Create a repository using a template

Note: Creating and using repository templates is currently available for developers to preview. To access this new endpoint during the preview period, you must provide a custom media type in the Accept header:

application/vnd.github.baptiste-preview+json

Warning: The API may change without advance notice during the preview period. Preview features are not supported for production use. If you experience any issues, contact GitHub Support or GitHub Premium Support.

Creates a new repository using a repository template. Use the template_owner and template_repo route parameters to specify the repository to use as the template. The authenticated user must own or be a member of an organization that owns the repository. To check if a repository is available to use as a template, get the repository's information using the Get a repository endpoint and check that the is_template key is true.

POST /repos/:template_owner/:template_repo/generate

OAuth scope requirements

When using OAuth, authorizations must include:

Parameters

Name Type Description
owner string The organization or person who will own the new repository. To create a new repository in an organization, the authenticated user must be a member of the specified organization.
name string Required. The name of the new repository.
description string A short description of the new repository.
private boolean Either true to create a new private repository or false to create a new public one. Default: false

Example

{
  "owner": "octocat",
  "name": "Hello-World",
  "description": "This is your first repository",
  "private": false
}

Response

Status: 201 Created
Location: https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World

{
  "id": 1296269,
  "node_id": "MDEwOlJlcG9zaXRvcnkxMjk2MjY5",
  "name": "Hello-World",
  "full_name": "octocat/Hello-World",
  "owner": {
    "login": "octocat",
    "id": 1,
    "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=",
    "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif",
    "gravatar_id": "",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat",
    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat",
    "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers",
    "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}",
    "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}",
    "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
    "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions",
    "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs",
    "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos",
    "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}",
    "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events",
    "type": "User",
    "site_admin": false
  },
  "private": false,
  "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World",
  "description": "This your first repo!",
  "fork": false,
  "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World",
  "archive_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/{archive_format}{/ref}",
  "assignees_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/assignees{/user}",
  "blobs_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/blobs{/sha}",
  "branches_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/branches{/branch}",
  "collaborators_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/collaborators{/collaborator}",
  "comments_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/comments{/number}",
  "commits_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits{/sha}",
  "compare_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/compare/{base}...{head}",
  "contents_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/{+path}",
  "contributors_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contributors",
  "deployments_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/deployments",
  "downloads_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/downloads",
  "events_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/events",
  "forks_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/forks",
  "git_commits_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/commits{/sha}",
  "git_refs_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/refs{/sha}",
  "git_tags_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/tags{/sha}",
  "git_url": "git:github.com/octocat/Hello-World.git",
  "issue_comment_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/issues/comments{/number}",
  "issue_events_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/issues/events{/number}",
  "issues_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/issues{/number}",
  "keys_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/keys{/key_id}",
  "labels_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels{/name}",
  "languages_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/languages",
  "merges_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/merges",
  "milestones_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/milestones{/number}",
  "notifications_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/notifications{?since,all,participating}",
  "pulls_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/pulls{/number}",
  "releases_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/releases{/id}",
  "ssh_url": "git@github.com:octocat/Hello-World.git",
  "stargazers_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/stargazers",
  "statuses_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/statuses/{sha}",
  "subscribers_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/subscribers",
  "subscription_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/subscription",
  "tags_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/tags",
  "teams_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/teams",
  "trees_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/trees{/sha}",
  "clone_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World.git",
  "mirror_url": "git:git.example.com/octocat/Hello-World",
  "hooks_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/hooks",
  "svn_url": "https://svn.github.com/octocat/Hello-World",
  "homepage": "https://github.com",
  "language": null,
  "forks_count": 9,
  "stargazers_count": 80,
  "watchers_count": 80,
  "size": 108,
