Real-time status check for GitHub. See if it's just you or everyone experiencing issues.
GitHub is the largest source code hosting platform with built-in security features including Dependabot, code scanning, and secret scanning.
Category: Dev Security | Website: github.com
ipconfig /flushdns or sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches.GitHub is the largest source code hosting platform and a critical piece of infrastructure for software development worldwide. Beyond code hosting, it provides Actions (CI/CD), Packages (artifact registry), Codespaces (cloud development environments), Copilot (AI coding assistant), Issues, Pull Requests, and security features (Dependabot, code scanning, secret scanning). When GitHub is down, much of the world's active software development pauses simultaneously.
GitHub outages typically affect specific components rather than the entire platform: git operations (clone, push, pull), web UI, API, Actions (CI/CD pipelines), Packages, Codespaces, Pages, and various integrations each have their own status. A common pattern: web UI works but Actions queue is delayed, so PRs cannot be merged because checks do not run. Or git pushes succeed but Actions never trigger.
For status verification beyond this checker, the canonical source is githubstatus.com (official component-level status page with incident history). The @githubstatus Twitter account posts updates. For developers, the API endpoint https://api.github.com tested independently from the web UI helps identify whether issues are UI-only or affect programmatic access too.
When GitHub is down, teams cannot push, review PRs, or trigger CI. Productive activities during outages: continue local development (git is decentralised, local commits accumulate normally), review code via local diff tools, run CI locally with act, work on documentation. Push and PR creation deferred until GitHub returns.
GitHub Actions outages affect deployment pipelines. Critical-path deploys may need backup options — manual deployment scripts that bypass Actions, alternative CI providers (CircleCI, GitLab CI) for the same repos via mirroring, or simply documented manual procedures.
Maintainers releasing software during GitHub outages cannot publish releases or upload binaries. Have backup distribution channels ready for critical releases — direct downloads from your project website, package manager mirrors, communication channels (mailing list, Discord) to update users about delays.
When responding to security incidents (CVEs, supply-chain compromise), GitHub being down delays patch publication and Dependabot alert triage. Have communication channels independent of GitHub (email lists, Slack/Discord) so you can coordinate with affected users during outages.
Many universities use GitHub for assignments. Outages near deadlines need contingency plans — extension policies, alternative submission methods (email, classroom platforms), instructor communication about timing.
Git is decentralised — every clone is a complete repository. If you only have code on GitHub, you have a single point of failure. Maintain at least one other location (local laptop, secondary git host, backup) for critical repositories.
When GitHub Actions is down, your deployments stop. Have a backup deployment script that can be run manually or via alternative CI. The script does not need to be triggered automatically; it just needs to exist and work when needed.
Some developers can only build/test their projects via GitHub Codespaces. When Codespaces is down, they cannot work. Local development setup should always be documented and verified periodically — Codespaces is convenience, not dependency.
GitHub web UI can be slow or down while git operations (clone, push, pull) work fine. Test git commands directly to know which is happening — git ls-remote https://github.com/owner/repo tests git access without involving the web UI.
Before reporting to GitHub support, check githubstatus.com — major issues are reflected there within minutes. Individual reports during widespread outages add noise without helping resolution. Report only when your issue appears unique.
If your local SSH key or personal access token is lost (laptop failure, accidental deletion), and GitHub auth UI is down, you cannot generate replacement credentials. Keep credentials backed up securely (password manager, encrypted backup) so credential loss does not compound with platform outages.
git ls-remote https://github.com/owner/repo from terminal — this tests git access without involving the web UI. If it returns refs, git is working. If it hangs or errors, git operations are affected.act (https://github.com/nektos/act) — runs GitHub Actions workflows in local Docker containers. Useful for testing workflows without pushing, and for working when GitHub Actions is down. Not 100% identical to GitHub-hosted runners but covers most cases.