Quick Answer
WhatWeShipped uses secure OAuth authentication to connect to your GitHub account, automatically syncing commits, releases, and repository metadata to generate beautiful changelogs without requiring manual updates.
OAuth Authentication Process
When you connect your GitHub account to WhatWeShipped, we use GitHub's secure OAuth 2.0 authentication system. This means:
- We never see or store your GitHub password
- You maintain full control over access permissions
- You can revoke access at any time from your GitHub settings
- All data transmission is encrypted and secure
What Data Do We Access?
WhatWeShipped requests minimal permissions to function effectively:
- Repository Information - Basic repo details like name, description, and URL
- Commit History - Commit messages, timestamps, and author information
- Release Data - Published releases and their associated tags
- File Changes - Understanding what files were modified (for context)
Automatic Synchronization
Once connected, WhatWeShipped automatically:
- Syncs new commits as they're pushed to your repository
- Detects new releases and tags
- Updates project information when repository details change
- Maintains a local copy of relevant data for fast changelog generation
Commit Processing
Our system intelligently processes your commits by:
- Analyzing commit messages for meaningful changes
- Filtering out merge commits and minor updates
- Grouping related commits together
- Extracting context from file changes and code differences
Privacy and Security
Your data security is our priority:
- No Code Access - We don't read or store your actual source code
- Minimal Data - We only access metadata necessary for changelog generation
- Secure Storage - All data is encrypted and stored securely
- GDPR Compliant - Full compliance with data protection regulations
Supported Repository Types
WhatWeShipped works with:
- Public repositories (all GitHub plans)
- Private repositories (with appropriate permissions)
- Organization repositories (with admin access)
- Forked repositories (when you have push access)
Getting Started
To connect your GitHub account:
- Sign up for a WhatWeShipped account
- Click "Connect GitHub" during project creation
- Authorize WhatWeShipped in the GitHub OAuth flow
- Select the repositories you want to include
- Start generating changelogs automatically!