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GitHub Repository API

Resolve a public GitHub repository URL to structured JSON — full name, owner, stars, forks, language, license, topics, and timestamps — without standing up your own GitHub token stack for enrichment jobs.

GET /v1/github/repositories

1 credit Failed requests are free

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About this endpoint

GET /v1/github/repositories takes one url query param: a full public GitHub repository URL. Branch on data.lookupStatus before you write — found vs not_found. When found, data.repository holds identity (platformRepoId, name, fullName, owner, profileUrl, description, fork/private flags), engagement counts (starsCount, forksCount, watchersCount, openIssuesCount), language and size, license and topics, visibility/archive flags, and createdAt / updatedAt / pushedAt when GitHub exposes them.

Use this route for one repository when you already have the owner/repo URL. To page through every public repository for a user or org, call GET /v1/github/profiles/{handle}/repositories instead. Discovery without a URL belongs on the trending routes. Pricing is 1 credit per successful request; bill from meta.creditsCharged on the response.

GitHub Repository API FAQ

How do I fetch a GitHub repository via API?

Call GET /v1/github/repositories with your Social Fetch API key (x-api-key) and a repository url query param (for example https://github.com/torvalds/linux). Read data.lookupStatus and data.repository in the JSON response. See the API docs for parameters.

How much does the GitHub Repository API cost?

Pricing is documented on the operation in the API registry (shown on this page). Confirm on every response with meta.creditsCharged — that field is the billing source of truth.

What URL format does the GitHub repository endpoint accept?

Pass a full public GitHub repository URL in owner/repo form (for example https://github.com/facebook/react). This route is for one repository by URL, not a bare username.

What fields does the GitHub repository response include?

When lookupStatus is found, you get repository identity (id, name, fullName, owner, profile URL, description, fork/private flags), metrics (stars, forks, watchers, open issues, size), primary language, default branch, topics, license, visibility/archive flags, and created/updated/pushed timestamps when available.

GitHub repository lookup vs profile repositories list vs trending?

Use GET /v1/github/repositories when you have one owner/repo URL. Use GET /v1/github/profiles/{handle}/repositories to list public repositories for a user or org with cursor pagination. Use GET /v1/github/trending/repositories when you want discovery by language and time window without a specific URL.

Do I need a GitHub personal access token?

Not for Social Fetch public routes. Authenticate with your Social Fetch API key. Prefer GitHub's official API with a GitHub token for authenticated apps, webhooks, and private repos you are authorized to read.

Are private repositories supported?

No. Only publicly visible repository data. Private or inaccessible targets resolve as not_found (or fail validation for a bad URL). Keep meta.requestId if you need to retry or escalate that row.

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