Search code

GET

/search/code

Searches for query terms inside of a file. This method returns up to 100 results per page.

When searching for code, you can get text match metadata for the file content and file path fields when you pass the text-match media type. For more details about how to receive highlighted search results, see Text match metadata.

For example, if you want to find the definition of the addClass function inside jQuery repository, your query would look something like this:

q=addClass+in:file+language:js+repo:jquery/jquery

This query searches for the keyword addClass within a file’s contents. The query limits the search to files where the language is JavaScript in the jquery/jquery repository.

Considerations for code search:

Due to the complexity of searching code, there are a few restrictions on how searches are performed:

Only the default branch is considered. In most cases, this will be the master branch.
Only files smaller than 384 KB are searchable.
You must always include at least one search term when searching source code. For example, searching for language:go is not valid, while amazing language:go is.

[!NOTE] repository.description, repository.owner.type, and repository.owner.node_id are closing down on this endpoint and will return null in a future API version. Use the Get a repository endpoint (GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}) to retrieve full repository metadata.

This endpoint requires you to authenticate and limits you to 10 requests per minute.

API method documentation

Parameters

Query Parameters

required

string

The query contains one or more search keywords and qualifiers. Qualifiers allow you to limit your search to specific areas of GitHub. The REST API supports the same qualifiers as the web interface for GitHub. To learn more about the format of the query, see Constructing a search query. See “Searching code” for a detailed list of qualifiers.

~~sort~~

deprecated

string

Allowed values: indexed

This field is closing down. Sorts the results of your query. Can only be indexed, which indicates how recently a file has been indexed by the GitHub search infrastructure. Default: best match

~~order~~

deprecated

string

default: desc

Allowed values: desc asc

This field is closing down. Determines whether the first search result returned is the highest number of matches (desc) or lowest number of matches (asc). This parameter is ignored unless you provide sort.

per_page

integer

default: 30

The number of results per page (max 100). For more information, see “Using pagination in the REST API.”

page

integer

default: 1

The page number of the results to fetch. For more information, see “Using pagination in the REST API.”

Responses

200

Response

application/json

object

total_count

required

integer

incomplete_results

required

boolean

items

required

Array<object>

Code Search Result Item

Code Search Result Item

object

name

required

string

path

required

string

sha

required

string

url

required

string format: uri

git_url

required

string format: uri

html_url

required

string format: uri

repository

required

Minimal Repository

Minimal Repository

object

required

integer format: int64

node_id

required

string

name

required

string

full_name

required

string

owner

required

Simple User

A GitHub user.

object

name

string

nullable

email

string

nullable

login

required

string

required

integer format: int64

node_id

required

string

avatar_url

required

string format: uri

gravatar_id

required

string

nullable

url

required

string format: uri

html_url

required

string format: uri

followers_url

required

string format: uri

following_url

required

string

gists_url

required

string

starred_url

required

string

subscriptions_url

required

string format: uri

organizations_url

required

string format: uri

repos_url

required

string format: uri

events_url

required

string

received_events_url

required

string format: uri

type

required

string

site_admin

required

boolean

starred_at

string

user_view_type

string

private

required

boolean

html_url

required

string format: uri

description

required

string

nullable

fork

required

boolean

url

required

string format: uri

archive_url

required

string

assignees_url

required

string

blobs_url

required

string

branches_url

required

string

collaborators_url

required

string

comments_url

required

string

commits_url

required

string

compare_url

required

string

contents_url

required

string

contributors_url

required

string format: uri

deployments_url

required

string format: uri

downloads_url

required

string format: uri

events_url

required

string format: uri

forks_url

required

string format: uri

git_commits_url

required

string

git_refs_url

required

string

git_tags_url

required

string

git_url

string

issue_comment_url

required

string

issue_events_url

required

string

issues_url

required

string

keys_url

required

string

labels_url

required

string

languages_url

required

string format: uri

merges_url

required

string format: uri

milestones_url

required

string

notifications_url

required

string

pulls_url

required

string

releases_url

required

string

ssh_url

string

stargazers_url

required

string format: uri

statuses_url

required

string

subscribers_url

required

string format: uri

subscription_url

required

string format: uri

tags_url

required

string format: uri

teams_url

required

string format: uri

trees_url

required

string

clone_url

string

mirror_url

string

nullable

hooks_url

required

string format: uri

svn_url

string

homepage

string

nullable

language

string

nullable

forks_count

integer

stargazers_count

integer

watchers_count

integer

size

The size of the repository, in kilobytes. Size is calculated hourly. When a repository is initially created, the size is 0.

integer

default_branch

string

open_issues_count

integer

is_template

boolean

topics

Array<string>

has_issues

boolean

has_projects

boolean

has_wiki

boolean

has_pages

boolean

has_downloads

boolean

has_discussions

boolean

has_pull_requests

boolean

pull_request_creation_policy

The policy controlling who can create pull requests: all or collaborators_only.

string

Allowed values: all collaborators_only

archived

boolean

disabled

boolean

visibility

string

pushed_at

string format: date-time

nullable

created_at

string format: date-time

nullable

updated_at

string format: date-time

nullable

permissions

object

admin

boolean

maintain

boolean

push

boolean

triage

boolean

pull

boolean

role_name

string

temp_clone_token

string

delete_branch_on_merge

boolean

subscribers_count

integer

network_count

integer

code_of_conduct

Code Of Conduct

Code Of Conduct

object

key

required

string

name

required

string

url

required

string format: uri

body

string

html_url

required

string format: uri

nullable

license

object

key

string

name

string

spdx_id

string

url

string

nullable

node_id

string

forks

integer

open_issues

integer

watchers

integer

allow_forking

boolean

web_commit_signoff_required

boolean

security_and_analysis

object

advanced_security

Enable or disable GitHub Advanced Security for the repository.

