---
title: "Configure the GitHub data source | Grafana Labs"
description: "Learn how to configure your GitHub data source with authentication credentials and test the connection."
---

> For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt).

# Configure the GitHub data source

In this milestone, you configure your GitHub data source with the Personal Access Token you created and verify that the connection works correctly. This step establishes the authenticated connection between Grafana and the GitHub API.

Proper authentication ensures that your data source can access the repositories and data you need for your dashboards. The connection test validates that your token has the correct permissions and that the GitHub API is accessible.

To configure authentication and verify the connection, complete the following steps: Watch video ->

1. In the **Name** field, enter a descriptive name for your data source.
   
   For example, enter `My GitHub Organization Data` or `GitHub Repository Data`.
   
   > **Did you know?** The name of the data source appears on the dashboard panels, so it’s important to choose a meaningful name. If there are multiple data sources for a dashboard panel, the default toggle determines which data source appears by default.
2. Optionally, enable the **Default** toggle if you want this to be your default data source when creating new panels.
3. Scroll down to the **Authentication** section at the bottom of the page.
4. For **Authentication Type**, **Personal Access Token** is selected by default. This is the recommended option for most users.
5. Paste the GitHub Personal Access Token you created earlier.
   
   **Tip:** Ensure you paste the complete token without any extra spaces or characters.
6. Under **Connection**, select your **GitHub License Type**:
   
   - **Free, Pro & Team** (default) - For personal accounts and standard GitHub organizations
   - **Enterprise Cloud** - For GitHub Enterprise Cloud customers
   - **Enterprise Server** - For self-hosted GitHub Enterprise Server
7. Click **Save & test** to save the configuration and test the connection.
   
   A successful connection will display a green checkmark with the message “Data source is working”.

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### Troubleshooting

Explore the following troubleshooting topics if you need help:

- [Data source setup fail (“Authentication failed”) when using the GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT)?](/docs/plugins/grafana-github-datasource/latest/troubleshoot/#why-does-my-data-source-setup-fail-authentication-failed-when-using-a-github-personal-access-token-pat)
- [Cannot access private repositories or organizations?](/docs/plugins/grafana-github-datasource/latest/troubleshoot/#why-cant-i-access-private-repositories-or-organizations)