Connecting repos
Postlane monitors your repositories for new commits and generates draft posts from them. There are three ways to connect a repo. They are not mutually exclusive — you can use all three in the same workspace.
The three methods
GitHub App
The GitHub App monitors your repos directly on GitHub via webhooks. When anyone pushes a commit to a connected repo, GitHub notifies Postlane's server within seconds — regardless of whether the desktop app is running.
Use this when:
- You want monitoring that works 24/7, even when your Mac is off
- Other people contribute to the repo (teammates, collaborators, bots)
- You want to cover multiple repos in an org without any per-repo setup
- You push from CI/CD pipelines or remote machines
How it works: You install the Postlane GitHub App on your GitHub org and select which repos to include. GitHub sends a webhook to Postlane's server on every push. The desktop app polls for new events and adds them to your draft queue.
Desktop folder
The desktop folder method watches a local copy of a repo on your machine. When you commit locally, Postlane detects the new commit and generates a draft within a few seconds.
Use this when:
- You are the only contributor (or the only one whose commits should generate posts)
- You want zero server-side configuration
- You are on GitLab, a self-hosted Git server, or any host other than GitHub
How it works: In the wizard (or Settings → Repos), click Choose folder and select the repo directory on your machine. Postlane watches for new commits while the desktop app is open.
Limitation: Monitoring pauses when the desktop app is closed or your machine is off. Commits made while Postlane is not running are picked up the next time the app opens.
CLI
The CLI method runs npx @postlane/cli init inside a repo. It writes a .postlane/config.json file that the desktop app uses to identify the repo and connect it to your workspace.
Use this when:
- You are setting up a repo on a machine where you do not want to run the full desktop app
- You want to script repo setup as part of a CI or onboarding process
- You are on GitLab or a self-hosted server and cannot use the GitHub App
See CLI setup for the full walkthrough.
Choosing between methods
| GitHub App | Desktop folder | CLI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works when app is closed | Yes | No | N/A |
| Catches other contributors' commits | Yes | No | N/A |
| Requires GitHub | Yes | No | No |
| Per-repo setup required | No | Yes | Yes |
| Works with GitLab / self-hosted | No | Yes | Yes |
For most users on GitHub, the GitHub App is the better long-term choice. The desktop folder method is a good starting point if you want to try Postlane without installing the GitHub App, or if you use a host other than GitHub.
Both methods feed the same draft queue in the desktop app. There is no difference in how drafts are generated or approved.