Create or update file contents

PUT

/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{path}

Creates a new file or replaces an existing file in a repository.

[!NOTE] If you use this endpoint and the “Delete a file” endpoint in parallel, the concurrent requests will conflict and you will receive errors. You must use these endpoints serially instead.

OAuth app tokens and personal access tokens (classic) need the repo scope to use this endpoint. The workflow scope is also required in order to modify files in the .github/workflows directory.

API method documentation

Parameters

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.

path

required

string

Path parameter

Request Body^required

application/json

object

message

required

The commit message.

string

content

required

The new file content, using Base64 encoding.

string

sha

Required if you are updating a file. The blob SHA of the file being replaced.

string

branch

The branch name. Default: the repository’s default branch.

string

committer

The person that committed the file. Default: the authenticated user.

object

name

required

The name of the author or committer of the commit. You’ll receive a 422 status code if name is omitted.

string

email

required

The email of the author or committer of the commit. You’ll receive a 422 status code if email is omitted.

string

date

string

author

The author of the file. Default: The committer or the authenticated user if you omit committer.

object

name

required

The name of the author or committer of the commit. You’ll receive a 422 status code if name is omitted.

string

email

required

The email of the author or committer of the commit. You’ll receive a 422 status code if email is omitted.

string

date

string

Examples

Example for creating a file

{
  "message": "my commit message",
  "committer": {
    "name": "Monalisa Octocat",
    "email": "octocat@github.com"
  },
  "content": "bXkgbmV3IGZpbGUgY29udGVudHM="
}

Example for updating a file

{
  "message": "a new commit message",
  "committer": {
    "name": "Monalisa Octocat",
    "email": "octocat@github.com"
  },
  "content": "bXkgdXBkYXRlZCBmaWxlIGNvbnRlbnRz",
  "sha": "95b966ae1c166bd92f8ae7d1c313e738c731dfc3"
}

Responses

200

Response

application/json

File Commit

File Commit

object

content

required

object

name

string

path

string

sha

string

size

integer

url

string

html_url

string

git_url

string

download_url

string

type

string

_links

object

self

string

git

string

html

string

commit

required

object

sha

string

node_id

string

url

string

html_url

string

author

object

date

string

name

string

email

string

committer

object

date

string

name

string

email

string

message

string

tree

object

url

string

sha

string

parents

Array<object>

object

url

string

html_url

string

sha

string

verification

object

verified

boolean

reason

string

signature

string

nullable

payload

string

nullable

verified_at

string

nullable

Examples

example-for-updating-a-file

{
  "content": {
    "name": "hello.txt",
    "path": "notes/hello.txt",
    "sha": "a56507ed892d05a37c6d6128c260937ea4d287bd",
    "size": 9,
    "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/notes/hello.txt",
    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/master/notes/hello.txt",
    "git_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/blobs/a56507ed892d05a37c6d6128c260937ea4d287bd",
    "download_url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/octocat/HelloWorld/master/notes/hello.txt",
    "type": "file",
    "_links": {
      "self": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/notes/hello.txt",
      "git": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/blobs/a56507ed892d05a37c6d6128c260937ea4d287bd",
      "html": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/master/notes/hello.txt"
    }
  },
  "commit": {
    "sha": "18a43cd8e1e3a79c786e3d808a73d23b6d212b16",
    "node_id": "MDY6Q29tbWl0MThhNDNjZDhlMWUzYTc5Yzc4NmUzZDgwOGE3M2QyM2I2ZDIxMmIxNg==",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/commits/18a43cd8e1e3a79c786e3d808a73d23b6d212b16",
    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/git/commit/18a43cd8e1e3a79c786e3d808a73d23b6d212b16",
    "author": {
      "date": "2014-11-07T22:01:45Z",
      "name": "Monalisa Octocat",
      "email": "octocat@github.com"
    },
    "committer": {
      "date": "2014-11-07T22:01:45Z",
      "name": "Monalisa Octocat",
      "email": "octocat@github.com"
    },
    "message": "my commit message",
    "tree": {
      "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/trees/9a21f8e2018f42ffcf369b24d2cd20bc25c9e66f",
      "sha": "9a21f8e2018f42ffcf369b24d2cd20bc25c9e66f"
    },
    "parents": [
      {
        "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/commits/da5a433788da5c255edad7979b328b67d79f53f6",
        "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/git/commit/da5a433788da5c255edad7979b328b67d79f53f6",
        "sha": "da5a433788da5c255edad7979b328b67d79f53f6"
      }
    ],
    "verification": {
      "verified": false,
      "reason": "unsigned",
      "signature": null,
      "payload": null,
      "verified_at": null
    }
  }
}

