In this guide

Get a Repository

Everything about one repository: stars, language, default branch, licence.

Action referenceRead

What this action does #

First, connect GitHub in Services. Then open Actions → + → GitHub and choose Get a Repository.

More about this action

Works on any public repository, and on private ones the token was granted.

Subscribers, forks and open issues are counted as of the moment of the call. Open Issues includes open pull requests, because GitHub counts a pull request as an issue everywhere.

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.

Owner

RequiredText

User or organisation.

This input offers a picker for repository from your connected account. You can also supply its value directly.

Example value (replace with your own):

swiftlang

Repository

RequiredText

Name only, without the owner and without .git.

This input offers a picker for repository from your connected account. You can also supply its value directly.

Example value (replace with your own):

swift

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`	integer	Whole-number value.
`name`	string	Without the owner.
`full_name`	string	owner/repo.
`description`	string	Null when unset.
`html_url`	string	The repository page.
`clone_url`	string	HTTPS clone URL.
`ssh_url`	string	Text value.
`homepage`	string	Text value.
`private`	boolean	True or false.
`visibility`	string	public, private or internal.
`fork`	boolean	True or false.
`archived`	boolean	Archived repositories are read-only.
`disabled`	boolean	True or false.
`default_branch`	string	Usually main.
`language`	string	The most-used language, or null.
`topics`	array	Topic strings.
`size`	integer	Kilobytes.
`stargazers_count`	integer	Whole-number value.
`watchers_count`	integer	A copy of the star count, not watchers.
`forks_count`	integer	Whole-number value.
`open_issues_count`	integer	Open issues plus open pull requests.
`has_issues`	boolean	False means issues are turned off.
`created_at`	string	ISO 8601.
`updated_at`	string	Text value.
`pushed_at`	string	Last push to any branch.
`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.
`license`	object	Null when the repository has no licence file.
`license.key`	string	mit, apache-2.0, …
`license.name`	string	Text value.
`license.spdx_id`	string	Text value.
`permissions`	object	What this token may do here.
`permissions.admin`	boolean	True or false.
`permissions.push`	boolean	Write access.
`permissions.pull`	boolean	Read access.
`subscribers_count`	integer	Watchers, properly counted.
`network_count`	integer	Size of the fork network.
`parent`	object	Present only on a fork.
`parent.full_name`	string	Text value.
`parent.html_url`	string	Text value.

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: GET https://api.github.com/repos/{owner}/{repo}

Action identifier: github.repos.get.v1

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

Input	Request key	Location
Owner	`owner`	path
Repository	`repo`	path

GitHub API reference