What is the purpose of configuring an IP allow list for a GitHub organization or enterprise?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation and Infographic
An IP allow list is GitHub's bouncer — it checks the IP address of every request hitting your org's resources and turns away anything not on the list. It's about controlling who can even reach your GitHub space, not just what they can do.
Full explanation below image
Full Explanation
The IP allow list feature in GitHub organizations and enterprises restricts access to GitHub web interfaces, API, and Git operations to specific IP addresses or CIDR ranges. When enabled, any request from an IP address not on the allow list is rejected, even from authenticated users. This is useful for organizations that want to ensure GitHub access only happens from corporate networks or VPNs. It is NOT specifically about push operations only — it covers all access. Webhook delivery and Actions runner networking are separate concerns not controlled by the IP allow list (though GitHub provides separate options for those).