Connect to GitHub

This page describes how to create connections to GitHub and create links to GitHub repositories. You can complete these tasks using the Google Cloud console, or the Google Cloud CLI.

These instructions are for application developers, platform administrators, and security managers who want to use GitHub source code repositories with Google.

For example, you can get coding suggestions from Gemini Code Assist, tailored to your codebase, or you can use your linked GitHub repositories to develop web apps with Firebase App Hosting.

To learn more about Developer Connect, see Developer Connect overview.

Before you begin

  1. Sign in to your Google Account.

    If you don't already have one, sign up for a new account.

  2. In the Google Cloud console, on the project selector page, select or create a Google Cloud project.

    Go to project selector

  3. Make sure that billing is enabled for your Google Cloud project.

  4. Enable the Developer Connect API.

    Enable the API

    5.

  5. In the Google Cloud console, on the project selector page, select or create a Google Cloud project.

    Go to project selector

  6. Make sure that billing is enabled for your Google Cloud project.

  7. Enable the Developer Connect API.

    Enable the API

    8.

    Enabling Developer Connect also enables the Secret Manager API.

  8. Ensure that you have access to an account on GitHub.

    To help keep your team's work secure, we recommend that you complete the tasks in this guide using a bot account or an account shared by your team, not a personal account.

  9. Ensure that you own a GitHub repository, or have admin-level permissions on a shared repository.
  10. Optional: Create a customer-managed encryption key (CMEK) for encrypting the authentication secrets that Developer Connect creates.
  11. Optional: To use the command-line instructions in this guide, complete the following steps:
    1. Install the Google Cloud CLI. If you've installed gcloud CLI previously, make sure you have the latest available version by running gcloud components update.
    2. Create a Developer Connect service account by running the following command, where PROJECT_ID is your Google Cloud project ID: 
              gcloud beta services identity create \
            --service=developerconnect.googleapis.com \
            --project=PROJECT_ID

Required roles

To get the permissions that you need to create connections and links, ask your administrator to grant you the following IAM roles:

  • If you aren't the project owner: Developer Connect Admin (roles/developerconnect.admin) on your user account
  • If you plan to use a CMEK to encrypt the secrets that Developer Connect creates: Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter (roles/cloudkms.cryptoKeyEncrypterDecrypter) on the Secret Manager Service Account
  • If you plan to use the gcloud CLI steps in this guide: Secret Manager Admin role (roles/secretmanager.admin) on the Developer Connect Service Account

For more information about granting roles, see Manage access to projects, folders, and organizations.

You might also be able to get the required permissions through custom roles or other predefined roles.

Create a connection

This section describes how to create a connection between Developer Connect and GitHub. If you're using the Google Cloud console, then you can also start adding links to repositories as you finish setting up your connection.

To create repository links on an existing GitHub connection, select one of the following options:

Console

Initiate a connection by completing the following steps:

  1. In the Google Cloud console, open Developer Connect.

    Go to Developer Connect

    Developer Connect displays the Git repositories page.

    • If you see a list of source code management providers: Start configuring your first connection by selecting a source code management provider. Click Connect on the GitHub card.

    • If you see a table listing existing connections: Set the source code management provider by clicking Create connection > GitHub.

      The Create Connection page opens.

  2. In the Configure details pane, specify the following:

    1. For Region, choose a region for your connection resources.

    2. For Name, enter a name for your new connection.

  3. Optional: In the Encryption section, select a CMEK key to encrypt Secret Manager secrets that Developer Connect creates.

  4. Click Continue.

  5. Click I understand and continue to agree to share your GitHub OAuth token with Developer Connect and store it in Secret Manager.

  6. Sign in to GitHub if prompted to do so.

  7. Click Authorize Developer Connect to allow the Google Developer Connect app to access your GitHub account.

    If you don't see this prompt, then authorization has already been granted on this account.

GitHub creates a token and Developer Connect stores it in your Google Cloud project as a Secret Manager secret. For more information on managing secrets, see view secret details.

Configure the connection

Grant permissions on your GitHub account and link to repositories using the following instructions. The prompts you see in your web browser depend on whether the GitHub account already has the Developer Connect GitHub app installed.

In the Developer Connect dialog, complete the following steps:

If you see a list of GitHub accounts, install the app and link repositories by completing these steps:

  1. Choose the GitHub account you want to use.

  2. Select one or more repositories you want to grant access to.

If you see a prompt to re-use an existing app installation, choose where to configure the app by completing these steps:

  1. Click GitHub Account to see accounts that have the Google Developer Connect app installed. If you see the account you want to use, choose it by clicking Confirm.

  2. If you don't see the account that you want to use, do the following:

    1. Choose Install the GitHub App on another GitHub account and click Confirm.

    2. Follow the GitHub steps to permit app installation.

    3. Select one or more repositories you want to grant access to.

When the dialog closes, the app installation is complete.

The Link repositories page appears.

  1. In the list of available repositories, select the repositories you want to use.

  2. Click OK.

    Developer Connect displays suggested names for your repository resources.

