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Overview

The GitHub integration connects your repositories to bounty.new, allowing you to turn issues into bounties and automatically reward contributors when PRs are merged.

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Prerequisites

  • A bounty.new account
  • Admin access to your GitHub repository

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Installation

1

Install the GitHub app

Navigate to your organization’s integrations page at bounty.new/[slug]/integrations/github/[integration-id] and click Install GitHub App.
2

Select repositories

Choose which repositories you want to connect to bounty.new.
3

Configure settings

Set default bounty amounts and approval rules in your dashboard.

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Creating bounties from issues

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Via bot command

Comment on any issue with: 
@bountydotnew 100
Or specify currency explicitly: 
@bountydotnew 500 USD
Requirements:
  • Only repo collaborators with write access can create bounties
  • Creates an unfunded bounty linked to the issue
  • Bot replies with a link to complete payment on bounty.new
  • Bounty activates once payment is completed

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Via dashboard

Create a bounty in your dashboard:
  1. Select a repository from your GitHub App installation
  2. Fill out the form with title, description, amount, deadline, and tags
  3. Complete payment via Stripe Checkout
  4. Bot posts a comment on the linked GitHub issue announcing the bounty

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Automatic payouts

When a PR that closes a bounty issue is merged:
  1. The bounty.new bot detects the merge
  2. Verifies the PR author
  3. Processes the payout automatically
  4. Comments on the issue with confirmation
Use “Closes #123” or “Fixes #123” in your PR description to link it to the bounty issue.

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Bot commands reference

CommandDescriptionWho can use
@bountydotnew 100Create $100 bounty on issueRepo collaborators (write access)
@bountydotnew 500 USDCreate $500 bounty with explicit currencyRepo collaborators (write access)
/submit 123Submit PR #123 as solutionPR author or maintainers
@bountydotnew submit 123Submit PR #123 as solutionPR author or maintainers
/unsubmit 123Remove submission for PR #123Submitter or bounty creator
/approve 123Approve submission PR #123, trigger payoutBounty creator only
/unapprove 123Revoke approval for PR #123Bounty creator only
/reapprove 123Switch winner to different PRBounty creator only
/merge 123Confirm merge and trigger payoutBounty creator only
@bountydotnew move 456Move bounty to different issueBounty creator only
All /slash commands also work with @bountydotnew prefix. PR numbers can optionally include # (e.g., /submit #123 or /submit 123).

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Bounty status tracking

The bot updates issue comments with bounty status:
  • Open: Bounty is funded and accepting submissions
  • Completed: Submission approved and payout processed
  • Cancelled: Bounty cancelled and refunded

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Connecting GitHub

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Installation flow

  1. Navigate to Settings > Integrations on bounty.new
  2. Click Connect GitHub
  3. Select which repositories to grant access
  4. GitHub redirects back to bounty.new
  5. Your installation is now active

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Managing installations

  • Sync repos: Fetch latest repository list from GitHub
  • Modify access: Redirects to GitHub’s installation settings page
  • Remove: Remove via GitHub settings (we receive a webhook notification)

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Submission workflow

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For contributors (submitting PRs)

1

Open a PR

Create a pull request that references the bounty issue (e.g., Fixes #123 in PR description).
2

Submit your PR

Submit using one of these methods:Option 1: Add @bountydotnew submit to your PR descriptionOption 2: Comment on the bounty issue:
/submit 123
Where 123 is your PR number.
3

Confirmation

The bot posts “Submission Received” comments on both the issue and the PR.
4

Wait for approval

The bounty creator will review your submission.
Requirements:
  • PR must exist and be open
  • Bounty must be funded
  • Bounty must be accepting submissions (no approved submission yet)
  • PR authors can submit their own PRs; maintainers can submit on behalf of others

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Removing a submission

/unsubmit 123
Only the submitter or bounty creator can remove submissions.

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For bounty creators (approving & paying)

1

Review the PR

Test the submitted pull request thoroughly.
2

Approve the submission

Comment on the bounty issue:
/approve 123
Where 123 is the PR number. The bot posts “Submission Approved” on both the issue and PR.
3

Merge the PR

Merge the pull request in GitHub.
4

Confirm merge

Comment on the bounty issue:
/merge 123
This triggers the Stripe payout to the solver.
Requirements:
  • Only the bounty creator can approve
  • Solver must have connected their Stripe account for payout
What happens:
  • Submission status changes to approved
  • All other pending submissions are rejected
  • After /merge, payout is initiated to solver’s Stripe Connected Account
  • Bot posts confirmation comments with payout details on both issue and PR
If the solver hasn’t connected Stripe, the bot will reply with instructions to visit https://bounty.new/settings/payments.

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Managing approvals

Revoke an approval: 
/unapprove 123
Switch winner to a different PR: 
/reapprove 123

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Troubleshooting

Ensure you have write access to the repository and the GitHub app is installed with proper permissions.
Verify the solver has connected their Stripe account at https://bounty.new/settings/payments.
Check that the bounty.new GitHub app has read/write access to issues and pull requests.