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Connect your GitHub account, choose a repository, and tell Sphinx what to learn from it. A repository is a collection of files stored in GitHub. An ingest is the process of reading those files and turning them into knowledge in Sphinx.

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Before you start

Have these ready:
  • Your Sphinx sign-in and the workspace you want to use.
  • Your GitHub sign-in and the name of the repository you want to add.
  • Someone who manages your company’s GitHub account, in case GitHub asks for their approval.
Git ingest is currently in beta. If you cannot find Git Repository in Sphinx, ask the Sphinx team to enable it for your workspace.
The screenshots use development workspaces and sphinx-ml/docs as an example repository. Your workspace and connector names may look different.

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1. Connect GitHub

A connector is the saved connection between Sphinx and GitHub. You will create one, allow access in GitHub, and then sign in to it.
1

Open Connectors

In Sphinx, click Settings at the bottom left.Check that the correct Workspace is selected, then click Connectors.
Sphinx Settings drawer with a workspace selected and the Connectors link visible

Settings → Connectors

2

Choose GitHub

Click New connector.Under Documents & repositories, click GitHub.
GitHub card under Documents and repositories on the Available connectors page

Choose the GitHub card.

3

Name your connection

In Connector name, enter a name you will recognize, such as GitHub documentation demo.Click Connect GitHub. GitHub opens in another tab. Keep the Sphinx tab open.
GitHub connector form with an example name and the Connect GitHub button

Enter a name, then click Connect GitHub.

4

Choose the repository in GitHub

Sign in to GitHub if asked. Choose the account or company that owns your repository.Select Only select repositories, open Select repositories, and choose the repository you want Sphinx to read. Our example is sphinx-ml/docs.Review the permissions, then click Install. If the app is already installed, you may see Update access instead.
GitHub repository access screen with sphinx-ml/docs selected and read access to code and metadata shown

Choose your repository. This example shows an app that is already installed.

If GitHub shows Request or says an organization owner must complete this action, ask the person who manages your company’s GitHub account to finish this step. See GitHub’s installation help for details.
5

Return to Sphinx and sign in with GitHub

Return to your Sphinx connector tab. Refresh the page if needed.Under Authentication, click Sign in with GitHub. Follow GitHub’s prompts to authorize the connection.When you see Authentication successful. You can close this tab., close that tab and return to Sphinx.
If Sign in with GitHub is greyed out, finish Install GitHub App first. Installation and sign-in are two separate steps.
6

Check that you are connected

Your connector should now show Manage GitHub App and Reconnect GitHub. Refresh the page if those buttons have not updated.You are ready to set up the ingest.

These buttons show that installation and sign-in are complete.

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2. Set up the ingest

1

Start a new ingest

In the same Sphinx workspace, click Ingest in the left sidebar.Click New Ingest at the top right.
Ingest page with New Ingest at the top right

Ingest → New Ingest

2

Choose Git Repository

Scroll down to Experimental and click Git Repository.
Git Repository card in the Experimental section of the ingest options

Find Git Repository near the bottom of the page.

3

Choose your connection and repository

In GitHub connector, select your saved GitHub connection.In Repository, choose the repository you want to add. For this example, choose sphinx-ml/docs.Choose the connection you named earlier: GitHub documentation demo in this example.
4

Write a detailed focus prompt

In Focus prompt, explain what you want Sphinx to learn and give it the context it needs to understand your repository.
Take time to write a detailed, specific prompt. A high-quality focus prompt helps Sphinx find the right information and preserve the details your team needs. Include useful context and concrete questions, rather than just asking it to “summarize the repository.”
You do not need to write code. In plain language, include:
  • Your goal: Who will use this knowledge, and what should it help them do?
  • Where to look: Name important topics, folders, or files if you know them.
  • Context: Explain unfamiliar terms and identify which information is current or most reliable.
  • Details to keep: Call out rules, calculations, exceptions, dependencies, or setup steps that matter.
  • Questions to answer: Give a few real questions you want Sphinx to be able to answer afterward.
For more guidance, see Write a good ingest prompt. In a Git ingest, the focus prompt sets priorities: it steers which files and topics Sphinx focuses on, but it does not hide files from Sphinx.For the documentation repository in this guide, a detailed prompt could look like this:
Use this example if your team builds internal analytics dashboards. Add the dashboard names, business topics, and folders that matter to your team.
Adapt these examples to your repository. Specificity matters more than length: include the context you know and the details you need, without adding unrelated instructions. Explain the business meaning you want to capture, rather than asking for a file-by-file code summary.
Git Repository form with a saved connector, sphinx-ml/docs repository, a detailed focus prompt, and Create ingest button

Choose a connector and repository, then enter your detailed focus prompt. You can scroll within the prompt to review it.

5

Create the ingest

Check that the repository and focus prompt are correct, then click Create ingest once.Sphinx opens a page where you can follow its progress. You can also find the job later under Ingest.When Review Changes appears, click it to read the proposed knowledge before accepting it.

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If you get stuck

Go to Settings → Connectors and open your connector.Click Install GitHub App to finish installation, or Sign in with GitHub to finish signing in. You do not need to create another connector.
Ask the person who manages your company’s GitHub account to complete the app setup for your repository. Return to Sphinx afterward and refresh the connector page.If the app already has access but Sphinx still shows Install GitHub App, ask the Sphinx team for help connecting that existing installation.
Check that you selected the right GitHub connector and signed in with an account that can access the repository.Open the connector and use Manage GitHub App to check that your repository is included. Ask your GitHub administrator for help if you cannot change this. Then reload the ingest page and select the connector again.
Check the Workspace in Settings. Use the same workspace where you created the connector.
Ask the Sphinx team to enable Git ingest for your workspace. Include your workspace’s name.
Make sure you selected a connected GitHub connector, chose a Repository, and entered a Focus prompt.
Sphinx reads the repository’s default branch—the version GitHub normally shows when you open the repository. There is no branch selector on the ingest page.
Share the job ID, repository name, and any error message with the Sphinx team. If knowledge is missing, give one example of what you expected Sphinx to learn.