Claude Code GitHub Actions

Learn about integrating Claude Code into your development workflow with Claude Code GitHub Actions

Claude Code GitHub Actions brings AI-powered automation to your GitHub workflow. With a simple @claude mention in any PR or issue, Claude can analyze your code, create pull requests, implement features, and fix bugs - all while following your project’s standards.

Claude Code GitHub Actions is currently in beta. Features and functionality may evolve as we refine the experience.

Claude Code GitHub Actions is built on top of the Claude Code SDK, which enables programmatic integration of Claude Code into your applications. You can use the SDK to build custom automation workflows beyond GitHub Actions.

Why use Claude Code GitHub Actions?

• Instant PR creation: Describe what you need, and Claude creates a complete PR with all necessary changes
• Automated code implementation: Turn issues into working code with a single command
• Follows your standards: Claude respects your CLAUDE.md guidelines and existing code patterns
• Simple setup: Get started in minutes with our installer and API key
• Secure by default: Your code stays on Github’s runners

What can Claude do?

Claude Code provides powerful GitHub Actions that transform how you work with code:

Claude Code Action

This GitHub Action allows you to run Claude Code within your GitHub Actions workflows. You can use this to build any custom workflow on top of Claude Code.

View repository →

Claude Code Action (Base)

The foundation for building custom GitHub workflows with Claude. This extensible framework gives you full access to Claude’s capabilities for creating tailored automation.

View repository →

Setup

Quick setup

The easiest way to set up this action is through Claude Code in the terminal. Just open claude and run /install-github-app.

This command will guide you through setting up the GitHub app and required secrets.

• You must be a repository admin to install the GitHub app and add secrets
• This quickstart method is only available for direct Anthropic API users. If you’re using AWS Bedrock or Google Vertex AI, please see the Using with AWS Bedrock & Google Vertex AI section.

Manual setup

If the /install-github-app command fails or you prefer manual setup, please follow these manual setup instructions:

1. Install the Claude GitHub app to your repository: https://github.com/apps/claude
2. Add ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to your repository secrets (Learn how to use secrets in GitHub Actions)
3. Copy the workflow file from examples/claude.yml into your repository’s .github/workflows/

After completing either the quickstart or manual setup, test the action by tagging @claude in an issue or PR comment!

Example use cases

Claude Code GitHub Actions can help you with a variety of tasks. For complete working examples, see the examples directory.

Turn issues into PRs

In an issue comment:

@claude implement this feature based on the issue description

Claude will analyze the issue, write the code, and create a PR for review.

Get implementation help

In a PR comment:

@claude how should I implement user authentication for this endpoint?

Claude will analyze your code and provide specific implementation guidance.

Fix bugs quickly

In an issue:

@claude fix the TypeError in the user dashboard component

Claude will locate the bug, implement a fix, and create a PR.

Best practices

CLAUDE.md configuration

Create a CLAUDE.md file in your repository root to define code style guidelines, review criteria, project-specific rules, and preferred patterns. This file guides Claude’s understanding of your project standards.

Security considerations

Never commit API keys directly to your repository!

Always use GitHub Secrets for API keys:

• Add your API key as a repository secret named ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
• Reference it in workflows: anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
• Limit action permissions to only what’s necessary
• Review Claude’s suggestions before merging

Always use GitHub Secrets (e.g., ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}) rather than hardcoding API keys directly in your workflow files.

Optimizing performance

Use issue templates to provide context, keep your CLAUDE.md concise and focused, and configure appropriate timeouts for your workflows.

CI costs

When using Claude Code GitHub Actions, be aware of the associated costs:

GitHub Actions costs:

• Claude Code runs on GitHub-hosted runners, which consume your GitHub Actions minutes
• See GitHub’s billing documentation for detailed pricing and minute limits

API costs:

• Each Claude interaction consumes API tokens based on the length of prompts and responses
• Token usage varies by task complexity and codebase size
• See Claude’s pricing page for current token rates

Cost optimization tips:

• Use specific @claude commands to reduce unnecessary API calls
• Configure appropriate max_turns limits to prevent excessive iterations
• Set reasonable timeout_minutes to avoid runaway workflows
• Consider using GitHub’s concurrency controls to limit parallel runs

Configuration examples

For ready-to-use workflow configurations for different use cases, including:

• Basic workflow setup for issue and PR comments
• Automated code reviews on pull requests
• Custom implementations for specific needs

Visit the examples directory in the Claude Code Action repository.

