Using content attachments

About content attachments

A GitHub App can register domains that will trigger content_reference events. When someone includes a URL that links to a registered domain in the body or comment of an issue or pull request, the app receives the content_reference webhook. You can use content attachments to visually provide more context or data for the URL added to an issue or pull request. The URL must be a fully-qualified URL, starting with either http:// or https://. URLs that are part of a markdown link are ignored and don't trigger the content_reference event.

Before you can use the Content Attachments API, you'll need to configure content references for your GitHub App:

• Give your app Read & write permissions for "Content references."
• Register up to 5 valid, publicly accessible domains when configuring the "Content references" permission. Do not use IP addresses when configuring content reference domains. You can register a domain name (example.com) or a subdomain (subdomain.example.com).
• Subscribe your app to the "Content reference" event.

Once your app is installed on a repository, issue or pull request comments in the repository that contain URLs for your registered domains will generate a content reference event. The app must create a content attachment within six hours of the content reference URL being posted.

Content attachments will not retroactively update URLs. It only works for URLs added to issues or pull requests after you configure the app using the requirements outlined above and then someone installs the app on their repository.

See "Creating a GitHub App" or "Editing a GitHub App's permissions" for the steps needed to configure GitHub App permissions and event subscriptions.

Implementing the content attachment flow

The content attachment flow shows you the relationship between the URL in the issue or pull request, the content_reference webhook event, and the REST API endpoint you need to call to update the issue or pull request with additional information:

Step 1. Set up your app using the guidelines outlined in About content attachments. You can also use the Probot App example to get started with content attachments.

Step 2. Add the URL for the domain you registered to an issue or pull request. You must use a fully qualified URL that starts with http:// or https://.

Step 3. Your app will receive the content_reference webhook with the action created.

{
  "action": "created",
  "content_reference": {
    "id": 17,
    "node_id": "MDE2OkNvbnRlbnRSZWZlcmVuY2UxNjA5",
    "reference": "errors.ai"
  },
  "repository": {
    "full_name": "Codertocat/Hello-World",
  },
  "sender": {...},
  "installation": {
    "id": 371641,
    "node_id": "MDIzOkludGVncmF0aW9uSW5zdGFsbGF0aW9uMzcxNjQx"
  }
}

Step 4. The app uses the content_reference id and repository full_name fields to Create a content attachment using the REST API. You'll also need the installation id to authenticate as a GitHub App installation.

application/vnd.github.corsair-preview+json

The body parameter can contain markdown:

curl -X POST \
  http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/repos/Codertocat/Hello-World/content_references/17/attachments \
  -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github.corsair-preview+json' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer $INSTALLATION_TOKEN' \
  -d '{
	"title": "[A-1234] Error found in core/models.py file",
	"body": "You have used an email that already exists for the user_email_uniq field.\n ## DETAILS:\n\nThe (email)=(Octocat@github.com) already exists.\n\n The error was found in core/models.py in get_or_create_user at line 62.\n\n self.save()"
}'

For more information about creating an installation token, see "Authenticating as a GitHub App."

Step 5. You'll see the new content attachment appear under the link in a pull request or issue comment:

Using content attachments in GraphQL

We provide the node_id in the content_reference webhook event so you can refer to the createContentAttachment mutation in the GraphQL API.

application/vnd.github.corsair-preview+json

For example:

mutation {
  createContentAttachment(input: {
    contentReferenceId: "MDE2OkNvbnRlbnRSZWZlcmVuY2UxNjA1",
    title: "[A-1234] Error found in core/models.py file",
    body:"You have used an email that already exists for the user_email_uniq field.\n ## DETAILS:\n\nThe (email)=(Octocat@github.com) already exists.\n\n The error was found in core/models.py in get_or_create_user at line 62.\n\n self.save()"
  }) {
    contentAttachment {
      ... on ContentAttachment {
        id
        title
        body
      }
    }
  }
}

Example curl command:

curl -X "POST" "http(s)://HOSTNAME/api/v3/graphql" \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer $INSTALLATION_TOKEN' \
     -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github.corsair-preview+json' \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8' \
     -d $'{
  "query": "mutation {\\n  createContentAttachment(input:{contentReferenceId: \\"MDE2OkNvbnRlbnRSZWZlcmVuY2UxNjA1\\", title:\\"[A-1234] Error found in core/models.py file\\", body:\\"You have used an email that already exists for the user_email_uniq field.\n ## DETAILS:\n\nThe (email)=(Octocat@github.com) already exists.\n\n The error was found in core/models.py in get_or_create_user at line 62.\n\n\self.save()\\"}) {\\n    contentAttachment {\\n      id,\\n      title,\\n      body\\n    }\\n  }\\n}"
}'

For more information on node_id, see "Using Global Node IDs."

Example using Probot and GitHub App Manifests

To quickly setup a GitHub App that can use the Content Attachments API, you can use Probot. See "Creating GitHub Apps from a manifest" to learn how Probot uses GitHub App Manifests.

To create a Probot App, follow these steps:

1. Generate a new GitHub App.

2. Open the project you created, and customize the settings in the app.yml file. Subscribe to the content_reference event and enable content_references write permissions:

    default_events:
      - content_reference
    # The set of permissions needed by the GitHub App. The format of the object uses
    # the permission name for the key (for example, issues) and the access type for
    # the value (for example, write).
    # Valid values are `read`, `write`, and `none`
    default_permissions:
      content_references: write
   
    content_references:
      - type: domain
        value: errors.ai
      - type: domain
        value: example.org
   

3. Add this code to the index.js file to handle content_reference events and call the REST API:

   module.exports = app => {
     // Your code here
     app.log('Yay, the app was loaded!')
      app.on('content_reference.created', async context => {
       console.log('Content reference created!', context.payload)
        // Call the "Create a content reference" REST endpoint
       await context.github.request({
         method: 'POST',
         headers: { accept: 'application/vnd.github.corsair-preview+json' },
         url: `/repos/${context.payload.repository.full_name}/content_references/${context.payload.content_reference.id}/attachments`,
         // Parameters
         title: '[A-1234] Error found in core/models.py file',
         body: 'You have used an email that already exists for the user_email_uniq field.\n ## DETAILS:\n\nThe (email)=(Octocat@github.com) already exists.\n\n The error was found in core/models.py in get_or_create_user at line 62.\n\nself.save()'
       })
     })
   }
   

4. Run the GitHub App locally. Navigate to http://localhost:3000, and click the Register GitHub App button:

   

5. Install the app on a test repository.

6. Create an issue in your test repository.

7. Add a comment to the issue you opened that includes the URL you configured in the app.yml file.

8. Take a look at the issue comment and you'll see an update that looks like this: