Guide: Connecting Cursor to your private GitHub repo (and why it might be blocked)

Hey everyone! I've been setting up Cursor across my team's projects and hit a common snag: getting it to talk to our private GitHub repos. It's not always plug-and-play, especially in larger orgs with stricter security postures. Here's a quick guide and the main reasons you might see a connection fail.

First, the straightforward way is to just use the GitHub integration inside Cursor. You click "Add Repository," authenticate with GitHub, and select your private repo. Cursor will clone it locally and index it. But if that fails, you're likely hitting one of these blockers:

* **Firewall/Proxy Rules:** Corporate networks often block outbound connections to "unapproved" SaaS tools. Cursor needs to talk to `api.github.com`.
* **SSH vs. HTTPS:** If your repo requires SSH keys and your local SSH agent isn't set up or the key isn't loaded, Cursor can't authenticate.
* **Fine-Grained PATs or GitHub App Restrictions:** Your GitHub admin might have set policies that prevent personal access tokens (PATs) from accessing certain repos or require a specific GitHub App. Cursor's integration might not meet those rules.
* **Suspicious Activity Triggers:** If GitHub sees a login from a new location/IP (like Cursor's cloud backend), it might temporarily block the access.

Here's a quick diagnostic you can run in your terminal to check basic connectivity and authentication:

```bash
# Test HTTPS access (what Cursor often uses initially)
curl -H "Authorization: token YOUR_GITHUB_PAT" https://api.github.com/user/repos

# Test SSH access
ssh -T git@github.com
```

If the first command doesn't list your repos, your PAT is missing the `repo` scope or is blocked. If the second fails, your SSH setup needs work.

**Workaround:** If the direct integration is blocked, I've had success by just cloning the repo locally first, outside of Cursor, using the approved company method (e.g., SSH with a configured key or through VPN). Then, in Cursor, you simply "Open" the local project folder. You lose the automatic branch syncing, but you still get all the AI context on your local code. It's a decent stopgap while you chat with your security team about approving the official integration.

Hope this helps someone avoid an hour of head-scratching! Let me know if you've run into other blockers.