When a token has expired or has been revoked, it can no longer be used to authenticate Git and API requests. It is not possible to restore an expired or revoked token, you or the application will need to create a new token.
This article explains the possible reasons your GitHub token might be revoked or expire.
Note: When a personal access token or OAuth token expires or is revoked, you may see an oauth_authorization.destroy action in your security log. For more information, see "Reviewing your security log."
Token revoked after reaching its expiration date
When you create a personal access token, we recommend that you set an expiration for your token. Upon reaching your token's expiration date, the token is automatically revoked. For more information, see "Creating a personal access token."
Token revoked when pushed to a public repository or public gist
If a valid OAuth token, GitHub App token, or personal access token is pushed to a public repository or public gist, the token will be automatically revoked.
OAuth tokens and personal access tokens pushed to public repositories and public gists will only be revoked if the token has scopes.
Token expired due to lack of use
GitHub will automatically revoke an OAuth token or personal access token when the token hasn't been used in one year.
Token revoked by the user
You can revoke your authorization of a GitHub App or OAuth App from your account settings which will revoke any tokens associated with the app. For more information, see "Reviewing your authorized integrations" and "Reviewing your authorized applications (OAuth)."
Once an authorization is revoked, any tokens associated with the authorization will be revoked as well. To re-authorize an application, follow the instructions from the third-party application or website to connect your account on GitHub.com again.
Token revoked by the OAuth App
The owner of an OAuth App can revoke an account's authorization of their app, this will also revoke any tokens associated with the authorization. For more information about revoking authorizations of your OAuth app, see "Delete an app authorization."
Token revoked due to excess of tokens for an OAuth App with the same scope
There is a limit of ten tokens that are issued per user/application/scope combination. If an application creates more than 10 tokens for the same user and the same scopes, the oldest tokens with the same user/application/scope combination will be revoked.
User token revoked due to GitHub App configuration
User-to-server tokens created by a GitHub App will expire after eight hours by default. Owners of GitHub Apps can configure their apps so that user-to-server tokens do not expire. For more information about changing how your GitHub App's user-to-server tokens behave, see "Activating optional features for apps."
