GitHub for Confluence FAQ

The questions below come from support conversations and from the edge cases in the product. Each answer links to the page with the detail.

#Does GitHub for Confluence work with private repositories?

Yes. Each reader connects their own GitHub account and sees a private file only if GitHub lets them open it. Everyone else sees a Connect GitHub card instead. See Private file path.

#Can logged-out or anonymous readers see GitHub files?

Public files, yes: they render for everyone, logged-out readers included, with no connection. Private files never render for a logged-out reader; they see a short notice and Open on GitHub. See Public file path.

#Can an administrator connect GitHub once for the whole site?

No. There is no site-wide or admin connection, and no GitHub settings screen. Each person connects their own account. See Admin wants to connect GitHub once on behalf of the whole site.

#Does it support GitLab or Bitbucket?

Not in Confluence. The Confluence macro reads from GitHub only. See What is not available.

#Does the page update when the file changes on GitHub?

Yes. The macro reads the file from GitHub each time the page is viewed, so it shows what is on the branch now. A link to a tag or commit stays fixed. See Refresh a GitHub file on a Confluence page.

#Can I show only a few lines of a file?

No. A line range such as #L10-L20 in a pasted link is ignored and the whole file shows. See Pasted a link with a line range.

#Can I embed a PDF that is stored in GitHub?

Not today. PDF is not a file type the macro renders, and the picker says This file type cannot be rendered. To show a PDF, attach it to the page and use a PDF viewer instead.

#Why does GitHub ask me to authorise the app every time I connect?

The app always asks GitHub to show the consent screen, so you can check which account you are approving. It does not mean the earlier connection failed. See Consent behaviour.

#What does "Git: error" on the page byline mean?

The byline could not load for that view. Hover over it: the tooltip starts Git could not load: and gives the reason, such as an HTTP status. The GitHub files on the page are not affected. Reload the page; if it persists, send the tooltip text to support. See Page byline: GitHub.

#Why does the byline say "Github" with no file count?

No GitHub files are recorded for the page yet, usually because Confluence has not indexed a macro you just added. Once it has, the byline reads 1 file or N files. See Just added a GitHub macro but the page does not appear.

#Do GitHub files appear in PDF or Word exports and published sites?

Not as content. A Confluence PDF or Word export leaves the file out, and a published Capable Site shows an amber note in its place. See Export and published sites.

#Why do Title and Show Line Numbers seem to do nothing?

The Title is not shown on the page; it only labels the file in the page byline's list. Code always shows line numbers, whatever Show Line Numbers says. Put a Confluence heading above the macro if you want a visible title. See Github file.

#How do I disconnect my GitHub account?

Remove the app in your Atlassian account's Connected apps. The Disconnect button in the picker only points you there. See Disconnect GitHub from Confluence.

#Related

Short answers, with the detail one click away.