  "default_branch": "master",
  "open_issues_count": 0,
  "is_template": false,
  "topics": [
    "octocat",
    "atom",
    "electron",
    "api"
  ],
  "has_issues": true,
  "has_projects": true,
  "has_wiki": true,
  "has_pages": false,
  "has_downloads": true,
  "archived": false,
  "disabled": false,
  "visibility": "public",
  "pushed_at": "2011-01-26T19:06:43Z",
  "created_at": "2011-01-26T19:01:12Z",
  "updated_at": "2011-01-26T19:14:43Z",
  "permissions": {
    "admin": false,
    "push": false,
    "pull": true
  },
  "allow_rebase_merge": true,
  "template_repository": {
    "id": 1296269,
    "node_id": "MDEwOlJlcG9zaXRvcnkxMjk2MjY5",
    "name": "Hello-World",
    "full_name": "octocat/Hello-World",
    "owner": {
      "login": "octocat",
      "id": 1,
      "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=",
      "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif",
      "gravatar_id": "",
      "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat",
      "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat",
      "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers",
      "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}",
      "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}",
      "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}",
      "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions",
      "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs",
      "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos",
      "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}",
      "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events",
      "type": "User",
      "site_admin": false
    },
    "private": false,
    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World",
    "description": "This your first repo!",
    "fork": false,
    "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World",
    "archive_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/{archive_format}{/ref}",
    "assignees_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/assignees{/user}",
    "blobs_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/blobs{/sha}",
    "branches_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/branches{/branch}",
    "collaborators_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/collaborators{/collaborator}",
    "comments_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/comments{/number}",
    "commits_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits{/sha}",
    "compare_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/compare/{base}...{head}",
    "contents_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/{+path}",
    "contributors_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contributors",
    "deployments_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/deployments",
    "downloads_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/downloads",
    "events_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/events",
    "forks_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/forks",
    "git_commits_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/commits{/sha}",
    "git_refs_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/refs{/sha}",
    "git_tags_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/tags{/sha}",
    "git_url": "git:github.com/octocat/Hello-World.git",
    "issue_comment_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/issues/comments{/number}",
    "issue_events_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/issues/events{/number}",
    "issues_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/issues{/number}",
    "keys_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/keys{/key_id}",
    "labels_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels{/name}",
    "languages_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/languages",
    "merges_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/merges",
    "milestones_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/milestones{/number}",
    "notifications_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/notifications{?since,all,participating}",
    "pulls_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/pulls{/number}",
    "releases_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/releases{/id}",
    "ssh_url": "git@github.com:octocat/Hello-World.git",
    "stargazers_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/stargazers",
    "statuses_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/statuses/{sha}",
    "subscribers_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/subscribers",
    "subscription_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/subscription",
    "tags_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/tags",
    "teams_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/teams",
    "trees_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/git/trees{/sha}",
    "clone_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World.git",
    "mirror_url": "git:git.example.com/octocat/Hello-World",
    "hooks_url": "http://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/hooks",
    "svn_url": "https://svn.github.com/octocat/Hello-World",
    "homepage": "https://github.com",
    "language": null,
    "forks_count": 9,
    "stargazers_count": 80,
    "watchers_count": 80,
    "size": 108,
    "default_branch": "master",
    "open_issues_count": 0,
    "is_template": true,
    "topics": [
      "octocat",
      "atom",
      "electron",
      "api"
    ],
    "has_issues": true,
    "has_projects": true,
    "has_wiki": true,
    "has_pages": false,
    "has_downloads": true,
    "archived": false,
    "disabled": false,
    "visibility": "public",
    "pushed_at": "2011-01-26T19:06:43Z",
    "created_at": "2011-01-26T19:01:12Z",
    "updated_at": "2011-01-26T19:14:43Z",
    "permissions": {
      "admin": false,
      "push": false,
      "pull": true
    },
    "allow_rebase_merge": true,
    "template_repository": null,
    "temp_clone_token": "ABTLWHOULUVAXGTRYU7OC2876QJ2O",
    "allow_squash_merge": true,
    "allow_merge_commit": true,
    "subscribers_count": 42,
    "network_count": 0
  },
  "temp_clone_token": "ABTLWHOULUVAXGTRYU7OC2876QJ2O",
  "allow_squash_merge": true,
  "allow_merge_commit": true,
  "subscribers_count": 42,
  "network_count": 0
}