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GitHub Authentication Token

Overview

The GitHub Authentication Token feature allows you to configure a personal access token from GitHub to avoid rate limiting when the Blender Launcher makes requests to GitHub’s API.

Why Use a GitHub Token?

GitHub limits the number of API requests that can be made without authentication:

  • Without authentication: 60 requests per hour
  • With authentication: 5,000 requests per hour

The Blender Launcher uses GitHub’s API to:

  • Check for new launcher updates
  • Fetch UPBGE builds (both stable and weekly releases)
  • Download API data files
  • Fetch release notes and patch information

If you use the Blender Launcher frequently or check for updates often, you may hit the rate limit. Adding a GitHub token prevents this issue.

How to Create a GitHub Token

  1. Log in to GitHub
    Go to github.com and sign in to your account.

  2. Access Developer Settings

  3. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner
  4. Select Settings

  5. Scroll down and click on Developer settings (bottom of the left sidebar)

  6. Create a Personal Access Token

  7. Click on Personal access tokens → Tokens (classic)

  8. Click Generate new token → Generate new token (classic)

  9. Configure Token Settings

  10. Note: Enter a descriptive name like “Blender Launcher”
  11. Expiration: Choose an expiration period (recommended: 90 days or 1 year)

  12. Scopes: You don’t need to select any scopes for basic API access

    • The token only needs public read access to GitHub API
    • No repository or user permissions are required

  13. Generate and Copy Token

  14. Click Generate token at the bottom
  15. Important: Copy the token immediately! GitHub only shows it once
  16. The token will look like: ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

How to Add Token to Blender Launcher

  1. Open Blender Launcher
  2. Click the Settings button (gear icon) in the top left
  3. Go to the Connection tab
  4. Scroll down to the Connection Authentication section
  5. Find the GitHub Token field
  6. Paste your token into the field
  7. Changes are saved automatically in your system’s secure credential manager

Tip

The token is stored securely in your system’s credential manager (Windows Credential Manager, macOS Keychain, or Linux Secret Service), if it fail to save it in the system’s credential manager, it will fall back to the user settings file with a warning.

Token Security

  • Your token is stored securely using your system’s credential manager:
  • Windows: Windows Credential Manager (same place Windows stores passwords)
  • macOS: macOS Keychain
  • Linux: Secret Service API (gnome-keyring, KWallet, etc.)
  • Falls back to user settings file if system keyring is unavailable
  • The token is only sent to api.github.com when the launcher checks for updates or fetches UPBGE builds
  • Never share your token with anyone else
  • If you believe your token has been compromised, revoke it on GitHub and create a new one

Info

If your system’s keyring is unavailable, the token will fall back to user settings with a warning. This ensures the feature always works, even in restricted environments.

Revoking a Token

If you need to revoke your token:

  1. Go to GitHub → Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens
  2. Find your “Blender Launcher” token
  3. Click Delete or Revoke
  4. Create a new token if needed

Troubleshooting

Token Not Working

  • Verify the token was copied correctly (no extra spaces)
  • Ensure the token hasn’t expired
  • Check that the token is a classic token (fine-grained tokens may have different requirements)

Additional Resources