57 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
57 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Creating a personal access token
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intro: You should create a personal access token to use in place of a password with the command line or with the API.
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redirect_from:
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- /articles/creating-an-oauth-token-for-command-line-use/
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- /articles/creating-an-access-token-for-command-line-use/
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- /articles/creating-a-personal-access-token-for-the-command-line
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- /github/authenticating-to-github/creating-a-personal-access-token-for-the-command-line
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versions:
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free-pro-team: '*'
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enterprise-server: '*'
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github-ae: '*'
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---
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Personal access tokens (PATs) are an alternative to using passwords for authentication to {% data variables.product.product_name %} when using the [GitHub API](/rest/overview/other-authentication-methods#via-oauth-and-personal-access-tokens) or the [command line](#using-a-token-on-the-command-line).
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{% if currentVersion == "free-pro-team@latest" %}If you want to use a PAT to access resources owned by an organization that uses SAML SSO, you must authorize the PAT. For more information, see "[About authentication with SAML single sign-on](/articles/about-authentication-with-saml-single-sign-on)" and "[Authorizing a personal access token for use with SAML single sign-on](/articles/authorizing-a-personal-access-token-for-use-with-saml-single-sign-on)."{% endif %}
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{% if currentVersion == "free-pro-team@latest" %}{% data reusables.user_settings.removes-personal-access-tokens %}{% endif %}
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### Creating a token
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{% if currentVersion == "free-pro-team@latest" %}1. [Verify your email address](/articles/verifying-your-email-address), if it hasn't been verified yet.{% endif %}
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{% data reusables.user_settings.access_settings %}
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{% data reusables.user_settings.developer_settings %}
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{% data reusables.user_settings.personal_access_tokens %}
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4. Click **Generate new token**.
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5. Give your token a descriptive name.
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6. Select the scopes, or permissions, you'd like to grant this token. To use your token to access repositories from the command line, select **repo**.
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7. Click **Generate token**.
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8. Click {% octicon "clippy" aria-label="The copy to clipboard icon" %} to copy the token to your clipboard. For security reasons, after you navigate off the page, you will not be able to see the token again.{% if currentVersion == "free-pro-team@latest" %}
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{% else %}
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{% endif %}
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{% warning %}
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**Warning:** Treat your tokens like passwords and keep them secret. When working with the API, use tokens as environment variables instead of hardcoding them into your programs.
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{% endwarning %}
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{% if currentVersion == "free-pro-team@latest" %}9. To use your token to authenticate to an organization that uses SAML SSO, [authorize the token for use with a SAML single-sign-on organization](/articles/authorizing-a-personal-access-token-for-use-with-saml-single-sign-on).{% endif %}
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### Using a token on the command line
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{% data reusables.command_line.providing-token-as-password %}
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Personal access tokens can only be used for HTTPS Git operations. If your repository uses an SSH remote URL, you will need to [switch the remote from SSH to HTTPS](/articles/changing-a-remote-s-url/#switching-remote-urls-from-ssh-to-https).
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If you are not prompted for your username and password, your credentials may be cached on your computer. You can [update your credentials in the Keychain](/articles/updating-credentials-from-the-osx-keychain) to replace your old password with the token.
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### Further reading
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- "[About authentication to GitHub](/github/authenticating-to-github/about-authentication-to-github)"
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