For standalone Code Scanning or Secret Protection products, this parameter cannot be used.

object

status

string

Allowed values: enabled disabled

code_security

object

status

string

Allowed values: enabled disabled

dependabot_security_updates

Enable or disable Dependabot security updates for the repository.

object

status

The enablement status of Dependabot security updates for the repository.

string

Allowed values: enabled disabled

secret_scanning

object

status

string

Allowed values: enabled disabled

secret_scanning_push_protection

object

status

string

Allowed values: enabled disabled

secret_scanning_non_provider_patterns

object

status

string

Allowed values: enabled disabled

secret_scanning_ai_detection

object

status

string

Allowed values: enabled disabled

secret_scanning_delegated_alert_dismissal

object

status

string

Allowed values: enabled disabled

secret_scanning_delegated_bypass

object

status

string

Allowed values: enabled disabled

secret_scanning_delegated_bypass_options

object

reviewers

The bypass reviewers for secret scanning delegated bypass

Array<object>

object

reviewer_id

required

The ID of the team or role selected as a bypass reviewer

integer

reviewer_type

required

The type of the bypass reviewer

string

Allowed values: TEAM ROLE

mode

The bypass mode for the reviewer

string

default: ALWAYS

Allowed values: ALWAYS EXEMPT

custom_properties

The custom properties that were defined for the repository. The keys are the custom property names, and the values are the corresponding custom property values.

object

key

additional properties

any

score

required

number

file_size

integer

language

string

nullable

last_modified_at

string format: date-time

line_numbers

Array<string>

text_matches

Search Result Text Matches

Array<object>

object

object_url

string

object_type

string

nullable

property

string

fragment

string

matches

Array<object>

object

text

string

indices

Array<integer>

Examples

default

{
  "total_count": 7,
  "incomplete_results": false,
  "items": [
    {
      "name": "classes.js",
      "path": "src/attributes/classes.js",
      "sha": "d7212f9dee2dcc18f084d7df8f417b80846ded5a",
      "url": "https://api.github.com/repositories/167174/contents/src/attributes/classes.js?ref=825ac3773694e0cd23ee74895fd5aeb535b27da4",
      "git_url": "https://api.github.com/repositories/167174/git/blobs/d7212f9dee2dcc18f084d7df8f417b80846ded5a",
      "html_url": "https://github.com/jquery/jquery/blob/825ac3773694e0cd23ee74895fd5aeb535b27da4/src/attributes/classes.js",
      "repository": {
        "id": 167174,
        "node_id": "MDEwOlJlcG9zaXRvcnkxNjcxNzQ=",
        "name": "jquery",
        "full_name": "jquery/jquery",
        "owner": {
          "login": "jquery",
          "id": 70142,
          "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjcwMTQy",
          "avatar_url": "https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6906f317a4733f4379b06c32229ef02f?d=https%3A%2F%2Fidenticons.github.com%2Ff426f04f2f9813718fb806b30e0093de.png",
          "gravatar_id": "",
          "url": "https://api.github.com/users/jquery",
          "html_url": "https://github.com/jquery",
          "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/jquery/followers",
          "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/jquery/following{/other_user}",
          "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/jquery/gists{/gist_id}",
          "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/jquery/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
          "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/jquery/subscriptions",
          "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/jquery/orgs",
          "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/jquery/repos",
          "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/jquery/events{/privacy}",
          "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/jquery/received_events",
          "type": "Organization",
          "site_admin": false
        },
        "private": false,
        "html_url": "https://github.com/jquery/jquery",
        "description": "jQuery JavaScript Library",
        "fork": false,
        "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery",
        "forks_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/forks",
        "keys_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/keys{/key_id}",
        "collaborators_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/collaborators{/collaborator}",
        "teams_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/teams",
        "hooks_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/hooks",
        "issue_events_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/issues/events{/number}",
        "events_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/events",
        "assignees_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/assignees{/user}",
        "branches_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/branches{/branch}",
        "tags_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/tags",
        "blobs_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/git/blobs{/sha}",
        "git_tags_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/git/tags{/sha}",
        "git_refs_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/git/refs{/sha}",
        "trees_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/git/trees{/sha}",
        "statuses_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/statuses/{sha}",
        "languages_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/languages",
        "stargazers_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/stargazers",
        "contributors_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/contributors",
        "subscribers_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/subscribers",
        "subscription_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/subscription",
        "commits_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/commits{/sha}",
        "git_commits_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/git/commits{/sha}",
        "comments_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/comments{/number}",
        "issue_comment_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/issues/comments/{number}",
        "contents_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/contents/{+path}",
        "compare_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/compare/{base}...{head}",
        "merges_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/merges",
        "archive_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/{archive_format}{/ref}",
        "downloads_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/downloads",
        "issues_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/issues{/number}",
        "pulls_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/pulls{/number}",
        "milestones_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/milestones{/number}",
        "notifications_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/notifications{?since,all,participating}",
        "labels_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/jquery/jquery/labels{/name}",
        "deployments_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/deployments",
        "releases_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/releases{/id}"
      },
      "score": 1
    }
  ]
}

304

Not modified

403

Forbidden

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"
}

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"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

503

Service unavailable

application/json

object

code

string

message

string

documentation_url

string

Example ^generated

{
  "code": "example",
  "message": "example",
  "documentation_url": "example"
}

Search code

Parameters

Query Parameters

Responses

200

Examples

304

403

Example generated

422

Example generated

503

Example generated

Example ^generated

Example ^generated

Example ^generated