Followers

About the Followers API

Many of the resources on this API provide a shortcut for getting information about the currently authenticated user. If a request URL does not include a {username} parameter then the response will be for the logged in user (and you must pass authentication information with your request). Additional private information, such as whether a user has two-factor authentication enabled, is included when authenticated through basic auth or OAuth with the user scope.

List followers of the authenticated user

Lists the people following the authenticated user.

Parameters

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept`string Setting to `application/vnd.github.v3+json` is recommended.
Query parameters
Name, Type, Description
`per_page`integer The number of results per page (max 100). Default: `30`
`page`integer Page number of the results to fetch. Default: `1`

HTTP response status codes

Status code	Description
`200`	OK
`304`	Not modified
`401`	Requires authentication
`403`	Forbidden

Code samples

get/user/followers

curl \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.v3+json" \ 
  -H "Authorization: token <TOKEN>" \
  http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/user/followers

Response

Status: 200

[
  {
    "login": "octocat",
    "id": 1,
    "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=",
    "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif",
    "gravatar_id": "",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat",
    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat",
    "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers",
    "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}",
    "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}",
    "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
    "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions",
    "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs",
    "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos",
    "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}",
    "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events",
    "type": "User",
    "site_admin": false
  }
]

List the people the authenticated user follows

Lists the people who the authenticated user follows.

Parameters

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept`string Setting to `application/vnd.github.v3+json` is recommended.
Query parameters
Name, Type, Description
`per_page`integer The number of results per page (max 100). Default: `30`
`page`integer Page number of the results to fetch. Default: `1`

HTTP response status codes

Status code	Description
`200`	OK
`304`	Not modified
`401`	Requires authentication
`403`	Forbidden

Code samples

get/user/following

curl \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.v3+json" \ 
  -H "Authorization: token <TOKEN>" \
  http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/user/following

Response

Status: 200

[
  {
    "login": "octocat",
    "id": 1,
    "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=",
    "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif",
    "gravatar_id": "",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat",
    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat",
    "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers",
    "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}",
    "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}",
    "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
    "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions",
    "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs",
    "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos",
    "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}",
    "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events",
    "type": "User",
    "site_admin": false
  }
]

Check if a person is followed by the authenticated user

Parameters

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept`string Setting to `application/vnd.github.v3+json` is recommended.
Path parameters
Name, Type, Description
`username`stringRequired The handle for the GitHub user account.

HTTP response status codes

Status code	Description
`204`	if the person is followed by the authenticated user
`304`	Not modified
`401`	Requires authentication
`403`	Forbidden
`404`	if the person is not followed by the authenticated user

Code samples

get/user/following/{username}

curl \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.v3+json" \ 
  -H "Authorization: token <TOKEN>" \
  http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/user/following/USERNAME

if the person is followed by the authenticated user

Status: 204

Follow a user

Note that you'll need to set Content-Length to zero when calling out to this endpoint. For more information, see "HTTP verbs."

Following a user requires the user to be logged in and authenticated with basic auth or OAuth with the user:follow scope.

Parameters

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept`string Setting to `application/vnd.github.v3+json` is recommended.
Path parameters
Name, Type, Description
`username`stringRequired The handle for the GitHub user account.

HTTP response status codes

Status code	Description
`204`	No Content
`304`	Not modified
`401`	Requires authentication
`403`	Forbidden
`404`	Resource not found

Code samples

put/user/following/{username}

curl \
  -X PUT \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.v3+json" \ 
  -H "Authorization: token <TOKEN>" \
  http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/user/following/USERNAME

Response

Status: 204

Unfollow a user

Unfollowing a user requires the user to be logged in and authenticated with basic auth or OAuth with the user:follow scope.

Parameters

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept`string Setting to `application/vnd.github.v3+json` is recommended.
Path parameters
Name, Type, Description
`username`stringRequired The handle for the GitHub user account.

HTTP response status codes

Status code	Description
`204`	No Content
`304`	Not modified
`401`	Requires authentication
`403`	Forbidden
`404`	Resource not found

Code samples

delete/user/following/{username}

curl \
  -X DELETE \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.v3+json" \ 
  -H "Authorization: token <TOKEN>" \
  http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/user/following/USERNAME

Response

Status: 204

List followers of a user

Works with GitHub Apps

Lists the people following the specified user.

Parameters

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept`string Setting to `application/vnd.github.v3+json` is recommended.
Path parameters
Name, Type, Description
`username`stringRequired The handle for the GitHub user account.
Query parameters
Name, Type, Description
`per_page`integer The number of results per page (max 100). Default: `30`
`page`integer Page number of the results to fetch. Default: `1`

HTTP response status codes

Status code	Description
`200`	OK

Code samples

get/users/{username}/followers

curl \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.v3+json" \ 
  -H "Authorization: token <TOKEN>" \
  http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/users/USERNAME/followers

Response

Status: 200

[
  {
    "login": "octocat",
    "id": 1,
    "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=",
    "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif",
    "gravatar_id": "",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat",
    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat",
    "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers",
    "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}",
    "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}",
    "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
    "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions",
    "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs",
    "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos",
    "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}",
    "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events",
    "type": "User",
    "site_admin": false
  }
]

List the people a user follows

Works with GitHub Apps

Lists the people who the specified user follows.

Parameters

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept`string Setting to `application/vnd.github.v3+json` is recommended.
Path parameters
Name, Type, Description
`username`stringRequired The handle for the GitHub user account.
Query parameters
Name, Type, Description
`per_page`integer The number of results per page (max 100). Default: `30`
`page`integer Page number of the results to fetch. Default: `1`

HTTP response status codes

Status code	Description
`200`	OK

Code samples

get/users/{username}/following

curl \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.v3+json" \ 
  -H "Authorization: token <TOKEN>" \
  http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/users/USERNAME/following

Response

Status: 200

[
  {
    "login": "octocat",
    "id": 1,
    "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=",
    "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif",
    "gravatar_id": "",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat",
    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat",
    "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers",
    "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}",
    "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}",
    "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
    "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions",
    "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs",
    "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos",
    "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}",
    "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events",
    "type": "User",
    "site_admin": false
  }
]

Check if a user follows another user

Works with GitHub Apps

Parameters

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept`string Setting to `application/vnd.github.v3+json` is recommended.
Path parameters
Name, Type, Description
`username`stringRequired The handle for the GitHub user account.
`target_user`stringRequired

HTTP response status codes

Status code	Description
`204`	if the user follows the target user
`404`	if the user does not follow the target user

Code samples

get/users/{username}/following/{target_user}

curl \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.v3+json" \ 
  -H "Authorization: token <TOKEN>" \
  http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/users/USERNAME/following/TARGET_USER

if the user follows the target user

Status: 204