GitHub

GitHub API integration with managed OAuth. Access repositories, issues, pull requests, commits, branches, and users. Use this skill when users want to interact with GitHub repositories, manage issues and PRs, search code, or automate workflows. For other third party apps, use the api-gateway skill (https://clawhub.ai/byungkyu/api-gateway).

Audits

Pass

ClawScanPass

Agentic behavior and permission review.

Static analysisPass

Pattern checks against bundled files.

VirusTotalPass

Multi-engine malware detections and file reputation.

Install

openclaw skills install github-api

GitHub

Access the GitHub REST API with managed OAuth authentication. Manage repositories, issues, pull requests, commits, branches, users, and more.

Quick Start

CLI:

maton github repo list --sort updated

maton api '/github/user/repos?sort=updated&per_page=10'

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/github/user/repos?sort=updated&per_page=10')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Base URL

https://api.maton.ai/github/{native-api-path}

Maton proxies requests to api.github.com and automatically injects your OAuth token.

Installation

NPM:

npm install -g @maton-ai/cli

Homebrew:

brew install maton-ai/cli/maton

Authentication

CLI:

maton login                          # Opens browser for API key
maton login --interactive            # Skip browser, paste API key directly
maton whoami                         # Show current auth state

Manual:

Sign in or create an account at maton.ai
Go to maton.ai/settings
Copy your API key
Set your API key as MATON_API_KEY:

export MATON_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"

Connection Management

Manage your GitHub OAuth connections at https://api.maton.ai.

List Connections

CLI:

maton connection list github --status ACTIVE

maton api -X GET /connections -f app=github -f status=ACTIVE

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections?app=github&status=ACTIVE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Create Connection

CLI:

maton connection create github

maton api /connections -f app=github

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({'app': 'github'}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Get Connection

CLI:

maton connection view {connection_id}

maton api /connections/{connection_id}

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections/{connection_id}')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Open the returned url in a browser to complete OAuth authorization.

Delete Connection

CLI:

maton connection delete {connection_id}

maton api -X DELETE /connections/{connection_id}

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections/{connection_id}', method='DELETE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Specifying Connection

If you have multiple GitHub connections, specify which one to use:

CLI:

maton github user --connection {connection_id}

maton api /github/user --connection {connection_id}

Python:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/github/user')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Maton-Connection', '{connection_id}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

If you have multiple connections, always specify the connection to ensure requests go to the intended account.

Security & Permissions

Access is scoped to repositories, issues, pull requests, commits, branches, and users within the connected GitHub account.
All write operations require explicit user approval. Before executing any create, update, or delete call:
1. Confirm the exact target (owner/repo, issue number, branch name) with the user.
2. Verify the correct connection ID when multiple connections exist.
3. State whether the action is reversible or destructive.
Irreversible / high-risk operations (require extra caution):
- Deleting repositories, branches, or releases
- Force-pushing or rewriting history
- Merging pull requests (cannot be unmerged)
- Removing collaborators or transferring ownership
Scope boundaries:
- Only operate on repositories the user explicitly names. Never enumerate or modify repositories outside the current task context.
- Organization-level actions (creating repos, managing members) require the user to confirm the target organization.
- Do not request or use OAuth scopes beyond what the current task requires.

API Reference

Users

Get Authenticated User

GET /github/user

Example:

maton github whoami

Get User by Username

GET /github/users/{username}

List Users

GET /github/users?since={user_id}&per_page=30

Repositories

List User Repositories

GET /github/user/repos?per_page=30&sort=updated

Query parameters: type (all, owner, public, private, member), sort (created, updated, pushed, full_name), direction (asc, desc), per_page, page

Example:

maton github repo list --sort updated

List Organization Repositories

GET /github/orgs/{org}/repos?per_page=30

Example:

maton github repo list {org}

Get Repository

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}

Example:

maton github repo view --repo {owner}/{repo}

Create Repository (User)

POST /github/user/repos
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "my-new-repo",
  "description": "A new repository",
  "private": true,
  "auto_init": true
}

Example:

maton github repo create my-new-repo --description "A new repository" --visibility private

Create Repository (Organization)

