In this guide

Create a Gist

Save text to a gist and get a link back.

Action referenceCreate

What this action does #

First, connect GitHub in Services. Then open Actions → + → GitHub and choose Create a Gist.

What a run does

Running or testing this action creates something in your connected service.

More about this action

The best endpoint in the catalog for capturing something from a phone: dictation, the clipboard, or an earlier step's output goes in, and `html_url` comes back to hand to the next Shortcuts action.

Files is a JSON object whose keys are the file names — that is GitHub's shape, and it is why this is a JSON field rather than a text box. One file is the usual case:

{"note.md": {"content": "Remember this"}}

Public defaults to false, and a false here means *unlisted*, not private: anyone who has the link can read a secret gist, and it is visible to anyone who can see the token's account activity. Public also cannot be changed afterwards.

Inputs to fill in #

Open an input to choose its value. Keep a fixed value with Text, receive it from Shortcuts, ask when the action runs, or use an Earlier Step. Read how input sources work.

Files

RequiredStructured data (JSON)

Keyed by file name, each with a content string.

Example value (replace with your own):

{"note.md":{"content":"Remember this"}}

Description

OptionalText

One line, shown as the gist's title.

Example value (replace with your own):

Captured from Shortcuts

Public

OptionalOn or off

False — the default — means unlisted, not private.

Default: false

What comes back #

In the action editor, open Output → Returned Value to choose fields for your shortcut. These are the response fields described by the app; a service may omit an optional field or return an empty list. JSON File contains the full response.

Returned field	Type	Meaning
`id`	string	The hash used in every other gist endpoint.
`html_url`	string	The page to open or share.
`description`	string	Shown as the gist's title. Null when unset.
`public`	boolean	False means unlisted, not private.
`comments`	integer	Whole-number value.
`created_at`	string	ISO 8601.
`updated_at`	string	Text value.
`truncated`	boolean	True when a file was too large to include whole.
`owner`	object	A group of named values.
`owner.login`	string	Username.
`owner.id`	integer	Whole-number value.
`owner.html_url`	string	Their profile page.
`owner.avatar_url`	string	Text value.
`owner.type`	string	User, Organization or Bot.
`files`	object	Keyed by file name, so the keys are yours and cannot be listed here. Each value has filename, type, language, size, raw_url and — unless truncated — content.

Run it from Shortcuts #

Give the action a recognizable name and tap Save.
In Apple Shortcuts, add Shortcutify’s Execute Action and select the saved action.
Supply any Param or File slots you bound in the inputs, then run the shortcut.

If the result is unexpected, open Logs in Shortcutify, select the run, and inspect this step’s inputs and response.

Advanced reference #

Request, permissions, and identifiers

Request: POST https://api.github.com/gists

Action identifier: github.gists.create.v1

Permissions declared for this action: gists:write. The account’s own access rules also apply.

Input	Request key	Location
Files	`files`	body
Description	`description`	body
Public	`public`	body

GitHub API reference