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wit github import

Import repositories from GitHub to wit, including all metadata like issues, pull requests, labels, milestones, and releases.

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Overview

The GitHub import command allows you to:
  • Clone Git repository data
  • Import issues with comments
  • Import pull requests with comments
  • Import labels and milestones
  • Import releases

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Usage

# Import with defaults
wit github import <owner/repo>

# Import from URL
wit github import https://github.com/owner/repo

# Import with custom name
wit github import owner/repo --name my-fork

# Import into organization
wit github import owner/repo --org my-company

# Preview without importing
wit github import owner/repo --preview

# Import only specific data
wit github import owner/repo --issues-only
wit github import owner/repo --metadata-only

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Options

OptionAliasDescription
--name-nUse a different name for the imported repository
--description-dOverride the repository description
--org-oImport into an organization
--private-pMake the imported repository private
--token-tGitHub access token
--yes-ySkip confirmation prompts
--previewShow what will be imported without importing

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Import Filters

OptionDescription
--no-repoSkip cloning git data
--no-issuesSkip importing issues
--no-prsSkip importing pull requests
--no-labelsSkip importing labels
--no-milestonesSkip importing milestones
--no-releasesSkip importing releases
--issues-onlyImport only issues (and labels/milestones)
--prs-onlyImport only pull requests (and labels/milestones)
--metadata-onlyImport metadata without git data

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Examples

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Basic Import

wit github import facebook/react
Output: 
 Checking GitHub authentication...
 GitHub authentication found
 Fetching repository info for facebook/react...
 Found repository: facebook/react

Repository Information
--------------------------------------------------
  Name:        react
  Description: The library for web and native user interfaces
  Visibility:  public
  Default:     main
  Stars:       220000

What will be imported
--------------------------------------------------
   Git repository (commits, branches, tags)
   Labels: 45
   Milestones: 3
   Issues: 12500
   Pull Requests: 8900
   Releases: 150

Import facebook/react as react? (y/N): y

Importing...

 Cloning repository...
 Repository cloned to ./repos/user/react.git
 Importing labels [45/45] 100%
 Importing issues [12500/12500] 100%

==================================================
 Import Complete!
==================================================

   Repository: ./repos/user/react.git
   Labels: 45 imported
   Issues: 12500 imported
   Pull Requests: 8900 imported
   Releases: 150 imported

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Preview Mode

wit github import vercel/next.js --preview
Output: 
Repository Information
--------------------------------------------------
  Name:        next.js
  Description: The React Framework
  Visibility:  public
  Default:     canary
  Stars:       115000

What will be imported
--------------------------------------------------
   Git repository (commits, branches, tags)
   Labels: 67
   Milestones: 0
   Issues: 45000
   Pull Requests: 32000
   Releases: 500

Preview mode - no changes made
Remove --preview flag to perform the import

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Import with Custom Name

wit github import owner/repo --name my-custom-name

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Import into Organization

wit github import owner/repo --org my-company

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Private Repository Import

For private repositories, authenticate first: 
# Option 1: Login to GitHub
wit github login

# Option 2: Provide token directly
wit github import owner/private-repo --token ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx

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Selective Import

Import only issues: 
wit github import owner/repo --issues-only
Import metadata without git data: 
wit github import owner/repo --metadata-only
Skip specific data: 
wit github import owner/repo --no-prs --no-releases

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Authentication

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GitHub Login

For the best experience, authenticate with GitHub first: 
wit github login
This stores credentials securely for future imports.

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Token Authentication

Alternatively, provide a token directly: 
wit github import owner/repo --token ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx
Required token scopes:
  • repo - For private repositories
  • public_repo - For public repositories only

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What Gets Imported

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Git Data

  • All commits and history
  • All branches
  • All tags
  • Repository configuration

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Issues

  • Title and body
  • Labels and assignees
  • Milestone association
  • Open/closed state
  • Comments (with author attribution)
  • Original creation date (noted in body)

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Pull Requests

  • Title and body
  • Source and target branches
  • Labels and assignees
  • Merge status
  • Comments and review comments
  • Original creation date

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Labels

  • Name and color
  • Description

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Milestones

  • Title and description
  • Due date
  • Open/closed state

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Releases

  • Tag name
  • Title and body
  • Draft/prerelease status
  • Assets (metadata only)

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Notes

GitHub usernames are preserved in comments as “@username” but won’t link to wit users unless they exist.
Issue and PR numbers may differ in wit but original numbers are preserved in the content for reference.
For very large repositories, the import may take significant time. Consider using --metadata-only for initial testing.

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Server Mode

For full import functionality with database storage: 
# Start wit server
wit serve

# Import will store data in the database
wit github import owner/repo
In CLI-only mode, git data is cloned locally but metadata import has limited persistence.