GitHub

Official Cursor GitHub app for background agents

Background Agents and Bugbot require the Cursor GitHub app to clone repositories and push changes.

Installation

1. Go to Integrations in Dashboard
2. Click Connect next to GitHub
3. Choose repository either All repositories or Selected repositories

To disconnect your GitHub account, return to the integrations dashboard and click Disconnect Account.

Using Agent in GitHub

The GitHub integration enables background agent workflows directly from pull requests and issues. You can trigger an agent to read context, implement fixes, and push commits by commenting @cursor [prompt] on any PR or issue.

If you have Bugbot enabled, you can comment @cursor fix to read the suggested fix from Bugbot to trigger a background agent to address the issue.

Permissions

The GitHub app requires specific permissions to work with background agents:

Permission	Purpose
Repository access	Clone your code and create working branches
Pull requests	Create PRs with agent changes for your review
Issues	Track bugs and tasks that agents discover or fix
Checks and statuses	Report on code quality and test results
Actions and workflows	Monitor CI/CD pipelines and deployment status

All permissions follow the principle of least privilege needed for background agent functionality.

Troubleshooting

Agent can't access repository

• Install the GitHub app with repository access
• Check repository permissions for private repos
• Verify your GitHub account permissions

Permission denied for pull requests

• Grant the app write access to pull requests
• Check branch protection rules
• Reinstall if the app installation expired

App not visible in GitHub settings

• Check if installed at organization level
• Reinstall from github.com/apps/cursor
• Contact support if installation is corrupted