201

Response

application/json

File Commit

File Commit

object

content

required

object

name

string

path

string

sha

string

size

integer

url

string

html_url

string

git_url

string

download_url

string

type

string

_links

object

self

string

git

string

html

string

commit

required

object

sha

string

node_id

string

url

string

html_url

string

author

object

date

string

name

string

email

string

committer

object

date

string

name

string

email

string

message

string

tree

object

url

string

sha

string

parents

Array<object>

object

url

string

html_url

string

sha

string

verification

object

verified

boolean

reason

string

signature

string

nullable

payload

string

nullable

verified_at

string

nullable

Examples

example-for-creating-a-file

{
  "content": {
    "name": "hello.txt",
    "path": "notes/hello.txt",
    "sha": "95b966ae1c166bd92f8ae7d1c313e738c731dfc3",
    "size": 9,
    "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/notes/hello.txt",
    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/master/notes/hello.txt",
    "git_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/blobs/95b966ae1c166bd92f8ae7d1c313e738c731dfc3",
    "download_url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/octocat/HelloWorld/master/notes/hello.txt",
    "type": "file",
    "_links": {
      "self": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/notes/hello.txt",
      "git": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/blobs/95b966ae1c166bd92f8ae7d1c313e738c731dfc3",
      "html": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/master/notes/hello.txt"
    }
  },
  "commit": {
    "sha": "7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd",
    "node_id": "MDY6Q29tbWl0NzYzODQxN2RiNmQ1OWYzYzQzMWQzZTFmMjYxY2M2MzcxNTU2ODRjZA==",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/commits/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd",
    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/git/commit/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd",
    "author": {
      "date": "2014-11-07T22:01:45Z",
      "name": "Monalisa Octocat",
      "email": "octocat@github.com"
    },
    "committer": {
      "date": "2014-11-07T22:01:45Z",
      "name": "Monalisa Octocat",
      "email": "octocat@github.com"
    },
    "message": "my commit message",
    "tree": {
      "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/trees/691272480426f78a0138979dd3ce63b77f706feb",
      "sha": "691272480426f78a0138979dd3ce63b77f706feb"
    },
    "parents": [
      {
        "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/commits/1acc419d4d6a9ce985db7be48c6349a0475975b5",
        "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/git/commit/1acc419d4d6a9ce985db7be48c6349a0475975b5",
        "sha": "1acc419d4d6a9ce985db7be48c6349a0475975b5"
      }
    ],
    "verification": {
      "verified": false,
      "reason": "unsigned",
      "signature": null,
      "payload": null,
      "verified_at": null
    }
  }
}

404

Resource not found

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"
}

409

Conflict

application/json

One of:

Basic Error
object

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"
}

422

Validation failed, or the endpoint has been spammed.

application/json

Validation Error

Validation Error

object

message

required

string

documentation_url

required

string

errors

Array<object>

object

resource

string

field

string

message

string

code

required

string

index

integer

value

One of:

string

nullable

Example ^generated

{
  "message": "example",
  "documentation_url": "example",
  "errors": [
    {
      "resource": "example",
      "field": "example",
      "message": "example",
      "code": "example",
      "index": 1,
      "value": [
        "example"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Create or update file contents

Parameters

Path Parameters

Request Body required

Examples

Responses

200

Examples

201

Examples

404

Example generated

409

Example generated

422

Example generated

Request Body^required

Example ^generated

Example ^generated

Example ^generated