REST API endpoints for licenses

About licenses

GitHub uses the open source Ruby Gem Licensee to attempt to identify the license for a project. Licensee matches the contents of a project's LICENSE file (if it exists) against a short list of known licenses. As a result, the API does not take into account the licenses of project dependencies or other means of documenting a project's license such as references to the license name in the documentation.

If a license is matched, the license key and name returned conforms to the SPDX specification.

Note: These endpoints will also return a repository's license information:

Warning

GitHub is a lot of things, but it’s not a law firm. As such, GitHub does not provide legal advice. Using the API or sending us an email about it does not constitute legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. If you have any questions about what you can and can't do with a particular license, you should consult with your own legal counsel before moving forward. In fact, you should always consult with your own lawyer before making any decisions that might have legal ramifications or that may impact your legal rights.

GitHub created these endpoints to help users get information about open source licenses and the projects that use them. We hope it helps, but please keep in mind that we’re not lawyers (at least most of us aren't) and that we make mistakes like everyone else. For that reason, GitHub provides the API on an "as-is" basis and makes no warranties regarding any information or licenses provided on or through it, and disclaims liability for damages resulting from using the API.

Get all commonly used licenses

Lists the most commonly used licenses on GitHub. For more information, see "Licensing a repository ."

Fine-grained access tokens for "Get all commonly used licenses"

This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:

The fine-grained token does not require any permissions.

This endpoint can be used without authentication if only public resources are requested.

Parameters for "Get all commonly used licenses"

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept` string Setting to `application/vnd.github+json` is recommended.

Query parameters
Name, Type, Description
`featured` boolean
`per_page` integer The number of results per page (max 100). For more information, see "Using pagination in the REST API." Default: `30`
`page` integer The page number of the results to fetch. For more information, see "Using pagination in the REST API." Default: `1`

HTTP response status codes for "Get all commonly used licenses"

Status code	Description
`200`	OK
`304`	Not modified

Code samples for "Get all commonly used licenses"

If you access GitHub at GHE.com, replace api.github.com with your enterprise's dedicated subdomain at api.SUBDOMAIN.ghe.com.

Request example

get/licenses

curl -L \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
  -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
  https://api.github.com/licenses

Response

Status: 200

[
  {
    "key": "mit",
    "name": "MIT License",
    "spdx_id": "MIT",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/licenses/mit",
    "node_id": "MDc6TGljZW5zZW1pdA=="
  },
  {
    "key": "lgpl-3.0",
    "name": "GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0",
    "spdx_id": "LGPL-3.0",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/licenses/lgpl-3.0",
    "node_id": "MDc6TGljZW5zZW1pdA=="
  },
  {
    "key": "mpl-2.0",
    "name": "Mozilla Public License 2.0",
    "spdx_id": "MPL-2.0",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/licenses/mpl-2.0",
    "node_id": "MDc6TGljZW5zZW1pdA=="
  },
  {
    "key": "agpl-3.0",
    "name": "GNU Affero General Public License v3.0",
    "spdx_id": "AGPL-3.0",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/licenses/agpl-3.0",
    "node_id": "MDc6TGljZW5zZW1pdA=="
  },
  {
    "key": "unlicense",
    "name": "The Unlicense",
    "spdx_id": "Unlicense",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/licenses/unlicense",
    "node_id": "MDc6TGljZW5zZW1pdA=="
  },
  {
    "key": "apache-2.0",
    "name": "Apache License 2.0",
    "spdx_id": "Apache-2.0",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/licenses/apache-2.0",
    "node_id": "MDc6TGljZW5zZW1pdA=="
  },
  {
    "key": "gpl-3.0",
    "name": "GNU General Public License v3.0",
    "spdx_id": "GPL-3.0",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/licenses/gpl-3.0",
    "node_id": "MDc6TGljZW5zZW1pdA=="
  }
]

Get a license

Gets information about a specific license. For more information, see "Licensing a repository ."

Fine-grained access tokens for "Get a license"

This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:

The fine-grained token does not require any permissions.

This endpoint can be used without authentication if only public resources are requested.

Parameters for "Get a license"

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept` string Setting to `application/vnd.github+json` is recommended.

Path parameters
Name, Type, Description
`license` string Required

HTTP response status codes for "Get a license"

Status code	Description
`200`	OK
`304`	Not modified
`403`	Forbidden
`404`	Resource not found

Code samples for "Get a license"

If you access GitHub at GHE.com, replace api.github.com with your enterprise's dedicated subdomain at api.SUBDOMAIN.ghe.com.

