REST API endpoints for repository contents
Use the REST API to create, modify, and delete Base64 encoded content in a repository.
Get repository content
Gets the contents of a file or directory in a repository. Specify the file path or directory with the path
parameter. If you omit the path
parameter, you will receive the contents of the repository's root directory.
This endpoint supports the following custom media types. For more information, see "Media types."
application/vnd.github.raw+json
: Returns the raw file contents for files and symlinks.application/vnd.github.html+json
: Returns the file contents in HTML. Markup languages are rendered to HTML using GitHub's open-source Markup library.application/vnd.github.object+json
: Returns the contents in a consistent object format regardless of the content type. For example, instead of an array of objects for a directory, the response will be an object with anentries
attribute containing the array of objects.
If the content is a directory, the response will be an array of objects, one object for each item in the directory. When listing the contents of a directory, submodules have their "type" specified as "file". Logically, the value should be "submodule". This behavior exists for backwards compatibility purposes. In the next major version of the API, the type will be returned as "submodule".
If the content is a symlink and the symlink's target is a normal file in the repository, then the API responds with the content of the file. Otherwise, the API responds with an object describing the symlink itself.
If the content is a submodule, the submodule_git_url
field identifies the location of the submodule repository, and the sha
identifies a specific commit within the submodule repository. Git uses the given URL when cloning the submodule repository, and checks out the submodule at that specific commit. If the submodule repository is not hosted on github.com, the Git URLs (git_url
and _links["git"]
) and the github.com URLs (html_url
and _links["html"]
) will have null values.
Notes:
- To get a repository's contents recursively, you can recursively get the tree.
- This API has an upper limit of 1,000 files for a directory. If you need to retrieve more files, use the Git Trees API.
- Download URLs expire and are meant to be used just once. To ensure the download URL does not expire, please use the contents API to obtain a fresh download URL for each download.
- If the requested file's size is:
- 1 MB or smaller: All features of this endpoint are supported.
- Between 1-100 MB: Only the
raw
orobject
custom media types are supported. Both will work as normal, except that when using theobject
media type, thecontent
field will be an empty string and theencoding
field will be"none"
. To get the contents of these larger files, use theraw
media type. - Greater than 100 MB: This endpoint is not supported.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Get repository content"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have the following permission set:
- "Contents" repository permissions (read)
This endpoint can be used without authentication or the aforementioned permissions if only public resources are requested.
Parameters for "Get repository content"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
path string Requiredpath parameter |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
ref string The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default: the repository’s default branch. |
HTTP response status codes for "Get repository content"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
302 | Found |
304 | Not modified |
403 | Forbidden |
404 | Resource not found |
Code samples for "Get repository content"
Request examples
curl -L \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/repos/OWNER/REPO/contents/PATH
Response if content is a file
Status: 200
{
"type": "file",
"encoding": "base64",
"size": 5362,
"name": "README.md",
"path": "README.md",
"content": "IyBZb2dhIEJvmsgaW4gcHJvZ3Jlc3MhIEZlZWwgdAoKOndhcm5pbmc6IFdvc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\\nIHdvcmtmbG93Lgo=\\n",
"sha": "3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
"url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/contents/README.md",
"git_url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/git/blobs/3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
"html_url": "https://github.com/octokit/octokit.rb/blob/master/README.md",
"download_url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/octokit/octokit.rb/master/README.md",
"_links": {
"git": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/git/blobs/3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
"self": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/contents/README.md",
"html": "https://github.com/octokit/octokit.rb/blob/master/README.md"
}
}
Create or update file contents
Creates a new file or replaces an existing file in a repository.
Note
If you use this endpoint and the "Delete a file" endpoint in parallel, the concurrent requests will conflict and you will receive errors. You must use these endpoints serially instead.
OAuth app tokens and personal access tokens (classic) need the repo
scope to use this endpoint. The workflow
scope is also required in order to modify files in the .github/workflows
directory.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Create or update file contents"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Contents" repository permissions (write)
- "Contents" repository permissions (write) and "Workflows" repository permissions (write)
Parameters for "Create or update file contents"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
path string Requiredpath parameter |
Name, Type, Description | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
message string RequiredThe commit message. | ||||
content string RequiredThe new file content, using Base64 encoding. | ||||
sha string Required if you are updating a file. The blob SHA of the file being replaced. | ||||
branch string The branch name. Default: the repository’s default branch. | ||||
committer object The person that committed the file. Default: the authenticated user. | ||||
Properties of |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
name string RequiredThe name of the author or committer of the commit. You'll receive a |
email string RequiredThe email of the author or committer of the commit. You'll receive a |
date string |
author
object The author of the file. Default: The committer
or the authenticated user if you omit committer
.
