Personal Access Token (PAT) - CI/CD Glossary Definition
A personal access token (PAT) is a token tied to an individual user account that stands in for a password when scripts or tools authenticate to a platform such as GitHub.
Scoping
Fine-grained PATs let you limit which repositories and permissions the token can use and set an expiry, reducing risk versus a broad classic token.
In CI/CD
Prefer a scoped, expiring PAT or a GitHub App token over a personal one, since PATs inherit the human owner's access and leave when they do.
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