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Building OAuth apps

You can build OAuth apps for yourself or others to use. Learn how to register and set up permissions and authorization options for OAuth apps.

Differences between GitHub Apps and OAuth apps

In general, GitHub Apps are preferred to OAuth apps because they use fine-grained permissions, give more control over which repositories the app can access, and use short-lived tokens.

Rate limits for OAuth apps

Rate limits restrict the rate of traffic to GitHub.com, to help ensure consistent access for all users.

Creating an OAuth app

You can create and register an OAuth app under your personal account or under any organization you have administrative access to. While creating your OAuth app, remember to protect your privacy by only using information you consider public.

Authenticating to the REST API with an OAuth app

Learn about the different ways to authenticate with some examples.

Authorizing OAuth apps

You can enable other users to authorize your OAuth app.

Scopes for OAuth apps

Scopes let you specify exactly what type of access you need. Scopes limit access for OAuth tokens. They do not grant any additional permission beyond that which the user already has.

Creating a custom badge for your OAuth app

You can replace the default badge on your OAuth app by uploading your own logo image and customizing the background.

Best practices for creating an OAuth app

Follow these best practices to improve the security and performance of your OAuth app.