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Merged
parkerbxyz merged 3 commits into from
Apr 21, 2026
Merged

docs: use APP_ prefix instead of reserved GITHUB_ prefix #363

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5ac32de
docs: use APP_ prefix instead of reserved GITHUB_ prefix
joshjohanning Apr 21, 2026
27332c4
docs: consistent name in docs
joshjohanning Apr 21, 2026
6cedb3a
docs: clarify wording in usage instructions
joshjohanning Apr 21, 2026
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50 changes: 25 additions & 25 deletions README.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ GitHub Action for creating a GitHub App installation access token.
In order to use this action, you need to:

1. [Register new GitHub App](https://docs.github.com/apps/creating-github-apps/setting-up-a-github-app/creating-a-github-app).
2. [Store the App's Client ID in your repository environment variables](https://docs.github.com/actions/how-tos/write-workflows/choose-what-workflows-do/use-variables#defining-configuration-variables-for-multiple-workflows) (example: `GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID`).
3. [Store the App's private key in your repository secrets](https://docs.github.com/actions/how-tos/write-workflows/choose-what-workflows-do/use-secrets?tool=webui#creating-secrets-for-a-repository) (example: `GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY`).
2. [Store the App's Client ID in your repository variables](https://docs.github.com/actions/how-tos/write-workflows/choose-what-workflows-do/use-variables#defining-configuration-variables-for-multiple-workflows) (example: `APP_CLIENT_ID`).
3. [Store the App's private key in your repository secrets](https://docs.github.com/actions/how-tos/write-workflows/choose-what-workflows-do/use-secrets?tool=webui#creating-secrets-for-a-repository) (example: `APP_PRIVATE_KEY`).

> [!IMPORTANT]
> [!IMPORTANT]
> An installation access token expires after 1 hour. Please [see this comment](https://github.com/actions/create-github-app-token/issues/121#issuecomment-2043214796) for alternative approaches if you have long-running processes.

### Create a token for the current repository
Expand All @@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ jobs:
- uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v3
id: app-token
with:
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
- uses: ./actions/staging-tests
with:
token: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
Expand All @@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ jobs:
id: app-token
with:
# required
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
- uses: actions/checkout@v6
with:
token: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
Expand All @@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ jobs:
id: app-token
with:
# required
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
- name: Get GitHub App User ID
id: get-user-id
run: echo "user-id=$(gh api "/users/${{ steps.app-token.outputs.app-slug }}[bot]" --jq .id)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
Expand All @@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ jobs:
id: app-token
with:
# required
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
- name: Get GitHub App User ID
id: get-user-id
run: echo "user-id=$(gh api "/users/${{ steps.app-token.outputs.app-slug }}[bot]" --jq .id)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -138,8 +138,8 @@ jobs:
- uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v3
id: app-token
with:
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
owner: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
- uses: peter-evans/create-or-update-comment@v4
with:
Expand All @@ -160,8 +160,8 @@ jobs:
- uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v3
id: app-token
with:
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
owner: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
repositories: |
repo1
Expand All @@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ jobs:
- uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v3
id: app-token
with:
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
owner: another-owner
- uses: peter-evans/create-or-update-comment@v4
with:
Expand All @@ -210,8 +210,8 @@ jobs:
- uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v3
id: app-token
with:
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
owner: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
permission-issues: write
- uses: peter-evans/create-or-update-comment@v4
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -252,8 +252,8 @@ jobs:
- uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v3
id: app-token
with:
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
owner: ${{ matrix.owners-and-repos.owner }}
repositories: ${{ join(matrix.owners-and-repos.repos) }}
- uses: octokit/request-action@v2.x
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -310,8 +310,8 @@ If you set `HTTP_PROXY` or `HTTPS_PROXY`, also set `NODE_USE_ENV_PROXY: "1"` on
NO_PROXY: github.example.com
NODE_USE_ENV_PROXY: "1"
with:
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
```

## Inputs
Expand All @@ -334,14 +334,14 @@ steps:
- name: Decode the GitHub App Private Key
id: decode
run: |
private_key=$(echo "${{ secrets.GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}" | base64 -d | awk 'BEGIN {ORS="\\n"} {print}' | head -c -2) &> /dev/null
private_key=$(echo "${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}" | base64 -d | awk 'BEGIN {ORS="\\n"} {print}' | head -c -2) &> /dev/null
echo "::add-mask::$private_key"
echo "private-key=$private_key" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
- name: Generate GitHub App Token
id: app-token
uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v3
with:
client-id: ${{ vars.GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
client-id: ${{ vars.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
private-key: ${{ steps.decode.outputs.private-key }}
```

Expand Down