Claude Code GitHub Action

The Claude Code GitHub Action is an integration that development teams install directly into their GitHub repository, letting them instruct Claude to review code, make fixes, or run recurring tasks with a single comment.

Think of it like two different ways to hire building security. If the managed service run by Anthropic is like an on-site guard who patrols automatically once you turn the service on, this GitHub Action is more like an employee the company hires directly and writes the work manual for themselves. You install it with repository admin permissions, and your team decides what phrase in a comment (the trigger phrase, '@claude' by default) should prompt a response, and what that response should do. So it's not limited to reviews — it can actually fix code based on comment instructions, generate reports on a schedule, or react to specific GitHub events.

In practice, you fill in values like your Anthropic API key, a GitHub token, the trigger phrase, the instructions (prompt) to run, and any arguments to pass to Claude Code inside a workflow configuration file. Where the managed service is an off-the-shelf product you turn on with a few clicks, this is a customizable tool you assemble to fit your team's needs.

The article notes, 'anything beyond review goes to the GitHub Action' — unlike the managed Code Review service, which only attaches reviews, this Action can handle broader work such as fixing code via comment instructions or generating regular reports. One easy point of confusion: this Action doesn't work automatically either — a repository admin has to install it and write the workflow file for it to run.

1. Run the install-github-app command in the Claude Code terminal (requires repository admin permissions)
2. Follow the prompts to install the GitHub App and register your API key as a secret
3. In your repository's workflow configuration file, fill in the action name, API key, trigger phrase, and the instructions to run
4. In a pull request or issue comment, write the trigger phrase (default @claude) followed by what you want done. Example: @claude add error handling to this function