Get the license for a repository
GET
/repos/{owner}/{repo}/license
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.
Parameters
Section titled “ Parameters ”Path Parameters
Section titled “ Path Parameters ” owner
required
string
The account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive.
repo
required
string
The name of the repository without the .git extension. The name is not case sensitive.
Query Parameters
Section titled “ Query Parameters ” ref
The Git reference, formatted as refs/pull/<number>/merge, refs/pull/<number>/head,
refs/heads/<branch name> or simply <branch name>.
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.
Responses
Section titled “ Responses ”Response
Media type application/json
License Content
License Content
object
name
required
string
path
required
string
sha
required
string
size
required
integer
url
required
string format: uri
html_url
required
string format: uri
git_url
required
string format: uri
download_url
required
string format: uri
type
required
string
content
required
string
encoding
required
string
_links
required
object
git
required
string format: uri
html
required
string format: uri
self
required
string format: uri
license
required
License Simple
License Simple
object
key
required
string
name
required
string
url
required
string format: uri
spdx_id
required
string
node_id
required
string
html_url
string format: uri
Examples
Example default
{ "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==" }}Resource not found
Media type application/json
Basic Error
Basic Error
object
message
string
documentation_url
string
url
string
status
string
Example generated
{ "message": "example", "documentation_url": "example", "url": "example", "status": "example"}