How to Monitor GitHub for Repository Changes

This guide shows you how to keep an eye on any GitHub repository so you never miss a new commit, release, or issue. You can get notified in your email, on your phone, or right in your browser—no coding required. We’ll cover the built-in GitHub tools first, then a few third-party options for more advanced needs.

What You’ll Need

• A GitHub account (free tier works fine).
• An email address you check regularly (for email notifications).
• Optional: a Telegram account or a Slack workspace if you want notifications there.

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Watch a Repository (Built-in)

1. Go to the repository page on GitHub (e.g., https://github.com/owner/repo).
2. Click the Watch button near the top-right, next to the star and fork buttons.
3. Choose your notification level:
   • Participating and @mentions – only get notified when you’re involved.
   • All Activity – get notified about every issue, PR, commit, release, and discussion.
   • Custom – pick specific events like Releases, Issues, or Pull requests.
   • Ignore – stop watching (but you can still see activity on the repo page).
4. Click Apply to save your choice.

Method 2: Adjust Your Notification Settings

1. Click your profile picture in the top-right and select Settings.
2. In the left sidebar, choose Notifications.
3. Under “Watching,” choose how you want to receive notifications:
   • Email – each notification goes to your primary email.
   • Web – notifications appear in the GitHub notification bell (top-right of any page).
   • Mobile – if you have the GitHub mobile app, enable push notifications.
4. Scroll down to “Email notification preferences” to set how often emails are sent (immediately, hourly, or daily).

Method 3: Use a Third-Party Service (for advanced filtering)

1. Choose a service like GitPunch, ReleaseBell, or ntfy (all free).
2. For GitPunch: visit gitpunch.com, sign in with your GitHub account, and it will show a list of repositories you’ve starred. Toggle the ones you want to watch.
3. For ntfy: install the ntfy app on your phone or use the web version. Subscribe to a topic (e.g., my-github-watch) and then use a GitHub Action or a webhook service to send updates to that topic.
4. Set up a GitHub Action in the repo you want to monitor (if you own it) that triggers on releases or pushes and sends a notification via ntfy or Slack.

Method 4: Use RSS Feeds (for release-only updates)

1. Add /releases.atom to the repository URL (e.g., https://github.com/owner/repo/releases.atom).
2. Add that URL to any RSS reader (Feedly, Inoreader, etc.).
3. You’ll get a feed of all new releases, with the latest first.

Common Mistakes

• Watching but not receiving emails – if your email notifications are turned off in Settings, you won’t get emails. Check that “Email” is checked under your notification preferences.
• Choosing “All Activity” and getting overwhelmed – you’ll get an email for every single commit, which can flood your inbox. Use “Custom” and select only Releases and Issues.
• Forgetting to unwatch after you’re done – you’ll keep getting notifications indefinitely. Unwatch when you no longer need them.
• Using an RSS feed for a repo that doesn’t have releases – you’ll get nothing. Check if the repo has a “Releases” tab with actual releases.

Tips

• If you only care about new versions, use the Releases custom watch option or the RSS feed—it’s the cleanest way.
• For critical repos, set up a Slack or Discord webhook via a GitHub Action so the whole team sees updates.
• Use GitHub’s saved replies and notification filters to manage high-volume repos.
• Check your notification inbox (the bell icon) regularly—it groups updates by repo, so you can mark them as read in bulk.

Troubleshooting

• No emails at all – Check your GitHub notification settings under Settings > Notifications. Make sure “Email” is checked and your email address is verified. Also check your spam folder.
• Emails come hours late – In Settings > Notifications, change “Email notification preference” to “Immediately” instead of “Daily” or “Hourly.”
• Notifications appear in the web bell but not on your phone – Install the GitHub mobile app and enable push notifications in your device settings. Also check that you’re signed in to the same account.
• RSS feed doesn’t work – Make sure the repository actually has releases. If it does, try a different RSS reader; some don’t handle GitHub’s atom feed well.
• Third-party service stops working – These services depend on GitHub’s API. Try reconnecting your GitHub account or check the service’s status page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I watch a repository without a GitHub account?
A: No, the Watch button requires you to be logged in. You can use an RSS feed without an account, but that only works for releases, not issues or commits.

Q: What’s the difference between watching and starring?
A: Starring is like a bookmark—it shows your appreciation and saves the repo to your stars list. Watching is specifically for notifications.

Q: How do I stop watching a repository?
A: Go to the repo, click the Watch button again, and select “Ignore.” Or go to your notification settings and manage watched repos there.

Q: Will I get notified about every commit if I choose “All Activity”?
A: Yes, you will. That includes pushes to any branch, not just the default branch. It can be very noisy.

Q: Can I get notifications for a specific branch only?
A: Not directly with the Watch feature. You can use a GitHub Action that triggers on pushes to that branch and sends a custom notification.

Q: Does watching a repository affect the repository owner?
A: No, it’s completely private. The owner won’t know you’re watching.

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