POST /github/orgs/{org}/repos
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "my-new-repo",
  "description": "A new repository",
  "private": true
}

Example:

maton github repo create {org}/my-new-repo --visibility private

Update Repository

PATCH /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "description": "Updated description",
  "has_issues": true,
  "has_wiki": false
}

Example:

maton github repo edit --repo {owner}/{repo} --description "Updated description" --enable-issues --enable-wiki=false

Repository Contents

List Contents

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{path}

Get File Contents

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{path}?ref={branch}

Create or Update File

PUT /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{path}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "message": "Create new file",
  "content": "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh",
  "branch": "main"
}

Note: content must be Base64 encoded.

Delete File

DELETE /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{path}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "message": "Delete file",
  "sha": "{file_sha}",
  "branch": "main"
}

Branches

List Branches

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches?per_page=30

Get Branch

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches/{branch}

Rename Branch

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches/{branch}/rename
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "new_name": "new-branch-name"
}

Merge Branches

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/merges
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "base": "main",
  "head": "feature-branch",
  "commit_message": "Merge feature branch"
}

Commits

List Commits

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/commits?per_page=30

Query parameters: sha (branch name or commit SHA), path (file path), author, committer, since, until, per_page, page

Get Commit

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/commits/{ref}

Compare Two Commits

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/compare/{base}...{head}

Issues

List Repository Issues

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues?state=open&per_page=30

Query parameters: state (open, closed, all), labels, assignee, creator, mentioned, sort, direction, since, per_page, page

Example:

maton github issue list --repo {owner}/{repo} --state open

Get Issue

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}

Example:

maton github issue view {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo}

Create Issue

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "Found a bug",
  "body": "Bug description here",
  "labels": ["bug"],
  "assignees": ["username"]
}

Example:

maton github issue create --repo {owner}/{repo} --title "Found a bug" --body "Bug description here" --label bug --assignee username

Update Issue

PATCH /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "state": "closed",
  "state_reason": "completed"
}

Example:

maton github issue close {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --reason completed

Lock Issue

PUT /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}/lock
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "lock_reason": "resolved"
}

Example:

maton github issue lock {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --reason resolved

Unlock Issue

DELETE /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}/lock

Example:

maton github issue unlock {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo}

Issue Comments

List Issue Comments

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}/comments?per_page=30

Example:

maton github issue view {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --comments

Create Issue Comment

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}/comments
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "body": "This is a comment"
}

Example:

maton github issue comment {issue_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --body "This is a comment"

Update Issue Comment

PATCH /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/comments/{comment_id}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "body": "Updated comment"
}

Delete Issue Comment

DELETE /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/comments/{comment_id}

Labels

List Labels

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/labels?per_page=30

Example:

maton github label list --repo {owner}/{repo}

Create Label

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/labels
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "priority:high",
  "color": "ff0000",
  "description": "High priority issues"
}

Example:

maton github label create "priority:high" --repo {owner}/{repo} --color ff0000 --description "High priority issues"

Milestones

List Milestones

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/milestones?state=open&per_page=30

Create Milestone

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/milestones
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "v1.0",
  "state": "open",
  "description": "First release",
  "due_on": "2026-03-01T00:00:00Z"
}

Pull Requests

List Pull Requests

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls?state=open&per_page=30

Query parameters: state (open, closed, all), head, base, sort, direction, per_page, page

Example:

maton github pr list --repo {owner}/{repo} --state open

Get Pull Request

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}

Example:

maton github pr view {pull_number} --repo {owner}/{repo}

Create Pull Request

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "New feature",
  "body": "Description of changes",
  "head": "feature-branch",
  "base": "main",
  "draft": false
}

Example:

maton github pr create --repo {owner}/{repo} --base main --head feature-branch --title "New feature" --body "Description of changes"

Update Pull Request

PATCH /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "Updated title",
  "state": "closed"
}

Example:

maton github pr edit {pull_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --title "Updated title"

List Pull Request Commits

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/commits?per_page=30

List Pull Request Files

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/files?per_page=30

Example:

maton github pr diff {pull_number} --repo {owner}/{repo}

Check If Merged

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/merge

Merge Pull Request

PUT /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/merge
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "commit_title": "Merge pull request",
  "merge_method": "squash"
}

Merge methods: merge, squash, rebase

Example:

maton github pr merge {pull_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --squash --delete-branch

Pull Request Reviews

List Reviews

GET /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/reviews?per_page=30

Create Review

POST /github/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pull_number}/reviews
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "body": "Looks good!",
  "event": "APPROVE"
}

Events: APPROVE, REQUEST_CHANGES, COMMENT

Example:

maton github pr review {pull_number} --repo {owner}/{repo} --approve --body "Looks good!"