Name, Type, Description |
---|
name string RequiredThe name of the author or committer of the commit. You'll receive a |
email string RequiredThe email of the author or committer of the commit. You'll receive a |
date string |
HTTP response status codes for "Create or update file contents"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
201 | Created |
404 | Resource not found |
409 | Conflict |
422 | Validation failed, or the endpoint has been spammed. |
Code samples for "Create or update file contents"
Request examples
curl -L \
-X PUT \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/repos/OWNER/REPO/contents/PATH \
-d '{"message":"my commit message","committer":{"name":"Monalisa Octocat","email":"octocat@github.com"},"content":"bXkgbmV3IGZpbGUgY29udGVudHM="}'
Response
Status: 201
{
"content": {
"name": "hello.txt",
"path": "notes/hello.txt",
"sha": "95b966ae1c166bd92f8ae7d1c313e738c731dfc3",
"size": 9,
"url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/notes/hello.txt",
"html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/master/notes/hello.txt",
"git_url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/blobs/95b966ae1c166bd92f8ae7d1c313e738c731dfc3",
"download_url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/octocat/HelloWorld/master/notes/hello.txt",
"type": "file",
"_links": {
"self": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/notes/hello.txt",
"git": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/blobs/95b966ae1c166bd92f8ae7d1c313e738c731dfc3",
"html": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/master/notes/hello.txt"
}
},
"commit": {
"sha": "7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd",
"node_id": "MDY6Q29tbWl0NzYzODQxN2RiNmQ1OWYzYzQzMWQzZTFmMjYxY2M2MzcxNTU2ODRjZA==",
"url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/commits/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd",
"html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/git/commit/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd",
"author": {
"date": "2014-11-07T22:01:45Z",
"name": "Monalisa Octocat",
"email": "octocat@github.com"
},
"committer": {
"date": "2014-11-07T22:01:45Z",
"name": "Monalisa Octocat",
"email": "octocat@github.com"
},
"message": "my commit message",
"tree": {
"url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/trees/691272480426f78a0138979dd3ce63b77f706feb",
"sha": "691272480426f78a0138979dd3ce63b77f706feb"
},
"parents": [
{
"url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/commits/1acc419d4d6a9ce985db7be48c6349a0475975b5",
"html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/git/commit/1acc419d4d6a9ce985db7be48c6349a0475975b5",
"sha": "1acc419d4d6a9ce985db7be48c6349a0475975b5"
}
],
"verification": {
"verified": false,
"reason": "unsigned",
"signature": null,
"payload": null
}
}
}
Delete a file
Deletes a file in a repository.
You can provide an additional committer
parameter, which is an object containing information about the committer. Or, you can provide an author
parameter, which is an object containing information about the author.
The author
section is optional and is filled in with the committer
information if omitted. If the committer
information is omitted, the authenticated user's information is used.
You must provide values for both name
and email
, whether you choose to use author
or committer
. Otherwise, you'll receive a 422
status code.
Note
If you use this endpoint and the "Create or update file contents" endpoint in parallel, the concurrent requests will conflict and you will receive errors. You must use these endpoints serially instead.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Delete a file"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Contents" repository permissions (write)
- "Contents" repository permissions (write) and "Workflows" repository permissions (write)
Parameters for "Delete a file"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
path string Requiredpath parameter |
Name, Type, Description | |||
---|---|---|---|
message string RequiredThe commit message. | |||
sha string RequiredThe blob SHA of the file being deleted. | |||
branch string The branch name. Default: the repository’s default branch | |||
committer object object containing information about the committer. | |||
Properties of |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
name string The name of the author (or committer) of the commit |
email string The email of the author (or committer) of the commit |
author
object object containing information about the author.
Name, Type, Description |
---|
name string The name of the author (or committer) of the commit |
email string The email of the author (or committer) of the commit |
HTTP response status codes for "Delete a file"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
404 | Resource not found |
409 | Conflict |
422 | Validation failed, or the endpoint has been spammed. |
503 | Service unavailable |
Code samples for "Delete a file"
Request example
curl -L \
-X DELETE \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/repos/OWNER/REPO/contents/PATH \
-d '{"message":"my commit message","committer":{"name":"Monalisa Octocat","email":"octocat@github.com"},"sha":"329688480d39049927147c162b9d2deaf885005f"}'
Response
Status: 200
{
"content": null,
"commit": {
"sha": "7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd",
"node_id": "MDY6Q29tbWl0NzYzODQxN2RiNmQ1OWYzYzQzMWQzZTFmMjYxY2M2MzcxNTU2ODRjZA==",
"url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/commits/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd",
"html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/git/commit/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd",
"author": {
"date": "2014-11-07T22:01:45Z",
"name": "Monalisa Octocat",
"email": "octocat@github.com"
},
"committer": {
"date": "2014-11-07T22:01:45Z",
"name": "Monalisa Octocat",
"email": "octocat@github.com"
},
"message": "my commit message",
"tree": {
"url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/trees/691272480426f78a0138979dd3ce63b77f706feb",
"sha": "691272480426f78a0138979dd3ce63b77f706feb"
},
"parents": [
{
"url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/commits/1acc419d4d6a9ce985db7be48c6349a0475975b5",
"html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/git/commit/1acc419d4d6a9ce985db7be48c6349a0475975b5",
"sha": "1acc419d4d6a9ce985db7be48c6349a0475975b5"
}
],
"verification": {
"verified": false,
"reason": "unsigned",
"signature": null,
"payload": null
}
}
}
Get a repository README
Gets the preferred README for a repository.
