Where Does giscus Store Config and Comments?
giscus keeps no local config: settings live in the embed script tag (repo, mapping, category) and comments in Discussions.
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giscus inverts the usual layout: zero files on your machine hold settings. The <script> embed carries data-repo, mapping, category, theme and language; the giscus.app configurator generates it so attributes stay valid.
Content itself lives as GitHub Discussions, which doubles as moderation UI and backup. Self-hosting swaps the backend; the embed contract and the no-local-config property stay identical.
Where giscus stores this, by platform
[SiteDir]/embed snippet (no local file)
data-repo, data-mapping, data-category and friends in the embed. Themes and languages configure there too; ADVANCED-USAGE documents extras.
[SiteDir]/embed snippet (no local file)
Same embed. React/Vue/Svelte wrappers set the same props; mapping choice decides which Discussion backs each page.
[SiteDir]/embed snippet (no local file)
Same layout. Utterances migrants convert issues to Discussions first, then align mapping so threads reattach to pages.
Frequently asked questions
Comments do not appear on my page. What is wrong?
Pick the mapping (pathname, URL, title) on giscus.app and regenerate the snippet. Wrong mapping orphans threads under duplicate Discussions that never display.
What must the repo side provide?
Install the giscus GitHub App and enable Discussions with a suitable category on the repo. Without both, the widget has nowhere to read or write.
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