The examples repository includes complete, tested workflows that you can copy directly into your .github/workflows/ directory.

Using with AWS Bedrock & Google Vertex AI

For enterprise environments, you can use Claude Code GitHub Actions with your own cloud infrastructure. This approach gives you control over data residency and billing while maintaining the same functionality.

Prerequisites

Before setting up Claude Code GitHub Actions with cloud providers, you need:

For Google Cloud Vertex AI:

1. A Google Cloud Project with Vertex AI enabled
2. Workload Identity Federation configured for GitHub Actions
3. A service account with the required permissions
4. A GitHub App (recommended) or use the default GITHUB_TOKEN

For AWS Bedrock:

1. An AWS account with Amazon Bedrock enabled
2. GitHub OIDC Identity Provider configured in AWS
3. An IAM role with Bedrock permissions
4. A GitHub App (recommended) or use the default GITHUB_TOKEN

1. Create a custom GitHub App (Recommended for 3P Providers)

   For best control and security when using 3P providers like Vertex AI or Bedrock, we recommend creating your own GitHub App:

   1. Go to https://github.com/settings/apps/new
   2. Fill in the basic information:
      • GitHub App name: Choose a unique name (e.g., “YourOrg Claude Assistant”)
      • Homepage URL: Your organization’s website or the repository URL
   3. Configure the app settings:
      • Webhooks: Uncheck “Active” (not needed for this integration)
   4. Set the required permissions:
      • Repository permissions:
        • Contents: Read & Write
        • Issues: Read & Write
        • Pull requests: Read & Write
   5. Click “Create GitHub App”
   6. After creation, click “Generate a private key” and save the downloaded .pem file
   7. Note your App ID from the app settings page
   8. Install the app to your repository:
      • From your app’s settings page, click “Install App” in the left sidebar
      • Select your account or organization
      • Choose “Only select repositories” and select the specific repository
      • Click “Install”
   9. Add the private key as a secret to your repository:
      • Go to your repository’s Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions
      • Create a new secret named APP_PRIVATE_KEY with the contents of the .pem file
   10. Add the App ID as a secret:

   • Create a new secret named APP_ID with your GitHub App’s ID

   This app will be used with the actions/create-github-app-token action to generate authentication tokens in your workflows.

   Alternative for Anthropic API or if you don’t want to setup your own Github app: Use the official Anthropic app:

   1. Install from: https://github.com/apps/claude
   2. No additional configuration needed for authentication
2. Configure cloud provider authentication

   Choose your cloud provider and set up secure authentication:

   AWS Bedrock

   Configure AWS to allow GitHub Actions to authenticate securely without storing credentials.

   Security Note: Use repository-specific configurations and grant only the minimum required permissions.

   Required Setup:

   1. Enable Amazon Bedrock:

      • Request access to Claude models in Amazon Bedrock
      • For cross-region models, request access in all required regions

   2. Set up GitHub OIDC Identity Provider:

      • Provider URL: https://token.actions.githubusercontent.com
      • Audience: sts.amazonaws.com

   3. Create IAM Role for GitHub Actions:

      • Trusted entity type: Web identity
      • Identity provider: token.actions.githubusercontent.com
      • Permissions: AmazonBedrockFullAccess policy
      • Configure trust policy for your specific repository

   Required Values:

   After setup, you’ll need:

   • AWS_ROLE_TO_ASSUME: The ARN of the IAM role you created

   OIDC is more secure than using static AWS access keys because credentials are temporary and automatically rotated.

   See AWS documentation for detailed OIDC setup instructions.

   Google Vertex AI

   Configure Google Cloud to allow GitHub Actions to authenticate securely without storing credentials.

   Security Note: Use repository-specific configurations and grant only the minimum required permissions.

