content/code-security/code-scanning/creating-an-advanced-setup-for-code-scanning/configuring-advanced-setup-for-code-scanning-with-codeql-at-scale.md

metadata

title: Configuring advanced setup for code scanning with CodeQL at scale
shortTitle: CodeQL advanced setup at scale
intro: >-
  You can use a script to configure advanced setup for {% data
  variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} for a specific group of
  repositories in your organization.
permissions: '{% data reusables.permissions.security-org-enable %}'
product: '{% data reusables.gated-features.code-scanning %}'
redirect_from:
  - >-
    /code-security/code-scanning/automatically-scanning-your-code-for-vulnerabilities-and-errors/configuring-advanced-setup-for-code-scanning-with-codeql-at-scale
versions:
  fpt: '*'
  ghec: '*'
  ghes: '*'
type: how_to
topics:
  - Code Security
  - Code scanning
allowTitleToDifferFromFilename: true

About enabling advanced setup for {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} with {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} at scale

If you need to configure a highly customizable {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} setup for many repositories in your organization, or if repositories in your organization are ineligible for default setup, you can enable {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} at scale with advanced setup.

To enable advanced setup across multiple repositories, you can write a bulk configuration script. To successfully execute the script, {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} must be enabled for the {% ifversion fpt %}organization{% elsif ghec %}organization or enterprise{% elsif ghes %}site{% endif %}.

Alternatively, if you do not need granular control over the {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} configuration for many repositories in your organization, you can quickly and easily configure {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} at scale with default setup. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

Using a script to enable advanced setup

For repositories that are not eligible for default setup, you can use a bulk configuration script to enable advanced setup across multiple repositories.

1. Identify a group of repositories that can be analyzed using the same {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} configuration. For example, all repositories that build Java artifacts using the production environment.
2. Create and test a {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} workflow to call the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} action with the appropriate configuration. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.
3. Use one of the example scripts or create a custom script to add the workflow to each repository in the group.
   • GitHub CLI extension: advanced-security/gh-add-files
   • Python example: Malwarebytes/ghas-cli repository
   • NodeJS example: nickliffen/ghas-enablement repository
   • PowerShell example: jhutchings1/Create-ActionsPRs repository

Extending {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} coverage with model packs

{% data reusables.code-scanning.beta-model-packs %}

If your codebase depends on a library or framework that is not recognized by the standard queries in {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %}, you can extend the {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} coverage in your bulk configuration script by specifying published {% data variables.product.prodname_codeql %} model packs. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

Alternatively, if you do not need granular control over the {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} configuration for many repositories in your organization, you can quickly and easily configure model packs with {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} at scale with default setup. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.