# Private Github Search

Full-text search across all of the user's GitHub repos (including private ones) using a...

- Repository: https://github.com/ykdojo/claude-code-tips (10298 stars)
- Category: Git and review
- License: see repository
- Last updated: 2026-09-25
- Runs scripts: yes, review before use

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add ykdojo/claude-code-tips --skill private-github-search -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add ykdojo/claude-code-tips --skill private-github-search -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add ykdojo/claude-code-tips --skill private-github-search -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add ykdojo/claude-code-tips --skill private-github-search -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add ykdojo/claude-code-tips`

## Description

Full-text search across all of the user's GitHub repos (including private ones) using a local mirror and ripgrep. Use for "where did I put X", "which repo has X", or any search spanning the user's repos - gh search code / the REST API cannot reliably search private repos.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Private GitHub search

GitHub's modern code search (the one that indexes private repos) is web-only; `gh search code` uses the legacy engine and often returns nothing for private repos. Instead, search a local mirror of all the user's repos - it covers the same content as GitHub's index (default branch, non-fork) and a full search takes milliseconds.

## Searching

Find the bundled sync script (works for plugin installs and manual symlinks):

```bash
find ~/.claude ~/.codex -name "private-github-search-sync.sh" 2>/dev/null | sort -V | tail -1
```

Always refresh first - it exits instantly if the mirror was synced within the last hour, and takes ~15s otherwise (`--force` syncs regardless of age):

```bash
bash <script-path>
rg -il 'pattern' ~/repo-mirror/repos          # which files
rg -in 'pattern' ~/repo-mirror/repos | head   # matching lines
```

## First-time setup

If `~/repo-mirror/owners.txt` doesn't exist: ask the user which GitHub accounts to mirror (don't guess - they may manage several), write them one per line to `~/repo-mirror/owners.txt`, then run the sync script in the background (initial clone takes a few minutes; needs `gh` auth with access to those accounts).

## Caveats

- Only the default-branch tip is mirrored - for history or other branches, use `git log -S` in a full clone or GitHub web search.
- The mirror may contain private data: keep it out of synced folders and never commit or publish its contents.