- Published on
Datasette-auth-github 1.0
- Authors
- Name
- DeepHorus
On September 19, 2026, Simon Willison announced the release of datasette-auth-github 1.0, a GitHub login plugin for the Datasette data publishing tool. The release came after he discovered that authenticated sessions on the agent.datasette.io demo site were not lasting very long. The root cause was that the plugin was setting cookies without a Max-Age parameter, causing them to expire at the end of a browser session. This behavior was particularly noticeable in Mobile Safari, which seems to terminate browser sessions frequently regardless of how the app is being used.
Datasette is an open-source tool designed for exploring and publishing data. The datasette-auth-github plugin enables users to authenticate using their GitHub accounts, making it a key component for private or personalized Datasette deployments. Willison runs the plugin on his agent.datasette.io demo site, where he observed the session expiration issue. The problem was not immediately obvious because desktop browsers often preserve sessions across tabs and restarts, masking the underlying cookie behavior.
The fix was implemented in pull request #80, which added the missing Max-Age parameter to the cookies. This parameter tells the browser how long the cookie should persist, allowing sessions to survive beyond the current browser session. Since the plugin has been around for quite a while and is tested against both Datasette 0.65.x and Datasette 1.0ax, Willison decided to bump it to a 1.0 release. He explained that he is trying to get better at promoting stable plugins to 1.0, a practice that helps users identify mature components.
The 1.0 release signals that the plugin is stable and ready for production use. The cookie fix directly improves the user experience by keeping authenticated sessions alive for longer periods. This is especially important for mobile users, who may otherwise be forced to log in repeatedly. The change also reduces friction for anyone using the agent.datasette.io demo site or other deployments of the plugin.
Willison's decision reflects a broader trend in the Datasette ecosystem toward clearer versioning and maintenance practices. By promoting stable plugins to 1.0, he provides a clear signal to the community about which components are dependable. The fix itself is simple, but it addresses a common pain point in web authentication: session persistence. Other plugin maintainers may follow his example by auditing their own session handling and cookie settings.
Looking ahead, the datasette-auth-github plugin is likely to continue evolving alongside Datasette itself. Its compatibility with Datasette 1.0ax suggests that it will remain relevant as the main project moves toward a stable 1.0 release. Willison's stated goal of promoting stable plugins could lead to more 1.0 releases in the near future. For now, users can benefit from a more reliable GitHub login experience. The plugin remains available through the usual Datasette plugin installation channels.
