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Installing the ApiLens GitHub App

The ApiLens GitHub App enables automatic documentation generation for your repositories. Follow these steps to install and configure it.

Prerequisites

  • GitHub account with access to the repositories you want to document
  • Admin permissions on repositories (required for webhook creation)
  • Active ApiLens account

Installation Methods

For Personal Repositories

  1. 1Visit the ApiLens GitHub App installation page
  2. 2Review the requested permissions
  3. 3Select "All repositories" or choose specific repositories
  4. 4Click "Install & Authorize"
  5. 5You'll be redirected back to ApiLens to complete the setup

For Organization Repositories

  1. 1Navigate to your organization's GitHub settings
  2. 2Click "GitHub Apps" in the left sidebar
  3. 3Find "ApiLens" in the list and click "Configure"
  4. 4Select repositories to grant access to
  5. 5Save the configuration
  6. 6Organization owners will receive a notification about the installation

Required Permissions

The ApiLens GitHub App requests the following permissions:

Repository Permissions

Contents:Read access to analyze your code and detect API endpoints
Metadata:Read repository information and settings
Webhooks:Create webhooks for automatic documentation updates
Pull requests:Read access to analyze changes in PRs

Verification

After installation, verify the setup:

  1. 1Go to your ApiLens dashboard
  2. 2Click "New Project" and select your repository
  3. 3The permission checker will validate your setup
  4. 4Look for green checkmarks indicating successful installation

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Insufficient Permissions

If you see permission errors, ensure you have admin access to the repository. Contact the repository owner to grant you the necessary permissions.

GitHub App Not Installed

If the app doesn't appear in your installations, try the installation process again. Make sure you're logged into the correct GitHub account.

Webhooks Not Creating

Webhook creation requires admin permissions. If webhooks fail to create, you can still use ApiLens with manual documentation updates.

Managing the Installation

To modify or remove the GitHub App installation:

  1. 1Go to GitHub Settings → Applications → Installed GitHub Apps
  2. 2Find "ApiLens" and click "Configure"
  3. 3Modify repository access or uninstall as needed
  4. 4Changes will take effect immediately

Next Steps

After successful installation, head to your ApiLens dashboard to create your first project and start generating beautiful API documentation!

Go to Dashboard