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How to Set Up Claude Code Cloud Sessions and Connect a GitHub Repository

Connect GitHub to Claude Code, prepare a cloud environment, and launch a remote task—while understanding private-repository access, CLI token scope, and local-file limits.
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To start a Claude Code cloud session, sign in at claude.ai/code, authorize GitHub, select a repository and branch, then submit a task. Private repositories need an additional permission step: install Anthropic’s Claude GitHub App on the account or organization that owns the repository and grant it access to that repo.

Check that your Claude account and organization are eligible

Anthropic’s cloud quickstart lists Pro, Max, and Team plans, plus Enterprise users with premium seats or Chat + Claude Code seats. The browser flow starts at claude.ai/code; sign in with the Claude account that has cloud-session access.

For Team and Enterprise accounts, an organization Owner must enable the GitHub connector before members can use the browser sign-in flow. If the connector is disabled, you may see an access-required message instead of a sign-in button. Ask the Owner to enable it, then retry.

Cloud sessions and Remote Control are different. Anthropic describes a cloud session as running Claude Code on cloud infrastructure instead of your machine. Remote Control lets a browser or phone steer a session that continues running on your own machine, with access to your local files.

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Connect GitHub and grant repository access

  1. Open claude.ai/code and sign in with your eligible Claude account.

  2. Choose the option to connect GitHub, then complete the GitHub authorization prompt.

  3. For a public repository, the connection can clone it. To use a private repository, install the Claude GitHub App on the GitHub account or organization that owns the repository, then grant the app access to that repository. An organization Owner may have to approve the installation.

Authorizing a GitHub account does not automatically make every private repository available. If a repository is missing, check which account or organization owns it, whether the Claude GitHub App is installed there, and whether that repository is included in the app installation’s access selection.

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Create or accept a cloud environment

A cloud environment holds network-access settings, environment variables, and optional setup scripts. For a basic first task, the Default environment is sufficient: Anthropic documents it as using Trusted network access with no setup script or custom environment variables.

Pro and Max onboarding creates the Default environment. Team and Enterprise onboarding may instead show an environment form, unless an Owner has enabled Quick web setup. That setting is optional; it controls whether /web-setup is enabled and whether onboarding creates an environment automatically.

If the project needs dependencies installed at startup or access to domains outside the environment’s defaults, configure an appropriate setup script or network access before launching work. Ordinary environment variables are readable by anyone using that environment, so do not store secrets in them. Anthropic documents a separate API credential mechanism for supported external API hosts on Pro and Max.

Start a browser or mobile cloud task

  1. Select the repository and branch in the Claude Code cloud interface.

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  2. Choose a permission mode, then describe one concrete task with enough context to identify the expected change.

  3. Submit the task. Each task receives its own session and branch. The browser and mobile flows provide a diff for review and a path to create a pull request.

Closing the browser tab does not stop the task. The session continues until the task finishes, then idles.

Connect from the CLI with GitHub CLI

If you prefer to connect through GitHub CLI, authenticate Claude Code with your Claude account and run /web-setup. The command reads the token returned by gh auth token, asks you to confirm, and sends that token to Anthropic. The resulting cloud session can access repositories available to that token.

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This method has important scope and compatibility limits:

Launch a cloud session from a local checkout

After setup, you can start a task from a terminal with claude --cloud "Describe the task". This path clones the current directory’s GitHub remote at its current branch. Push local commits first if the cloud session needs them; a remote clone will not include commits that exist only on your machine.

The cloud VM is isolated and uses a fresh repository clone. Files committed to Git are available, but local-only configuration and uncommitted work generally are not part of that clone. Anthropic’s CLI documentation describes a local-bundle fallback when there is no GitHub remote or the Claude GitHub App is not installed. The documented full-bundle behavior applies when the repository is under 100 MB; larger repositories use fallback behavior.

Bundle contents and handling vary by operating system. On native Windows, uncommitted tracked changes are uploaded as they are, regardless of their names. Check or stash sensitive tracked edits before using this fallback.

Understand credentials and remote access

For Anthropic-hosted environments, GitHub credentials remain encrypted on Anthropic’s servers and do not enter the session VM; GitHub operations use a proxy. This is distinct from ordinary environment variables, which are readable by anyone using the environment.

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The cloud CLI flow requires an Anthropic account and, for organization users, permission under the organization’s policy for remote sessions. It is unavailable with third-party model providers such as Bedrock and Vertex AI.

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Troubleshoot a repository that Claude Code cannot see

Choose the right connection and execution method

Method Repository access Best fit and trade-off
Claude GitHub App Public repositories and private repositories explicitly granted to the installation Recommended for browser setup and project threads; supports features such as auto-fix.
/web-setup with gh auth token Repositories available to the supplied GitHub token Convenient for a personally launched session, but token scope can include more repositories than the one task needs; project threads still require the app.
Execution surface Where code runs Local files and handoff
Browser, mobile, or Desktop cloud session Remote cloud infrastructure Uses a fresh clone or applicable CLI bundle; review the diff and create a pull request through the interface.
Local session with Remote Control Your own machine Browser or phone steers the local process, which continues to use local files and configuration.

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