Auto-sync

A typical single-commit update touches 3 to 10 pages and completes in under 30 seconds. The question isn't whether to auto-sync; it's which method fits your workflow. Pick one (or combine them).

Post-commit hook#

Runs repowise update in the background after every local commit without blocking the terminal.

repowise hook install              # current repo
repowise hook install --workspace  # all workspace repos

The hook is marker-delimited, so it coexists safely with other hooks (linters, formatters). If it doesn't fire, make sure .git/hooks/post-commit is executable: chmod +x .git/hooks/post-commit.

File watcher#

Watches the working directory for file saves and triggers an update without requiring a commit. Best when you want the wiki current between commits.

repowise watch                  # current dir
repowise watch --debounce 5000  # wait 5s after the last change (default 2s)
repowise watch --workspace      # all repos in a workspace

Changes inside .repowise/ are ignored to prevent loops. Press Ctrl+C to stop. Best for short bursts, not a long-running daemon.

GitHub webhook#

Self-hosted teams point GitHub at repowise serve's webhook endpoint; push events trigger incremental updates. HMAC-SHA256 signature verification is mandatory.

repowise serve                                  # starts on :7337
export REPOWISE_GITHUB_WEBHOOK_SECRET="your-secret"

Then in GitHub: Settings → Webhooks → Add webhook

• Payload URL: https://your-server.example.com/api/webhooks/github
• Secret: same value as REPOWISE_GITHUB_WEBHOOK_SECRET
• Events: Push events only

Successful deliveries return 200 with {"status": "accepted"}. Bad signatures return 401. Check Settings → Webhooks → Recent Deliveries for diagnostics.

GitLab webhook#

Same idea, token-based auth via the X-Gitlab-Token header.

export REPOWISE_GITLAB_WEBHOOK_TOKEN="your-token"

In GitLab: Settings → Webhooks

• URL: https://your-server.example.com/api/webhooks/gitlab
• Secret token: same value as REPOWISE_GITLAB_WEBHOOK_TOKEN
• Trigger: Push events

Tokens are verified via constant-time comparison.

Polling fallback#

When repowise serve is running, a background job polls registered repos every 15 minutes. If a webhook delivery fails, polling catches the missed push and triggers an update.

No configuration needed. Just don't rely on this alone: it has a 15-minute lag.

Hosted version#

If you're on repowise.dev, webhook setup is automatic. Installing the GitHub App registers the webhook, and pushes auto-sync the index without you doing anything.