentials has private constructor. We will need to make change in the PR. Please say, what are we going to do?

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@marcelomendoncasoares Resolve or accept the suggestion and then make change and open new PR in the serverpod repo?

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Regarding to this below is another discussing comment.

),
],
);

await pod.start();
}
```

:::tip
You can use `GitHubIdpConfigFromPasswords()` to automatically load credentials from `config/passwords.yaml` or the `SERVERPOD_PASSWORD_githubClientId` and `SERVERPOD_PASSWORD_githubClientSecret` environment variables:

```dart
identityProviderBuilders: [
GitHubIdpConfigFromPasswords(),
],
```

:::

### Expose the Endpoint

Create an endpoint that extends `GitHubIdpBaseEndpoint` to expose the GitHub authentication API:

```dart
import 'package:serverpod_auth_idp_server/providers/github.dart';

class GitHubIdpEndpoint extends GitHubIdpBaseEndpoint {}
```

### Generate and Migrate

Finally, run `serverpod generate` to generate the client code and create a migration to initialize the database for the provider. More detailed instructions can be found in the general [identity providers setup section](../../setup#identity-providers-configuration).

### Basic configuration options

- `clientId`: Required. The Client ID of your GitHub App or OAuth App.
- `clientSecret`: Required. The Client Secret generated for your GitHub App or OAuth App.

For more details on configuration options, see the [configuration section](./configuration).

## Client-side configuration

Add the `serverpod_auth_idp_flutter` package to your Flutter app. The GitHub provider uses [`flutter_web_auth_2`](https://pub.dev/packages/flutter_web_auth_2) to handle the OAuth2 flow, so any documentation there should also apply to this setup.

### iOS and MacOS

There is no special configuration needed for iOS and MacOS for "normal" authentication flows.
However, if you are using **Universal Links** on iOS, they require redirect URIs to use **https**.
Follow the instructions in the [flutter_web_auth_2](https://pub.dev/packages/flutter_web_auth_2) documentation.

### Android

In order to capture the callback url, the following activity needs to be added to your `AndroidManifest.xml`. Be sure to replace `YOUR_CALLBACK_URL_SCHEME_HERE` with your actual callback url scheme registered in your GitHub app.

```xml
<manifest>
<application>

<activity
android:name="com.linusu.flutter_web_auth_2.CallbackActivity"
android:exported="true"
android:taskAffinity="">
<intent-filter android:label="flutter_web_auth_2">
<action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
<data android:scheme="YOUR_CALLBACK_URL_SCHEME_HERE" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>

</application>
</manifest>
```

### Web

On the web, you need a specific endpoint to capture the OAuth2 callback. To set this up, create an HTML file (e.g., `auth.html`) inside your project's `./web` folder and add the following content:

```html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<title>Authentication complete</title>
<p>Authentication is complete. If this does not happen automatically, please close the window.</p>
<script>
function postAuthenticationMessage() {
const message = {
'flutter-web-auth-2': window.location.href
};

if (window.opener) {
window.opener.postMessage(message, window.location.origin);
window.close();
} else if (window.parent && window.parent !== window) {
window.parent.postMessage(message, window.location.origin);
} else {
localStorage.setItem('flutter-web-auth-2', window.location.href);
window.close();
}
}

postAuthenticationMessage();
</script>
```

:::note
You only need a single callback file (e.g. `auth.html`) in your `./web` folder.
This file is shared across all IDPs that use the OAuth2 utility, as long as your redirect URIs point to it.
:::

## Present the authentication UI

### Initializing the `GitHubSignInService`

To use the GitHubSignInService, you need to initialize it in your main function. The initialization is done from the `initializeGitHubSignIn()` extension method on the `FlutterAuthSessionManager`.

```dart
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:serverpod_flutter/serverpod_flutter.dart';
import 'package:your_client/your_client.dart';

late Client client;

void main() async {
WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();

// Create the Serverpod client
client = Client('http://localhost:8080/')
..connectivityMonitor = FlutterConnectivityMonitor()
..authSessionManager = FlutterAuthSessionManager();

// Initialize Serverpod auth
await client.auth.initialize();

// Initialize GitHub Sign-In
// Note: For Web, ensure the redirectUri matches your auth.html location.
await client.auth.initializeGitHubSignIn(
clientId: 'YOUR_GITHUB_CLIENT_ID',
redirectUri: Uri.parse('https://example.com/auth.html'),
);

runApp(const MyApp());
}
```

:::info
**Important**: Ensure the redirect URIs used in your code are also explicitly listed in your **GitHub App Dashboard** under "Callback URLs". For Android, you must also register this scheme in your `AndroidManifest.xml`.
:::

### Using GitHubSignInWidget

If you have configured the `GitHubSignInWidget` as described in the [setup section](#present-the-authentication-ui), the GitHub identity provider will be automatically detected and displayed in the sign-in widget.

You can also use the `GitHubSignInWidget` to include the GitHub authentication flow in your own custom UI.

