Configure GitHub Webhooks to Track CI & Merge Status for Smart Resolve

To track the full journey from crash to fix to validation, Smart Resolve integrates with your CI system by listening to GitHub events through a webhook. This guide walks you through setting up a repository-level GitHub webhook to track CI build status and pull request merges, enabling automated validation inside the Instabug dashboard.

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Before continuing, make sure you’ve connected your GitHub repository to Instabug using the CodeLink GitHub app.

Why Connect Your CI to Instabug?

Once your repository is connected, setting up a webhook allows Smart Resolve to:

• Monitor whether AI-generated fixes pass your test suite.
• Display CI status and merge results directly in your Smart Resolve workflow.
• Block unvalidated or failing fixes from progressing to release.
• Streamline your crash resolution lifecycle with minimal manual effort.

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Security and Privacy

Instabug listens only to metadata events (status, check_run, and pull_request). Webhook communication is encrypted and authenticated using a shared secret provided by Instabug Support.

What This Webhook Tracks

The GitHub webhook enables Smart Resolve to track:

• CI Status
  • status: External CI tools (e.g. CircleCI, Jenkins, Bitrise)
  • check_run: GitHub Actions workflows 
• Merge Status
  • pull_request: Detects when pull requests are merged into target branches

Prerequisites

• Your GitHub repo is connected to Instabug via CodeLink (Set it up here).
• Admin access to the GitHub repository
• Your Instabug Application Token
• A Webhook Secret, you can get it by reaching out to Instabug Support

Step 1: Get Your Webhook Secret

1. Open a GetHelp ticket by contacting Instabug Support or reaching out to your designated customer success manager.
2. Request a GitHub Webhook Secret tied to your application
3. Save this token securely — it will be used to validate incoming webhook events and other integrations.

Step 2: Open GitHub Webhook Settings

1. On GitHub, navigate to the main page of the repository.
2. Under your repository name, click  Settings → Webhooks → Add webhook.

Step 3: Configure the Webhook

Step 4: Select Events

Under "Which events would you like to trigger this webhook?", choose:

• Status – Tracks CI status from external CI tools.
• Check run – Tracks CI status from GitHub Actions workflows.
• Pull request – Tracks PR merge status.

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Do not select “Send me everything”

Step 5: Save and Test

1. Click Add webhook
2. GitHub will automatically send a ping event to test delivery
3. In Recent Deliveries, verify a successful response (green checkmark)

Troubleshooting

If your webhook doesn’t appear to be working as expected:

• No events showing in Instabug dashboard
  • Make sure the correct events (status, check_run, pull_request) are selected
  • Confirm that the repo is connected to Instabug
• Webhook returns 401 (Unauthorized)
  • Double-check that you’re using the correct webhook secret provided by Instabug
  • Ensure the secret hasn’t expired or been changed
• CI status not updating
  • For GitHub Actions, confirm that your workflow triggers a check_run event
  • For external CI tools, make sure they emit GitHub status events
• Merge not detected
  • Verify that the pull request is merged into the same branch Smart Resolve is tracking (e.g. main or master)
  • Ensure the pull_request event is enabled in webhook settings

If the issue persists, contact our Support team with a screenshot of your webhook settings and recent deliveries.