The GitHub Repositories API lets you create, update and retrieve repositories and their related issues, pull requests, and settings. This is the human-friendly guide to the API.
The most common operations people perform on repositories using the GitHub API.
| Action | HTTP Method | Endpoint |
|---|---|---|
|
Create a Repository
|
POST
|
/user/repos
|
|
Update a Repository
|
PATCH
|
/repos/{owner}/{repo}
|
|
Get a Repository
|
GET
|
/repos/{owner}/{repo}
|
|
List Repositories
|
GET
|
/user/repos
|
|
Search Repositories
|
GET
|
/search/repositories
|
|
Delete a Repository
|
DELETE
|
/repos/{owner}/{repo}
|
Repositories are identified by their full name in the format owner/repo. You need this identifier to get, update, or delete a repository. These operations are performed using the HTTP methods GET, PATCH, and DELETE on the same endpoint.
When creating a repository, you need to provide a name. Optionally, you can set the description, visibility (public/private), and initialize with a README file.
If you don't know the exact repository name, you can search for repositories by name, description, topics, or other criteria using the search endpoint.
The 10 most important properties a repository can have in the GitHub API. Some properties are required, some are optional, and some are read-only. Show all properties Only show essential properties
| Field Name | Type | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| id | integer | Unique identifier for the repository |
| name | string | The name of the repository |
| full_name | string | The full name of the repository (owner/name) |
| description | string | A short description of the repository |
| private | boolean | Whether the repository is private |
| html_url | string | The URL to view the repository on GitHub |
| clone_url | string | The URL to clone the repository |
| created_at | datetime | When the repository was created |
| updated_at | datetime | When the repository was last updated |
| language | string | The primary programming language of the repository |
| archived | boolean | Whether the repository is archived |
| default_branch | string | The default branch of the repository |
| disabled | boolean | Whether the repository is disabled |
| fork | boolean | Whether the repository is a fork |
| forks_count | integer | Number of forks of this repository |
| has_issues | boolean | Whether issues are enabled for the repository |
| has_pages | boolean | Whether GitHub Pages is enabled |
| has_wiki | boolean | Whether the wiki is enabled |
| homepage | string | The repository's homepage URL |
| license | object | License information for the repository |
| open_issues_count | integer | Number of open issues |
| owner | object | Information about the repository owner |
| pushed_at | datetime | When the repository was last pushed to |
| size | integer | Size of the repository in kilobytes |
| stargazers_count | integer | Number of stars the repository has |
| topics | array | List of topics associated with the repository |
| visibility | string | Repository visibility: public, private, or internal |
| watchers_count | integer | Number of watchers of the repository |
Did you know that deleting a repository is permanent and cannot be undone? Or that repository names are case-insensitive? Here are some common pitfalls and gotchas when working with repositories in the GitHub API.
When you delete a repository, it's permanently removed and cannot be recovered. Make sure you have backups before deleting.
Repository names are case-insensitive. MyRepo and myrepo are considered the same repository name.
GitHub API has strict rate limits. Authenticated requests get 5,000 requests per hour, while unauthenticated requests get only 60 per hour.
Repository names can only contain alphanumeric characters, hyphens, and underscores. They cannot start with a hyphen or be longer than 100 characters.
When you fork a repository, the fork field is set to true and the original repository information is stored in the parent field.
Free GitHub accounts have limits on the number of private repositories and collaborators. Check your plan limits before creating private repositories.
Protected branches cannot be deleted through the API. You must first remove branch protection rules before attempting to delete a branch.
To transfer a repository, the target user or organization must have sufficient permissions and repository limits available.
