Create or update a file

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

PUT /repos/:owner/:repo/contents/:path

Parameters

Name Type Description
message string Required. The commit message.
content string Required. The new file content, using Base64 encoding.
sha string Required if you are updating a file. The blob SHA of the file being replaced.
branch string The branch name. Default: the repository’s default branch (usually master)
committer object The person that committed the file. Default: the authenticated user.
author object The author of the file. Default: The committer or the authenticated user if you omit committer.

Both the author and committer parameters have the same keys:

Name Type Description
name string Required. The name of the author or committer of the commit. You'll receive a 422 status code if name is omitted.
email string Required. The email of the author or committer of the commit. You'll receive a 422 status code if email is omitted.

Example for creating a file

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

Response

Status: 201 Created

{
  "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
    }
  }
}

Example for updating a file

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

Response

Status: 200 OK

{
  "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
    }
  }
}