   Required Setup:

   1. Enable APIs in your Google Cloud project:

      • IAM Credentials API
      • Security Token Service (STS) API
      • Vertex AI API

   2. Create Workload Identity Federation resources:

      • Create a Workload Identity Pool
      • Add a GitHub OIDC provider with:
        • Issuer: https://token.actions.githubusercontent.com
        • Attribute mappings for repository and owner
        • Security recommendation: Use repository-specific attribute conditions

   3. Create a Service Account:

      • Grant only Vertex AI User role
      • Security recommendation: Create a dedicated service account per repository

   4. Configure IAM bindings:

      • Allow the Workload Identity Pool to impersonate the service account
      • Security recommendation: Use repository-specific principal sets

   Required Values:

   After setup, you’ll need:

   • GCP_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_PROVIDER: The full provider resource name
   • GCP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT: The service account email address

   Workload Identity Federation eliminates the need for downloadable service account keys, improving security.

   For detailed setup instructions, consult the Google Cloud Workload Identity Federation documentation.

3. Add Required Secrets

   Add the following secrets to your repository (Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions):

   For Anthropic API (Direct):

   1. For API Authentication:

      • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: Your Anthropic API key from console.anthropic.com

   2. For GitHub App (if using your own app):

      • APP_ID: Your GitHub App’s ID
      • APP_PRIVATE_KEY: The private key (.pem) content

   For Google Cloud Vertex AI

   1. For GCP Authentication:

      • GCP_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_PROVIDER
      • GCP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT

   2. For GitHub App (if using your own app):

      • APP_ID: Your GitHub App’s ID
      • APP_PRIVATE_KEY: The private key (.pem) content

   For AWS Bedrock

   1. For AWS Authentication:

      • AWS_ROLE_TO_ASSUME

   2. For GitHub App (if using your own app):

      • APP_ID: Your GitHub App’s ID
      • APP_PRIVATE_KEY: The private key (.pem) content
4. Create workflow files

   Create GitHub Actions workflow files that integrate with your cloud provider. The examples below show complete configurations for both AWS Bedrock and Google Vertex AI:

   AWS Bedrock workflow

   Prerequisites:

   • AWS Bedrock access enabled with Claude model permissions
   • GitHub configured as an OIDC identity provider in AWS
   • IAM role with Bedrock permissions that trusts GitHub Actions

   Required GitHub secrets:

   Secret Name	Description
   AWS_ROLE_TO_ASSUME	ARN of the IAM role for Bedrock access
   APP_ID	Your GitHub App ID (from app settings)
   APP_PRIVATE_KEY	The private key you generated for your GitHub App

   name: Claude PR Action 
   
   permissions:
     contents: write
     pull-requests: write
     issues: write
     id-token: write 
   
   on:
     issue_comment:
       types: [created]
     pull_request_review_comment:
       types: [created]
     issues:
       types: [opened, assigned]
   
   jobs:
     claude-pr:
       if: |
         (github.event_name == 'issue_comment' && contains(github.event.comment.body, '@claude')) ||
         (github.event_name == 'pull_request_review_comment' && contains(github.event.comment.body, '@claude')) ||
         (github.event_name == 'issues' && contains(github.event.issue.body, '@claude'))
       runs-on: ubuntu-latest
       env:
         AWS_REGION: us-west-2
       steps:
         - name: Checkout repository
           uses: actions/checkout@v4
   
         - name: Generate GitHub App token
           id: app-token
           uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v2
           with:
             app-id: ${{ secrets.APP_ID }}
             private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
   
         - name: Configure AWS Credentials (OIDC)
           uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
           with:
             role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.AWS_ROLE_TO_ASSUME }}
             aws-region: us-west-2
   
         - uses: ./.github/actions/claude-pr-action
           with:
             trigger_phrase: "@claude"
             timeout_minutes: "60"
             github_token: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
             use_bedrock: "true"
             model: "us.anthropic.claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219-v1:0"
   

   The model ID format for Bedrock includes the region prefix (e.g., us.anthropic.claude...) and version suffix.