This endpoint supports the following custom media types. For more information, see "Media types."
application/vnd.github.raw+json
: Returns the raw file contents. This is the default if you do not specify a media type.application/vnd.github.html+json
: Returns the README in HTML. Markup languages are rendered to HTML using GitHub's open-source Markup library.
Parameters for "Get a repository README"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
ref string The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default: the repository’s default branch. |
HTTP response status codes for "Get a repository README"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
304 | Not modified |
404 | Resource not found |
422 | Validation failed, or the endpoint has been spammed. |
Code samples for "Get a repository README"
Request example
curl -L \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/repos/OWNER/REPO/readme
Response
Status: 200
{
"type": "file",
"encoding": "base64",
"size": 5362,
"name": "README.md",
"path": "README.md",
"content": "encoded content ...",
"sha": "3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
"url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/contents/README.md",
"git_url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/git/blobs/3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
"html_url": "https://github.com/octokit/octokit.rb/blob/master/README.md",
"download_url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/octokit/octokit.rb/master/README.md",
"_links": {
"git": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/git/blobs/3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
"self": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/contents/README.md",
"html": "https://github.com/octokit/octokit.rb/blob/master/README.md"
}
}
Get a repository README for a directory
Gets the README from a repository directory.
This endpoint supports the following custom media types. For more information, see "Media types."
application/vnd.github.raw+json
: Returns the raw file contents. This is the default if you do not specify a media type.application/vnd.github.html+json
: Returns the README in HTML. Markup languages are rendered to HTML using GitHub's open-source Markup library.
Parameters for "Get a repository README for a directory"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
dir string RequiredThe alternate path to look for a README file |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
ref string The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default: the repository’s default branch. |
HTTP response status codes for "Get a repository README for a directory"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
404 | Resource not found |
422 | Validation failed, or the endpoint has been spammed. |
Code samples for "Get a repository README for a directory"
Request example
curl -L \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/repos/OWNER/REPO/readme/DIR
Response
Status: 200
{
"type": "file",
"encoding": "base64",
"size": 5362,
"name": "README.md",
"path": "README.md",
"content": "encoded content ...",
"sha": "3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
"url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/contents/README.md",
"git_url": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/git/blobs/3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
"html_url": "https://github.com/octokit/octokit.rb/blob/master/README.md",
"download_url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/octokit/octokit.rb/master/README.md",
"_links": {
"git": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/git/blobs/3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
"self": "https://HOSTNAME/repos/octokit/octokit.rb/contents/README.md",
"html": "https://github.com/octokit/octokit.rb/blob/master/README.md"
}
}
Download a repository archive (tar)
Gets a redirect URL to download a tar archive for a repository. If you omit :ref
, the repository’s default branch (usually
main
) will be used. Please make sure your HTTP framework is configured to follow redirects or you will need to use
the Location
header to make a second GET
request.
Note
For private repositories, these links are temporary and expire after five minutes.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Download a repository archive (tar)"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have the following permission set:
- "Contents" repository permissions (read)
This endpoint can be used without authentication or the aforementioned permissions if only public resources are requested.
Parameters for "Download a repository archive (tar)"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
ref string Required |
HTTP response status codes for "Download a repository archive (tar)"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
302 | Found |
Code samples for "Download a repository archive (tar)"
Request example
curl -L \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/repos/OWNER/REPO/tarball/REF
Response
Status: 302
Download a repository archive (zip)
Gets a redirect URL to download a zip archive for a repository. If you omit :ref
, the repository’s default branch (usually
main
) will be used. Please make sure your HTTP framework is configured to follow redirects or you will need to use
the Location
header to make a second GET
request.
Note
For private repositories, these links are temporary and expire after five minutes. If the repository is empty, you will receive a 404 when you follow the redirect.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Download a repository archive (zip)"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have the following permission set:
- "Contents" repository permissions (read)
This endpoint can be used without authentication or the aforementioned permissions if only public resources are requested.
Parameters for "Download a repository archive (zip)"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
ref string Required |
HTTP response status codes for "Download a repository archive (zip)"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
302 | Found |
Code samples for "Download a repository archive (zip)"
Request example
curl -L \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/repos/OWNER/REPO/zipball/REF
Response
Status: 302