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The login command authenticates you via GitHub, unlocking higher rate limits and additional features.

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Usage

sher login

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What Happens

When you run sher login:
  1. A local server starts on a random port
  2. Your browser opens to GitHub OAuth
  3. You authorize Sher to access your GitHub identity
  4. The server receives an authentication token
  5. Your credentials are saved to ~/.sher/auth.json
  6. The browser shows a success message

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Example Flow

sher login

  sher — login with GitHub

  Opening browser...

  Logged in as octocat
Your browser will show: 
Logged in!
You can close this window.

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Benefits of Logging In

Logging in upgrades you from Anonymous to Starter (Free) tier:
FeatureAnonymousStarter (Free)
Links per day525
Max upload size50MB50MB
Max TTL24 hours24 hours
List deployments❌✅
Delete deployments❌✅
Password protection❌❌
Want even higher limits? Run sher upgrade for Pro ($8/mo) with 200 links/day, 100MB uploads, 7-day TTL, and password protection.

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Already Logged In

If you’re already logged in: 
sher login

  Already logged in as octocat. Run `sher logout` first to switch accounts.

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Browser Not Opening?

If the browser doesn’t open automatically: 
sher login

  sher — login with GitHub

  Open this URL in your browser:

  https://sher.sh/auth/github?state=uuid&port=12345
Manually copy and paste the URL into your browser.

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Authentication Flow Details

  1. Local server: Sher starts a temporary HTTP server on localhost to receive the OAuth callback
  2. GitHub OAuth: You’re redirected to GitHub to authorize Sher
  3. Token exchange: GitHub sends an auth token to the local server
  4. Token verification: Sher verifies the token with the API server
  5. Storage: The token and username are saved locally
Your authentication token is stored in ~/.sher/auth.json. Keep this file secure.

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Timeout

The login flow times out after 2 minutes. If you don’t complete authentication within that window: 
  Login timed out — no response within 2 minutes.
Simply run sher login again.

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Security

  • Authentication uses GitHub OAuth
  • No passwords are stored
  • The token is used for API requests
  • Token is stored locally in ~/.sher/auth.json
  • You can revoke access anytime via GitHub settings

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Switching Accounts

To switch GitHub accounts: 
sher logout
sher login

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