   Google Vertex AI workflow

   Prerequisites:

   • Vertex AI API enabled in your GCP project
   • Workload Identity Federation configured for GitHub
   • Service account with Vertex AI permissions

   Required GitHub secrets:

   Secret Name	Description
   GCP_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_PROVIDER	Workload identity provider resource name
   GCP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT	Service account email with Vertex AI access
   APP_ID	Your GitHub App ID (from app settings)
   APP_PRIVATE_KEY	The private key you generated for your GitHub App

   name: Claude PR Action
   
   permissions:
     contents: write
     pull-requests: write
     issues: write
     id-token: write  
   
   on:
     issue_comment:
       types: [created]
     pull_request_review_comment:
       types: [created]
     issues:
       types: [opened, assigned]
   
   jobs:
     claude-pr:
       if: |
         (github.event_name == 'issue_comment' && contains(github.event.comment.body, '@claude')) ||
         (github.event_name == 'pull_request_review_comment' && contains(github.event.comment.body, '@claude')) ||
         (github.event_name == 'issues' && contains(github.event.issue.body, '@claude'))
       runs-on: ubuntu-latest
       steps:
         - name: Checkout repository
           uses: actions/checkout@v4
   
         - name: Generate GitHub App token
           id: app-token
           uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v2
           with:
             app-id: ${{ secrets.APP_ID }}
             private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
   
         - name: Authenticate to Google Cloud
           id: auth
           uses: google-github-actions/auth@v2
           with:
             workload_identity_provider: ${{ secrets.GCP_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_PROVIDER }}
             service_account: ${{ secrets.GCP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT }}
         
         - uses: ./.github/actions/claude-pr-action
           with:
             trigger_phrase: "@claude"
             timeout_minutes: "60"
             github_token: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
             use_vertex: "true"
             model: "claude-3-7-sonnet@20250219"
           env:
             ANTHROPIC_VERTEX_PROJECT_ID: ${{ steps.auth.outputs.project_id }}
             CLOUD_ML_REGION: us-east5
             VERTEX_REGION_CLAUDE_3_7_SONNET: us-east5
   

   The project ID is automatically retrieved from the Google Cloud authentication step, so you don’t need to hardcode it.

Troubleshooting

Claude not responding to @claude commands

Verify the GitHub App is installed correctly, check that workflows are enabled, ensure API key is set in repository secrets, and confirm the comment contains @claude (not /claude).

CI not running on Claude’s commits

Ensure you’re using the GitHub App or custom app (not Actions user), check workflow triggers include the necessary events, and verify app permissions include CI triggers.

Authentication errors

Confirm API key is valid and has sufficient permissions. For Bedrock/Vertex, check credentials configuration and ensure secrets are named correctly in workflows.

Advanced configuration

Action parameters

The Claude Code Action supports these key parameters:

Parameter	Description	Required
prompt	The prompt to send to Claude	Yes*
prompt_file	Path to file containing prompt	Yes*
anthropic_api_key	Anthropic API key	Yes**
max_turns	Maximum conversation turns	No
timeout_minutes	Execution timeout	No

*Either prompt or prompt_file required
**Required for direct Anthropic API, not for Bedrock/Vertex

Alternative integration methods

While the /install-github-app command is the recommended approach, you can also:

• Custom GitHub App: For organizations needing branded usernames or custom authentication flows. Create your own GitHub App with required permissions (contents, issues, pull requests) and use the actions/create-github-app-token action to generate tokens in your workflows.
• Manual GitHub Actions: Direct workflow configuration for maximum flexibility
• MCP Configuration: Dynamic loading of Model Context Protocol servers

See the Claude Code Action repository for detailed documentation.

Customizing Claude’s behavior

You can configure Claude’s behavior in two ways:

1. CLAUDE.md: Define coding standards, review criteria, and project-specific rules in a CLAUDE.md file at the root of your repository. Claude will follow these guidelines when creating PRs and responding to requests. Check out our Memory documentation for more details.
2. Custom prompts: Use the prompt parameter in the workflow file to provide workflow-specific instructions. This allows you to customize Claude’s behavior for different workflows or tasks.

Claude will follow these guidelines when creating PRs and responding to requests.