Request example

get/licenses/{license}

curl -L \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
  -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
  https://api.github.com/licenses/LICENSE

Response

Status: 200

{
  "key": "mit",
  "name": "MIT License",
  "spdx_id": "MIT",
  "url": "https://api.github.com/licenses/mit",
  "node_id": "MDc6TGljZW5zZW1pdA==",
  "html_url": "http://choosealicense.com/licenses/mit/",
  "description": "A permissive license that is short and to the point. It lets people do anything with your code with proper attribution and without warranty.",
  "implementation": "Create a text file (typically named LICENSE or LICENSE.txt) in the root of your source code and copy the text of the license into the file. Replace [year] with the current year and [fullname] with the name (or names) of the copyright holders.",
  "permissions": [
    "commercial-use",
    "modifications",
    "distribution",
    "sublicense",
    "private-use"
  ],
  "conditions": [
    "include-copyright"
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "no-liability"
  ],
  "body": "\n\nThe MIT License (MIT)\n\nCopyright (c) [year] [fullname]\n\nPermission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy\nof this software and associated documentation files (the \"Software\"), to deal\nin the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights\nto use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell\ncopies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is\nfurnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:\n\nThe above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all\ncopies or substantial portions of the Software.\n\nTHE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED \"AS IS\", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR\nIMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,\nFITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE\nAUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER\nLIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,\nOUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE\nSOFTWARE.\n",
  "featured": true
}

Get the license for a repository

This method returns the contents of the repository's license file, if one is detected.

This endpoint supports the following custom media types. For more information, see "Media types."

application/vnd.github.raw+json: Returns the raw contents of the license.
application/vnd.github.html+json: Returns the license contents in HTML. Markup languages are rendered to HTML using GitHub's open-source Markup library.

Fine-grained access tokens for "Get the license for a repository"

This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:

The fine-grained token must have the following permission set:

"Metadata" repository permissions (read)

This endpoint can be used without authentication or the aforementioned permissions if only public resources are requested.

Parameters for "Get the license for a repository"

Headers
Name, Type, Description
`accept` string Setting to `application/vnd.github+json` is recommended.

Path parameters
Name, Type, Description
`owner` string Required The account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive.
`repo` string Required The name of the repository without the `.git` extension. The name is not case sensitive.

Query parameters
Name, Type, Description
`ref` string The Git reference for the results you want to list. The `ref` for a branch can be formatted either as `refs/heads/<branch name>` or simply `<branch name>`. To reference a pull request use `refs/pull/<number>/merge`.

HTTP response status codes for "Get the license for a repository"

Status code	Description
`200`	OK
`404`	Resource not found

Code samples for "Get the license for a repository"

If you access GitHub at GHE.com, replace api.github.com with your enterprise's dedicated subdomain at api.SUBDOMAIN.ghe.com.

Request example

get/repos/{owner}/{repo}/license

curl -L \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
  -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
  https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/license

Response

Status: 200

{
  "name": "LICENSE",
  "path": "LICENSE",
  "sha": "401c59dcc4570b954dd6d345e76199e1f4e76266",
  "size": 1077,
  "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/benbalter/gman/contents/LICENSE?ref=master",
  "html_url": "https://github.com/benbalter/gman/blob/master/LICENSE",
  "git_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/benbalter/gman/git/blobs/401c59dcc4570b954dd6d345e76199e1f4e76266",
  "download_url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/benbalter/gman/master/LICENSE?lab=true",
  "type": "file",
  "content": "VGhlIE1JVCBMaWNlbnNlIChNSVQpCgpDb3B5cmlnaHQgKGMpIDIwMTMgQmVu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\nSEUgVVNFIE9SIE9USEVSIERFQUxJTkdTIElOIFRIRSBTT0ZUV0FSRS4K\n",
  "encoding": "base64",
  "_links": {
    "self": "https://api.github.com/repos/benbalter/gman/contents/LICENSE?ref=master",
    "git": "https://api.github.com/repos/benbalter/gman/git/blobs/401c59dcc4570b954dd6d345e76199e1f4e76266",
    "html": "https://github.com/benbalter/gman/blob/master/LICENSE"
  },
  "license": {
    "key": "mit",
    "name": "MIT License",
    "spdx_id": "MIT",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/licenses/mit",
    "node_id": "MDc6TGljZW5zZW1pdA=="
  }
}