Repository Collaborators

Collaborators are users who have been granted specific access to a repository. They can contribute code, manage issues, and perform various actions based on their permission level.

Types of Repository Access

GitHub provides different levels of access for collaborators:

Adding Collaborators

1. Navigate to repository: Go to your GitHub repository
2. Access settings: Click the "Settings" tab
3. Manage access: Click "Manage access" in the left sidebar
4. Invite collaborator: Click "Invite a collaborator"
5. Enter username: Type the GitHub username or email
6. Set permissions: Choose the appropriate access level
7. Send invitation: Click "Add [username] to this repository"

Best Practices for Managing Collaborators

Permission Management

• Principle of least privilege: Give users only the access they need
• Regular reviews: Periodically review and update collaborator permissions
• Remove inactive users: Remove collaborators who no longer need access

Team Organization

• Use organizations: For larger projects, use GitHub Organizations
• Create teams: Group collaborators with similar roles
• Document roles: Clearly define what each permission level means for your project

Working with External Collaborators

Fork and Pull Model

For open source projects or when working with external contributors:

1. Contributors fork your repository
2. They make changes in their fork
3. They submit a pull request
4. You review and merge their changes

Direct Collaboration

For trusted team members:

1. Add them as collaborators
2. They can work directly on branches
3. Use pull requests for code review
4. Maintain branch protection rules

Collaboration Tools

Branch Protection Rules

• Require pull request reviews
• Require status checks
• Restrict who can push to protected branches
• Require signed commits

Code Review Process

• Use pull request templates
• Establish review requirements
• Set up automated checks
• Document review guidelines

Additional Resources