GitHub CLI telemetry: How to audit and disable it

If you use the GitHub CLI, you’ve likely noticed the recent shift toward collecting pseudoanonymous telemetry. While the official line is that this helps prioritize feature development, many developers are rightfully skeptical about what exactly is leaving their machines. Here is the reality: GitHub is tracking command invocations, flags, and system architecture to gauge how we interact with the tool.

Most guides gloss over the fact that you don't have to guess what’s being sent. You can actually see the raw JSON payload before it ever hits their servers. If you want to maintain your privacy while staying informed, you need to know how to inspect these events.

How to audit your data

The most effective way to see what’s happening is to switch your configuration into logging mode. This doesn't send data; it prints the exact payload to your terminal. You can do this temporarily with an environment variable or permanently via the config file.

To test this out, run the following in your terminal: GH_TELEMETRY=log gh repo list

You will see a JSON object detailing your architecture, the specific command used, and even your device ID. This is the best way to understand the granularity of the data being collected. If you find the output acceptable, you can leave it as is. If you prefer to keep your workflow private, the next step is essential.

Taking control of your privacy

If you decide that you’d rather not contribute to these metrics, opting out is straightforward. You have two primary methods to disable the tracking, and it’s worth noting that environment variables will always take precedence over your local config settings.

• Using Environment Variables: Set GH_TELEMETRY=false or DO_NOT_TRACK=true in your shell profile.
• Using CLI Config: Run gh config set telemetry disabled to persist the setting globally.

That said, there’s a catch that most users miss: third-party extensions. Even if you disable telemetry for the core gh tool, any extensions or agents you’ve installed might have their own independent tracking mechanisms. These are not governed by your gh configuration. You must check the documentation for each individual extension to see if they are phoning home.

This next part matters more than it looks: if you are working in a highly sensitive environment, relying solely on the gh opt-out isn't enough. You should audit your installed extensions periodically to ensure you aren't leaking metadata through secondary tools.

Are you comfortable with the level of data GitHub is collecting, or does this change your approach to using the CLI? Understanding how to audit and disable GitHub CLI telemetry is the only way to ensure your development environment remains truly yours. Try this today and share what you find in the comments.