```dart
import 'package:serverpod_auth_idp_flutter/serverpod_auth_idp_flutter.dart';

GitHubSignInWidget(
client: client,
onAuthenticated: () {
// Do something when the user is authenticated.
//
// NOTE: You should not navigate to the home screen here, otherwise
// the user will have to sign in again every time they open the app.
},
onError: (error) {
// Handle errors
ScaffoldMessenger.of(context).showSnackBar(
SnackBar(content: Text('Error: $error')),
);
},
)
```

The widget automatically handles:

- GitHub Sign-In flow for iOS, macOS, Android, and Web.
- Token management.
- Underlying GitHub Sign-In package error handling.

For details on how to customize the GitHub Sign-In UI in your Flutter app, see the [customizing the UI section](./customizing-the-ui).
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# Configuration

This page covers configuration options for the GitHub identity provider beyond the basic setup.

## Configuration options

Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of the most common configuration options. For more details on all options, check the `GitHubIdpConfig` in-code documentation.

### Loading GitHub Credentials

You can load GitHub OAuth credentials in several ways:

**From JSON map (recommended for production):**

```dart
final githubIdpConfig = GitHubIdpConfig(
oauthCredentials: GitHubOAuthCredentials.fromJson({
'clientId': pod.getPassword('githubClientId')!,
'clientSecret': pod.getPassword('githubClientSecret')!,
}),
);
```

**From JSON file:**

```dart
import 'dart:io';

final githubIdpConfig = GitHubIdpConfig(
oauthCredentials: GitHubOAuthCredentials.fromJsonFile(
File('config/github_oauth_credentials.json'),
),
);
```
Comment on lines +13 to +34
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Discussion: This is something that slipped on the code revision. Do we really need these methods? They make sense for Google and Firebase because both export their config as a JSON file, but it is not needed for other providers that have explicit configurations only - as with GitHub, that only exposes the raw values to be copied. In this case, we should actually remove the methods and rely only on the config/passwords.yaml or environment variables. For this provider, we can mirror this section from the Apple configuration page.

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@marcelomendoncasoares
Yes, I agree, GitHubOAuthCredentials feels over‑engineered. I suggest deleting GitHubOAuthCredentials and moving its two properties directly into GitHubIdpConfig.
Let me know which option we should proceed with:

  • Remove GitHubOAuthCredentials and move its properties into GitHubIdpConfig, similar to Apple.
  • Simplify GitHubOAuthCredentials by removing its factory methods and keeping only a const public constructor which is a private now.


### Custom Account Validation

You can customize the validation for GitHub account details before allowing sign-in. By default, the validation checks that the received account details contain a non-empty userIdentifier.

```dart
final githubIdpConfig = GitHubIdpConfig(
// Optional: Custom validation for GitHub account details
githubAccountDetailsValidation: (GitHubAccountDetails accountDetails) {
// Throw an exception if account doesn't meet custom requirements
if (accountDetails.userIdentifier.isEmpty) {
throw GitHubUserInfoMissingDataException();
}
},
);
```

:::note
GitHub users can keep their email private, so email may be null even for valid accounts. To avoid blocking real users with private profiles from signing in, adjust your validation function with care.
:::

### GitHubAccountDetails

The `githubAccountDetailsValidation` callback receives a `GitHubAccountDetails` record with the following properties:

| Property | Type | Description |
| ---------- | ------ | ------------- |
| `userIdentifier` | `String` | The GitHub user's unique identifier (UID) |
| `email` | `String?` | The user's email address (may be null if private) |
| `name` | `String?` | The user's display name from GitHub |
| `image` | `Uri?` | URL to the user's profile image |

Example of accessing these properties:

```dart
githubAccountDetailsValidation: (accountDetails) {
print('GitHub UID: ${accountDetails.userIdentifier}');
print('Email: ${accountDetails.email}');
print('Display name: ${accountDetails.name}');
print('Profile image: ${accountDetails.image}');

// Custom validation logic
if (accountDetails.email == null) {
throw GitHubUserInfoMissingDataException();
}
},
```

:::info
The properties available depend on user privacy settings and granted permissions.
:::

### Configuring Client IDs on the App

#### Passing Client IDs in Code

You can pass the `clientId` and `redirectUri` directly during initialization the GitHub Sign-In service:

```dart
await client.auth.initializeGitHubSignIn(
clientId: 'YOUR_GITHUB_CLIENT_ID',
redirectUri: 'test-app://github/auth',
);
```

This approach is useful when you need different client IDs per platform and want to manage them in your Dart code.

#### Using Environment Variables

Alternatively, you can pass client IDs during build time using the `--dart-define` option. The GitHub Sign-In provider supports the following environment variables:

- `GITHUB_CLIENT_ID`: Your GitHub OAuth client ID.
- `GITHUB_REDIRECT_URI`: The callback URI.

**Example usage:**

```bash
flutter run -d <device> \
--dart-define="GITHUB_CLIENT_ID=your_id" \
--dart-define="GITHUB_REDIRECT_URI=test-app://github/auth"
```

This approach is useful when you need to:

- Manage separate client IDs for different platforms (Android, iOS, Web) in a centralized way
- Avoid committing client IDs to version control
- Configure different credentials for different build environments (development, staging, production)

:::tip
You can also set these environment variables in your IDE's run configuration or CI/CD pipeline to avoid passing them manually each time.
:::
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