diff --git a/.changeset/lucky-crabs-vanish.md b/.changeset/lucky-crabs-vanish.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..158200fb7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/lucky-crabs-vanish.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-github': patch
+'@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend': patch
+'@backstage/create-app': patch
+---
+
+Add github backend module to create-app and improve error messages
diff --git a/packages/create-app/src/lib/tasks.test.ts b/packages/create-app/src/lib/tasks.test.ts
index 27c5765a12..3d5240977e 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/src/lib/tasks.test.ts
+++ b/packages/create-app/src/lib/tasks.test.ts
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ jest.mock('./versions', () => ({
     '@backstage/plugin-kubernetes-backend': '1.0.0',
     '@backstage/plugin-org': '1.0.0',
     '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder': '1.0.0',
+    '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-github': '1.0.0',
     '@backstage/plugin-permission-react': '1.0.0',
     '@backstage/plugin-search': '1.0.0',
     '@backstage/plugin-search-react': '1.0.0',
diff --git a/packages/create-app/src/lib/versions.ts b/packages/create-app/src/lib/versions.ts
index 9a7158ea55..d06912cca3 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/src/lib/versions.ts
+++ b/packages/create-app/src/lib/versions.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ import { version as pluginPermissionNode } from '../../../../plugins/permission-
 import { version as pluginProxyBackend } from '../../../../plugins/proxy-backend/package.json';
 import { version as pluginScaffolder } from '../../../../plugins/scaffolder/package.json';
 import { version as pluginScaffolderBackend } from '../../../../plugins/scaffolder-backend/package.json';
+import { version as pluginScaffolderBackendModuleGithub } from '../../../../plugins/scaffolder-backend-module-github/package.json';
 import { version as pluginSearch } from '../../../../plugins/search/package.json';
 import { version as pluginSearchReact } from '../../../../plugins/search-react/package.json';
 import { version as pluginSearchBackend } from '../../../../plugins/search-backend/package.json';
@@ -130,6 +131,8 @@ export const packageVersions = {
   '@backstage/plugin-proxy-backend': pluginProxyBackend,
   '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder': pluginScaffolder,
   '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend': pluginScaffolderBackend,
+  '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-github':
+    pluginScaffolderBackendModuleGithub,
   '@backstage/plugin-search': pluginSearch,
   '@backstage/plugin-search-react': pluginSearchReact,
   '@backstage/plugin-search-backend': pluginSearchBackend,
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/package.json.hbs b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/package.json.hbs
index bb05beddaa..42afefd3b8 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/package.json.hbs
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/package.json.hbs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
     "@backstage/plugin-permission-node": "^{{version '@backstage/plugin-permission-node'}}",
     "@backstage/plugin-proxy-backend": "^{{version '@backstage/plugin-proxy-backend'}}",
     "@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend": "^{{version '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend'}}",
+    "@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-github": "^{{version '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-github'}}",
     "@backstage/plugin-search-backend": "^{{version '@backstage/plugin-search-backend'}}",
     "@backstage/plugin-search-backend-module-catalog": "^{{version '@backstage/plugin-search-backend-module-catalog'}}",
     "@backstage/plugin-search-backend-module-pg": "^{{version '@backstage/plugin-search-backend-module-pg'}}",
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/index.ts b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/index.ts
index 69a73511c6..6d0a6f4ca5 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const backend = createBackend();
 backend.add(import('@backstage/plugin-app-backend'));
 backend.add(import('@backstage/plugin-proxy-backend'));
 backend.add(import('@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend'));
+backend.add(import('@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-github'));
 backend.add(import('@backstage/plugin-techdocs-backend'));
 
 // auth plugin
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend-module-github/src/actions/helpers.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend-module-github/src/actions/helpers.ts
index 0ae1cad3fb..b28c35105c 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend-module-github/src/actions/helpers.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend-module-github/src/actions/helpers.ts
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ export async function getOctokitOptions(options: {
 
   if (!credentialProviderToken) {
     throw new InputError(
-      `No token available for host: ${host}, with owner ${owner}, and repo ${repo}`,
+      `No token available for host: ${host}, with owner ${owner}, and repo ${repo}. Make sure GitHub auth is configured correctly. See https://backstage.io/docs/auth/github/provider for more details.`,
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/TemplateActionRegistry.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/TemplateActionRegistry.ts
index 3868380919..f00d7afad1 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/TemplateActionRegistry.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/TemplateActionRegistry.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ export class TemplateActionRegistry {
     const action = this.actions.get(actionId);
     if (!action) {
       throw new NotFoundError(
-        `Template action with ID '${actionId}' is not registered.`,
+        `Template action with ID '${actionId}' is not registered. See https://backstage.io/docs/features/software-templates/builtin-actions/ on how to add a new action module.`,
       );
     }
     return action;
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/NunjucksWorkflowRunner.test.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/NunjucksWorkflowRunner.test.ts
index 9bef42b26a..3990ac14b6 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/NunjucksWorkflowRunner.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/NunjucksWorkflowRunner.test.ts
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ describe('NunjucksWorkflowRunner', () => {
     });
 
     await expect(runner.execute(task)).rejects.toThrow(
-      "Template action with ID 'does-not-exist' is not registered.",
+      /Template action with ID 'does-not-exist' is not registered/,
     );
   });