1.1.1.2 About OAuth Apps

An OAuth App uses GitHub as an identity provider to authenticate as the user who grants access to the app. This means when a user grants an OAuth App access, they grant permissions to all repositories they have access to in their account, and also to any organizations they belong to that haven’t blocked third-party access.

Building an OAuth App is a good option if you are creating more complex processes than a simple script can handle. Note that OAuth Apps are applications that need to be hosted somewhere.

To create an OAuth App, see:

• Creating an OAuth App
• Registering your app
• A user or organization can own up to 100 OAuth apps.
• An OAuth App should always act as the authenticated GitHub user across all of GitHub
• An OAuth App can be used as an identity provider by enabling a "Login with GitHub" for the authenticated user.
• Don’t build an OAuth App if you want your application to act on a single repository. With the repo OAuth scope, OAuth Apps can act on all of the authenticated user’s repositories.
• Don’t build an OAuth App to act as an application for your team or company. OAuth Apps authenticate as a single userDon’t build an OAuth App to act as an application for your team or company. OAuth Apps authenticate as a single user.