GitHub access issues
Fix missing repositories, missing pull requests, and push or pull request failures.
Alan reaches GitHub in two ways, and most access problems come from one of them missing:
| Connection | Who sets it up | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Source control connection (the Alan GitHub App) | Any member, in Settings → your team → Integrations | Reading repositories, cloning them into cloud sessions, and opening pull requests |
| Your GitHub account | Each member, in Settings → Account → Connected accounts | Showing your pull requests and review requests, and putting your name on your actions |
Setup for both is in Connect GitHub.
Match the symptom
| Symptom or message | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Connect GitHub for this team on Pull Requests | The team has no GitHub connection | Choose Open repository settings, then Add connection under Source control. |
| Add a repository to this team | No repository is linked to the team | Choose Add a repository, then Add repo in the team's Repositories section. |
| A repository is missing from the list when you add one | The GitHub App installation doesn't include it | Choose Manage access, add the repository on GitHub, then Refresh. |
| A pull request on GitHub isn't listed yet | Alan syncs on a schedule, so a new pull request can arrive late | Wait for the next refresh, or select the refresh icon next to the Live or Auto-refresh label. If it still doesn't appear, check the repository is linked and the app can read it. |
| Connect your GitHub account, or My PRs and For me are empty | Your personal account isn't linked | Link it in Settings → Account → Connected accounts. |
| Your GitHub connection expired. Reconnect to continue. | Your personal GitHub sign-in expired | Choose Reconnect on the message. |
| Pull request sync failed, or "Cached results may be stale because the provider sync failed" | Alan couldn't refresh from GitHub | Alan retries on its own. If it continues, use Check connection on the connection and reconnect if it fails. |
| A pull request from a fork can't be read | The fork's owner hasn't installed the app | Push the branch to a repository the app covers, or install the app on the fork's owner. |
| The agent can't push a branch or open a pull request | The branch exists only locally, or the app or your account lacks write access | Ask the agent to push the branch first. Then check the app has the repository and you have write access on GitHub. |
If access worked before
- Open Settings → your team → Integrations and choose Check connection on the GitHub connection.
- If the check fails, reconnect. If someone removed the app or narrowed its repositories on GitHub, reinstall it or add the repositories back.
- Disconnecting a connection stops cloning and pull requests for every team repository that uses it, so reconnect rather than disconnect where you can.
Don't work around missing access by pasting private code into a chat. Fix the connection so the agent reads the repository directly.