Add-ons

WordPress GitHub Integration

5 min read Updated Jan 26, 2026

A powerful add-on for WordPress Download Manager that allows you to connect your GitHub account and attach repositories as downloadable files.

Features

  • GitHub OAuth Integration – Securely connect your GitHub account
  • Repository Browser – Browse and search all your GitHub repositories
  • One-Click Attach – Attach any repository as a downloadable ZIP file
  • Webhook Support – Automatically update files when new releases are published
  • Private Repository Support – Access both public and private repositories
  • Version Sync – Automatically sync version numbers from GitHub releases

Requirements

  • WordPress 5.0 or higher
  • WordPress Download Manager (WPDM) plugin installed and activated
  • A GitHub account
  • GitHub OAuth App credentials

Installation

  1. Upload the wpdm-github folder to /wp-content/plugins/
  2. Activate the plugin through the WordPress ‘Plugins’ menu
  3. Navigate to Downloads → Settings → Github Connect to configure

Configuration

Step 1: Create a GitHub OAuth App

  1. Go to GitHub Developer Settings
  2. Click “New OAuth App”
  3. Fill in the application details:
    • Application name: Your site name (e.g., “My WordPress Site”)
    • Homepage URL: Your website URL (e.g., https://yoursite.com)
    • Authorization callback URL: Copy from WPDM settings (see Step 2)
  4. Click “Register application”
  5. Note your Client ID
  6. Click “Generate a new client secret” and copy the Client Secret

Step 2: Configure Plugin Settings
WordPress Github Integration Admin Settings

  1. In WordPress admin, go to Downloads → Settings → Github Connect
  2. Enter your Client ID and Client Secret from GitHub
  3. Copy the Redirect URI shown in the settings and paste it in your GitHub OAuth App’s “Authorization callback URL”
  4. Click Save Settings

Step 3: Connect Your GitHub Account

  1. After saving the API credentials, click the “Connect with GitHub” button
  2. Authorize the application on GitHub
  3. You’ll be redirected back to WordPress with your account connected
  4. You should see your GitHub username and avatar displayed

Usage

Attaching a GitHub Repository to a Download

  1. Create or edit a Download in Downloads → Add New or Downloads → All Downloads
  2. In the “Attach File” metabox, click the “Select From GitHub” button
  3. A modal will open showing all your repositories
  4. Use the search bar to filter repositories by name
  5. Click “Attach” next to the repository you want to add
  6. The repository will be downloaded as a ZIP file and attached to the download

Repository Information Displayed

For each repository, you’ll see:

  • Repository name (owner/repo format)
  • Default branch (main, master, etc.)
  • Latest release tag (if available)
  • Last update date (if available)

Webhook Configuration (Optional)

Webhooks allow automatic updates when you publish new releases on GitHub.

Setting Up Webhooks

  1. Go to Downloads → Settings → Github Connect
  2. Copy the WebHook URI
  3. Optionally, set a WebHook Secret for added security
  4. In your GitHub repository, go to Settings → Webhooks → Add webhook
  5. Configure the webhook:
    • Payload URL: Paste the WebHook URI from WPDM
    • Content type: application/json
    • Secret: Enter the same secret you set in WPDM (if any)
    • Events: Select “Releases” or “Let me select individual events” and check “Releases”
  6. Click “Add webhook”

How Webhooks Work

When you publish a new release on GitHub:

  1. GitHub sends a webhook notification to your WordPress site
  2. The plugin automatically downloads the new release ZIP
  3. The version number in WPDM is updated to match the release tag
  4. Users downloading the file will get the latest version

File Storage

Downloaded repository files are stored in:

/wp-content/uploads/download-manager-files/github/

Files are named using the repository name (e.g., my-repo.zip).

Token Configuration (Advanced)

The plugin looks for GitHub tokens in the following order:

  1. User Meta – Token stored when connecting via OAuth
  2. WordPress Option – wpdm_github_token option in the database
  3. PHP Constant – Define GITHUB_TOKEN in wp-config.php: 
    define('GITHUB_TOKEN', 'your_personal_access_token');
  4. Environment Variable – Set GITHUB_TOKEN in your server environment

This flexibility allows webhooks and cron jobs to access GitHub even without a logged-in user.

Troubleshooting

“GitHub is not connected” Error

  • Ensure you’ve completed the OAuth flow by clicking “Connect with GitHub”
  • Check that your Client ID and Client Secret are correct
  • Verify the Redirect URI matches exactly in both WPDM settings and GitHub OAuth App

Repository Not Downloading

  • Check that your GitHub token has access to the repository
  • For private repos, ensure the token has the repo scope
  • Check the webhook log at /wp-content/plugins/wpdm-github/webhook-log.txt for errors

Webhook Not Working

  • Verify the Webhook URL is accessible from the internet
  • Check that the webhook secret matches (if configured)
  • Look for delivery errors in GitHub’s webhook settings page
  • Check the webhook log file for debugging information

File Not Found on Download

  • Ensure the ZIP file exists in the github folder
  • Re-attach the repository to trigger a fresh download
  • Check file permissions on the upload directory

Disconnecting GitHub

To disconnect your GitHub account:

  1. Go to Downloads → Settings → Github Connect
  2. Click the “Disconnect GitHub” button
  3. Confirm the disconnection

This removes the stored access token but does not revoke access on GitHub’s side. To fully revoke access:

  1. Go to GitHub Settings → Applications → Authorized OAuth Apps
  2. Find your WordPress site’s OAuth app
  3. Click “Revoke”