  3. Select a repository resource naming option:

    • Generated: Use the generated repository resource names.
    • Manual: Input names of your own.

  4. Click Link.

Your connection is added to the Connections page and your repository links are added to the Repositories page in the Google Cloud console. You can add more links to existing connections at any time.

If you're setting up Gemini Code Assist, continue the process by following the steps in Configure and use Gemini Code Assist code customization.

gcloud

The following tasks require some actions in your web browser.

Initiate a connection by completing the following steps:

  1. Run the following command to initiate a connection to GitHub:

    gcloud beta developer-connect connections create CONNECTION_NAME \
    --location=REGION \
    --github-config-app=APP_TYPE

    Replace the following:

    • CONNECTION_NAME: the name for your connection.
    • REGION: the region for your connection.
    • APP_TYPE: the type of app to install in GitHub: either DEVELOPER-CONNECT for use with Gemini Code Assist, or FIREBASE for use with Firebase App Hosting.

    A connection name is created.

  2. Finish creating the connection by installing the Developer Connect GitHub app. Run the following command to get the URI for app installation:

    gcloud beta developer-connect connections describe CONNECTION_NAME \
    --location=REGION

    Replace the following:

    • CONNECTION_NAME: the name for your connection.
    • REGION: the region for your connection.

    Developer Connect returns a link to complete the next steps in a browser window. Copy this link.

  3. Open the link in a web browser.

  4. Click I understand and continue to agree to share your GitHub OAuth token with Developer Connect and store it in Secret Manager.

  5. Sign in to GitHub if prompted to do so.

  6. Click Authorize Developer Connect to allow the Google Developer Connect app to access your GitHub account.

    If you don't see this prompt, then authorization has already been granted on this account.

GitHub creates a token and Developer Connect stores it in your Google Cloud project as a Secret Manager secret. For more information on managing secrets, see view secret details.

Configure the connection

Grant permissions on your GitHub account and link to repositories using the following instructions. The prompts you see in your web browser depend on whether the GitHub account already has the Developer Connect GitHub app installed.

In the Developer Connect dialog, complete the following steps:

If you see a list of GitHub accounts, install the app and link repositories by completing these steps:

  1. Choose the GitHub account you want to use.

  2. Select one or more repositories you want to grant access to.

If you see a prompt to re-use an existing app installation, choose where to configure the app by completing these steps:

  1. Click GitHub Account to see accounts that have the Google Developer Connect app installed. If you see the account you want to use, choose it by clicking Confirm.

  2. If you don't see the account that you want to use, do the following:

    1. Choose Install the GitHub App on another GitHub account and click Confirm.

    2. Follow the GitHub steps to permit app installation.

    3. Select one or more repositories you want to grant access to.

When the dialog closes, the app installation is complete.

Verify the connection

Verify the creation of your GitHub connection by running the following command:

gcloud beta developer-connect connections describe CONNECTION_NAME \
    --location=REGION

Replace the following:

  • CONNECTION_NAME: the name of your connection.
  • REGION: the region for your connection.

Developer Connect returns a status in the installationState field. If the value of this field is COMPLETE, your app installation is done. Otherwise, Developer Connect returns a URI to return you to configuration in the browser.

Once your connection is completed, choose which repositories to link by following the instructions in Add repository links to existing connections.

Once you have established a connection to GitHub, you can link to repositories. You can repeat these steps later to link additional repositories as needed.

To create repository links on an existing GitHub connection, select one of the following options:

Console

  1. Open the Repositories page in the Google Cloud console.

    Open the Repositories page

  2. Click Link repository.

    The Link Git repositories pane opens.

  3. In the connections list, choose a connection.

  4. Click Continue.

  5. In the repositories list, select the repositories you want to link to.

    Developer Connect displays suggested names for your repository resources.

  6. Select a repository resource naming option:

    • Generated: Use the generated repository resource names.
    • Manual: Input names of your own.

  7. Click Create.

Developer Connect creates the repository links and displays them in the Google Cloud console.

gcloud

Run the following command:

gcloud beta developer-connect connections git-repository-links create REPO_NAME \
    --clone-uri=REPO_URI \
    --connection=CONNECTION_NAME \
    --location=REGION

Replace the following:

  • REPO_NAME: the name of your repository.
  • REPO_URI: the link to your GitHub repository. For example, https://github.com/cloud-build/test-repo.git.
  • CONNECTION_NAME: the name of your connection.
  • REGION: the region for your connection.

Developer Connect creates the repository links.

To list linked repositories, run the developer-connect connections git-repository-links list command.

If you're setting up Gemini Code Assist, continue the process by following the steps in Configure and use Gemini Code Assist code customization.

Data sharing

Content from Google Cloud resources linked to this connection might be transferred to GitHub. This statement applies to all existing and future resources utilizing this connection. To stop sharing information with GitHub, delete Developer Connect connections in the Google Cloud console or gcloud CLI, and revoke access in GitHub.

What's next