Guide
How to give clients access to docs without a GitHub account
Your clients shouldn't need a GitHub account to read your documentation. Here's how to give non-technical clients access to docs that live in a repo — with email login, scoped permissions, and comments.
The short answer
To give clients access to docs that live in a git repo without a GitHub account, render the docs through a portal that has its own email-based authentication. Connect the repo to a viewer like Miradorly, exclude internal files with .docignore, then invite the client by email with a viewer or commenter role scoped to their project. They sign in with email or Google, read and comment in the browser, and never need a GitHub account or repo access. This avoids the over-exposure and security review that come with adding a client as a repo collaborator.
A client asks to see the documentation. It lives in a private repo. You do not want to walk them through creating a GitHub account, accepting a repo invite, and learning the GitHub UI — and you definitely don't want them seeing your code. Here's how to give clients clean, scoped access with nothing but an email address.
Why "just invite them to GitHub" fails
Inviting a client to GitHub means:
- they need to create and manage a developer account,
- they get repo-level access (code, history, everything — there's no per-folder read-only for outside people),
- it usually triggers an internal security review, and
- they land in a UI built for engineers, not readers.
It's friction for them and risk for you. The fix is to authenticate readers outside GitHub.
The approach: a portal with its own login
Put a viewer over the repo that has its own email-based auth and permission system. The repo stays private; the client authenticates to the portal, not to GitHub, and sees only what you assigned.
Step by step (with Miradorly)
- Connect the repo — install the GitHub/GitLab app, choose the markdown folders.
- **Add a
.docignore** to keep internal files out entirely:
CLAUDE.md
internal/
**/secrets/**
drafts/- Create a project and add only the docs the client should see.
- Invite the client by email with a role:
- viewer — read only, - commenter — read and comment per section.
- The client clicks the link, signs in with email or Google, and reads in the browser. No GitHub, no repo access, no install.
What the client experiences
- A clean, navigable docs site with search and a table of contents — not a code host.
- The ability to comment on any section (if commenter), which you resolve from one inbox.
- Always-current content: your team pushes commits, the portal updates live.
- Zero visibility into code, history, or other clients' projects.
Access models compared
| Method | Client account | Sees only their docs | Sees your code | Setup for client |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub collaborator | GitHub | ❌ | ✅ (bad) | Heavy |
| Public link to repo | none | ❌ | ✅ (bad) | n/a |
| Portal with email login | ✅ | ❌ | One click |
Bonus: AI access, still scoped
If a client wants their AI agent to query the docs, a role-aware MCP connects with their account and returns only what that account can see — internal files excluded. So even AI access respects the same boundary. See role-aware MCP for docs.
Bottom line
Clients should authenticate to your docs, not to your GitHub. Render the repo through a portal with email login and per-project roles, exclude internal files with .docignore, and a client gets exactly the documentation they need — with one click, no developer account, and no view into your code.
Frequently asked questions
Can clients read GitHub docs without an account?
Only if the repo is public. For private docs, GitHub requires an account with repo access. To give clients access to private docs without a GitHub account, use a viewer with its own email login, like Miradorly.
How do clients sign in if not with GitHub?
With email or Google. A documentation viewer like Miradorly authenticates readers independently of GitHub, so clients never need a developer account.
Can I limit what each client sees?
Yes. With per-project roles, each client sees only the project(s) you assign and only the docs not excluded by .docignore. That's stronger and simpler than repo-level GitHub access.
Will clients see our code or other clients' docs?
No. A viewer exposes only the docs you select, scoped per project. Internal files matched by .docignore are never rendered or indexed, and clients are isolated to their own project.