Note: GitHub does not allow approving your own pull requests; --approve returns 422 Can not approve your own pull request in that case. Use --comment or --request-changes instead.

Search

Search Repositories

GET /github/search/repositories?q={query}&per_page=30

Example queries:

tetris+language:python - Repositories with "tetris" in Python
react+stars:>10000 - Repositories with "react" and 10k+ stars

Example:

maton github repo search tetris --language python

Search Issues

GET /github/search/issues?q={query}&per_page=30

Example queries:

bug+is:open+is:issue - Open issues containing "bug"
author:username+is:pr - Pull requests by author

Example:

maton github issue search "bug" --state open

Search Code

GET /github/search/code?q={query}&per_page=30

Example queries:

addClass+repo:facebook/react - Search for "addClass" in a specific repo
function+extension:js - JavaScript functions

Note: Code search may timeout on broad queries.

Search Users

GET /github/search/users?q={query}&per_page=30

Organizations

List User Organizations

GET /github/user/orgs?per_page=30

Note: Requires read:org scope.

Get Organization

GET /github/orgs/{org}

List Organization Members

GET /github/orgs/{org}/members?per_page=30

Rate Limit

Get Rate Limit

GET /github/rate_limit

Pagination

GitHub uses page-based pagination. The CLI automatically paginates with '--paginate'.

Example:

maton github repo list --paginate

Code Examples

CLI

# Get repos as JSON (full objects)
maton github repo list --json

# Project specific fields with jq
maton github repo list --json --jq '.[] | {name, full_name, private}'

# Filter — e.g., only public repos
maton github repo list --json --jq '.[] | select(.private == false) | .name'

# Extract a single field
maton github issue list --repo owner/repo --json --jq '.[].title'

JavaScript

const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.maton.ai/github/repos/owner/repo/issues?state=open&per_page=10',
  {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.MATON_API_KEY}`
    }
  }
);
const issues = await response.json();

Python

import os
import requests

response = requests.get(
    'https://api.maton.ai/github/repos/owner/repo/issues',
    headers={'Authorization': f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}'},
    params={'state': 'open', 'per_page': 10}
)
issues = response.json()

Notes

Repository names are case-insensitive but the API preserves case
Issue numbers and PR numbers share the same sequence per repository
Content must be Base64 encoded when creating/updating files
Rate limits: 5000 requests/hour for authenticated users, 30 searches/minute
Search queries may timeout on very broad patterns
Some endpoints require specific OAuth scopes (e.g., read:org for organization operations). If you receive a scope error, contact Maton support at support@maton.ai with the specific operations/APIs you need and your use-case
IMPORTANT: When using curl commands, use curl -g when URLs contain brackets to disable glob parsing
IMPORTANT: When piping curl output to jq or other commands, environment variables like $MATON_API_KEY may not expand correctly in some shell environments

Error Handling

Status	Meaning
400	Missing GitHub connection
401	Invalid or missing Maton API key
403	Forbidden - insufficient permissions or scope
404	Resource not found
408	Request timeout (common for complex searches)
422	Validation failed
429	Rate limited
4xx/5xx	Passthrough error from GitHub API

Troubleshooting: API Key Issues

CLI:

Check your auth state:

maton whoami

Verify the API key is valid by listing connections:

maton connection list

Manual:

Check that the MATON_API_KEY environment variable is set:

echo $MATON_API_KEY

Verify the API key is valid by listing connections:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Troubleshooting: Invalid App Name

Ensure your URL path starts with github. For example:

Correct: https://api.maton.ai/github/user
Incorrect: https://api.maton.ai/api.github.com/user